Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-12-27
A RIDE TO DEATH.

"And now, monsieur, you know, think,
what you have to dol" The colonel
ceased Capt. Random wheeled like q
manikin turned by brutal hand Two
seconds later he was In the street. His
brain was vacant, without thought; he
walked with the automatic step of the
drunkard whom will alone maintains upon
bis indecisive legs.
Arrived at his own house, he threw
himself upon a chair, leaned his elbows
upon his knees, his brow upon his hands,
and remained thus, astonished to find
himself almost calm, fearless, but still
unable to reflect. From time to time
sharp pang traversing his heart moment
arily recalled to him that he suffered; he
felt himself pale. He made an effort to
rouse himself, got up, opened the window
and regarded the heavens of a light,
tender blue, the blue Of tho early spring
morning that follows night of rain.
The trees of the garden had begun to
blossom, rosy clouds hoated above the
houses, lowered a moment upon the chin
ney tops like the wings of birds and then
resumed their way. Before him, bathed
In a pallid sunlight, yelled still by va
porous mist, the quadrangular bulk Of
the quarters, its walls yellow and naked,
showed itself in an attitude stiff and mar
tial. For the first time he seemed to see
all these things, and more quickly than
ever, the impression Of external objects
acting upon CALLED and tortured brain
Nevertheless, while in his lungs the fresh,
pure air of the morning circulated, and
be felt and he saw the beauty of the
world about him, by curious doubling
OF personality he followed impassibly in
another self, the terrible and common
place history that had dishonored him.
de, Capt. Random, accused of forgery,
was going to be brought before court
martial Tomorrow, at latest, he would
be arrested-the colonel had given him
but twentyfour hours-had said: "And
1ow, monsieur, you know, ! think. what
you have to dol''
lie had but one passion-the horse-and
that passion had ruined him. To ride, to
run them, to mount them at races, and to
have a stable had been the fixed idea Of
his life; the goal of all his desires and
efforts; the single thought of his soul. A
marvellous horseman. absolutely indis-
nountable. so they said In the regiment,
the men had surnamed him THE Jockey"
Q name that was at once his ambition and
bis pride. The maintenance of his stable,
however, had cost him his patrimony. He
bad borrowed, and O pack Of creditors
loosed at his heels tracked and harassed
him. At last. at bay one day, mad with
worry and lost in one of those moments
when moral sense Is obliterated and con-
science uses sophistries to put to sleep
Its scruples, he had drawn from the cash
box Of his squadron forged signatures to
the bills in it, and falsiheo his accounts
In the hope of hiding the deficit.
Unskillfully done. the fault was
speedily discovered, and tomorrow he
was to be publicly branded. and the
cavaliers Of the second class. who. in the
street, rode behind him, would then have
the right to refuse to salute him. tho
right to scorn him.
How could l have done it?" he cried
aloud, clutching the window frame In
agony, all In sweat, his eyes dry and
staring straight before him in an attitude
of blank despair. He had a vision Of the
ordeal awaiting him-the five brother
officers united there to judge. condemn
and degrade him.
"And now, monsieur, you know, think.
what you have to dol''
The phrase of the colonel returned to
him suddenly in it's implacable signif-
canoe, followed by that other one that
his brain conveyed to him like an echo:
HE means you to kill yourselfl'
He remained moment bewildered,
stupefed. Then a sob shook his breast,
tears rolled from his eyes. and like O
child who, feeble and without support,
has need to sustain and solace itself by
affection, he was seized with an infinite
gratitude, an instructive thankfulness to
the colonel who had been kind to him
his colonel, who had accorded him twenty
tour hours of grace, who had opened to
llm door of salvation in permitting him
70 eVade public dishonor.
de must kill himself-that liberty alone
remained to him. Kill himselfl Finish
!, ana immediately Death No more
nSsooup, nso no more uneasiness or disquiet-
oo.s aoe. Indifference to the future For
sVstotness of everything and of himselfl
nooS % DC It'll he had had enough of this
My, tormented existence
u;nsa ,ass'ti While he had not stirred from his
the tbSo", a, unable to tear his regard from
IN IN spectacle of life that surrounded him.
unarto rte distance from the gates Of the
iHA .erS platoon of riders were going