The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-04-12


flashed like lightning across my mind:
The william! lt's the colonel he's
aiming at My resolution was taken
instantaneously. 1.-The heard me cock
my revolver, then, before could
shoot him down, he might Ere, without
waiting to take better aim at his liv-
ing mark.
My hand instinctively frightened
its grip Of my revolver as lcaped
noiselessly with few cat-like bounds
across the intervening space, and be.
fore the fellow had time to look round
had felled him to the earth. His
skull was smashed in, and he died
without uttering cry or O groan.
The next moment the colonel
sprane forward into view in the open
The had been hidden before by tree
that came between us. There he
stood stock still, gazing into the wood
to my left. He had evidently heard
the sound of the blow, light as it was,
but was not sure of the direction from
which it had proceeded. f1is left side
was turned almost full toward me:
his right hand shaded his eyes.
As he gazed intently into the wood
l heard, faint. yet distinct, ashurp
click to my right. ! turned my head
III that direction and there-my sight
unusually quick and keen in these
days-I saw the rusty, discolored
muzzle OF a gun projecting from the
! lar side OF large tree and pointing i'll
the direction of the colonel.
'"The man who held it was com.
pletely hidden from me by the tree.
What could I do? Was | to stand
there, impotent as a baby to avert
the danger, and SEQ my colonel shot
down like dog?
"a shout of warning would have
been worse than useless; it would sim.
ply have FASTENED the fatal catastro..
phe. could not fire at the Indian,
for he was completely out of sight
there was no part of him to be seen.
Even had there been, it would have
availed me nothing, unless l could
have killed him simultaneously. A
bullet in the leg would not
probably have made him vince or
alter his aim by hairs breadth, for
the fellows are either regular stoics or
utterly insensible to pain. One casu.
al glance had sufficed to show me-
did mention that my eyes were ex-
traordinarily good?-'telescope and
microscope combined they used to
say-that that aim was directed full!
upon the motionless colonel's left
temple.
"A moment reflection decided me-
there was but one chance left. des-
perate one, but still it was g. chance
II grasped my revolver in my hand,
despatched as it was with blood and
brains: then, without cooking it, for
knew that the faintest sound made
by mo at this juncture would have
been the coloneps death signal, took
steady aim at point about a yard
from his head, in the line that l knew
the bullet must take from the rifle OF
the native to his temple. / might
have aimed at the muzzle of his rifle
had I not known that the moment
the click OF my revolver was heard
the death dealing bullet would be on
it's way. When think of that mo.
ment OF agonizing suspense my words
seem to stick in my throat.
'These things take time in the tell
ing, but, by lingo! they took literally
no time in the doing. 'Pon my honor,
could hardly expect you to believe
the end OF MY story, but that you
know, like myself, that truth is
stranger than fiction.
"Well, 1took steady aim at the spot
that l knew the bullet must pass, and
fixed it as immovably as if the muscle
of my arm had been a blacksmith's
vice, so that, when the moment
came, might fire without looking at
it again. Then with my eyes fixed ON
the muzzle OF the rifle watched it
not a second had elapsed since
heard it cocked-then raised the ham,
NOR OF my revolver. hardly daring to
breathe, lest should alter the aim
by the breadth of q gossamer thread.
GAS had anticipated, the moment
the click reached the ears of the
would-be assassin, and before the re-
port of his shot reached my ears,
saw the bullet leave the barrel of his
rifle. That instant I pressed the trig-
ger. 1t was a desperate attempt, as
said before, but it was successful.
The colonel did not fall! He was
saved!
my first thought, or instinct, was
to fire at the dark form flying away
! among the trees. I brought him
down, and the colonel rushed toward
me with his own revolver ready for
use. He recognized me on the instant
and demanded an explanation OF the
three shots he had heard. told him
and he paled under his sunburn.
'Dare," he said, with an almost i'm.
perceptible tremor in his voice-'Dare,
you have saved my life twice over.
AS I stood there listening 1 heard q
strange, sharp sound close to my ear,
and picked up this showing me in
the palm of his hand large, shape
less lump OF lead, which proved on
examination to be the two bullets in
separately welded together.
"de grasped my hand, covered
with the gore of his late would-be.
murderer. =
'Thanks, my brave fellow; your
courage and presence OF mind shall
not 60 unrewarded."
"And l may mention, in passing,
that the gallant colonel kept his
word.
1--WE surmised atterward that the
two natives had crept up like snakes
through the long grass unpreceived by
our poor fellows, who were probably
rendered drowsy by the intense heat;
had come up to each man from be-
hind, and strangled him before he
could utter a cry or give the alarm to
his comrades.
"And now I am sure you will all ae-
knowledge that the colonel's was one
Of the nqrr0wpst chavos MON ,,,;ol,4
wish to have-alTnost equal to one of
my own adventures among the Zulus,
which I hope to tell you on some
future evening""
This was the majors story. am
bound to believe that every word
uttered by my superior officer is true;
you. OF course, are free to do as you
please.
whv He Needed PRAYER.