The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-07-12
The Man With a History
BY DOUGLAS s1ADES.

IT can't see those three palm trees, y
said the Major, a gray-headed "ranker, u
who supported wife and family of six
in West Kensington out of his pay.
He and the best part of his regiment
under his command were winding their
way along the desert, through thick,
thorny scrub, between treacherous look
ing low parallel ranges.
u can't make out those palm trees, y
said the Major; "Lieutenant Lovett,
----s -------------A---:---->s7'-
playing false
Lieutenant Lovett's gone with two
files of men and the guide to the tops of
the ridge to reconnoitre, sir"
Lieutenant Lovett and the two files of
men never came back, and the Major
said no more, for volley from the ridge
stretched him Ifeless.
Officer after officer, sergeant after
sergeant fell, marked out by their uni
forms as distinctly as if they had been
branded. The Arabs evidently had some
renegade among them well up in English
uniforms.
Still the column fought its way on
doggedly. At last there was only one
commissioned or non-commissioned Off
Ger left, smooth-faced boy, fresh from
school, just rushed through Sandhurst.
But still the magic of discipline held the
men together. And then he, too, was
picked of by the sharpshooters, and if he
had been a Crimean veteran the effect
could not have been more instantaneous.
The men, who were half of them little
better than recruits, commenced a suave
qui peut, each man rushing for the near
est boulder or thorn bush to shelter him
self for one minute from the murderous
hail Of bullets which poured from the
ridges. The Arabs had been waiting for
this, like vulturss waiting for a lion to
die, and sprang out of the shrub with
spear and knife to make shambles.
Next moment one of the rank and file
sprang forward to where the dead boy
lay, sword in hand, clutching the eolors
which he had seized as the color-sergeant
fell. Quick as lightning he caught hold
Of the sword and waving it in the air.
Numbered out the command: '.Form
company square" The men, when they
saw the familiar signal and heard the
familiar word OF command, sprang into |
their places with one accord. They were
again regiment and not flock of sheep |
without a shepherd. They had strange |
commander; a fine man enough he mnst /
have been once, but his ruined complex |
ion and bloodshot eyes, with their look of |
deyil-may-care, told the tale of dissipated |
years. Still, the men felt that they mad |
4 OIOC more, l------f
neither bullet nor blade could make any
impression on their firmness, though |
their numbers diminished wofully fast,
and, owing to their commander being
one of the rank and file like themselves,
the sharpshooters could not pick him out.
Their ammunition was falling, and they |
knew that in a few minutes death must !
await them as surely as it did an hour
ago, when each WIS covering to save |
himself, when suddenly they heard the |
noise of a machine gun and saw the |
swarthy hordes of Arabs mown down.
The heart of every one but the man with |
the bloodshot eyes beat high He did |
not value his life. In another moment |
he was dead, pierced to the heart by a |
shot fred by an Arab in his fiight-at |
random. A moment later the General !
dashed up at the head of his cavalry, and /
the main force appeared at the top of the |
ridges. The Arabs were in full fight, ]
and the hussars were ordered to complete Z
the rout. 1t appeared that there had
been double treachery. The regiments |
guide was one Of the enemy, who had led |
them into a trap and with the enemy was
an Arab in the service of the English, |
who had slipped away at the earliest OPP
poriunity and taken the alarm to the Gen
eral, who had fastened to the rescue with |
his full force. The General found the |
soldiers crowded around fallen comrade,
a man in private uniform, with the regi-
mental colOrs In one hand and an officers |
sword in the other.
He leaped from his horse, and while |
the saved men told the story of the man
whose presence of mind had saved them
he unbuttoned the dead mans tunic and
shirt, for he had caught a glimpse of
slender gold chain round the swarthy
neck The chain was attached to a
leather wallet, brown with sweat and wet
with the blood from his death wound.
It hung next his skin. The General
opeued it reverently, and, as he examined
it the rough soldiers standing around |
him were moved, for tears rolled down
their checks. The wallet contained only
three things tress of hair. fair nd !
silky, the miniature of a beautiful young
girl with delicate, high-bred face, and
a letter. worn by being carried about in