Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-02-28
THE MAN Win A HISTORY.
The sad Lies story That Was Ended BY an
Arabs Bullet.

NAAP1Eb l..
81 can't see those palm trees" said the
major, gray-headed "ranker" who sup.
ported q wife and family of six in West
Kensiugton 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 shrub between treacherous looking
10 ridges.
~ can'5 make out those palm treos,"
said the major. "LieLt Lovett, shoot
the guide at the frat sign of his playing
false"
Lieut.. Lovett's gone with two files Of
men and the guide to the ridge to recon
qoitre, sir"
Lieut.. Lovet, and the two files of men
never came back, and the major said no
more for a volley from the ridge laid
him lifeless.
! Officer after officer, sergeant after SER
| geant fell, marked out by their uniform
as distinctly as if they had been branded.
| The Arabs evidently had some renegade
among them well up on European uni
! forms.
/ Still the column fought its way en- dog
/ gedly. At last there was only one com
lpIssioned or non commissioned officer
! lett--a smoothfaced boy, fresh from
| school, just through Sandhurst. But
still the magic of discipline held the men
| together. And then he, too, was pickt d
Dff by the sharpshOoters; and if had been
Crimeau veteran, tbs effect could not
have been more instantaneous. The men,
who were half of them little better than
| recruits, commenced a sauve qui peut-
| each man rushing for the nearest bonlder
or thorn bush TO shelter himself for one
minute from the murderous hail of bullets
which poured from the ridges. The
Arabs had been waiting for this, like vul
tures waiting for lion to die, and sprapg
out of the scrub with spear and knife to
make shameless.
Next moment oue of the rank and file
sprapg forward to where the dead boy
lay, sword in hand, clutohing the colors
which he had seized as the color sergeant
fell. Quick rs lightning he caught hold
OF the sword, and waving it in the air,
numbered ont the command, form com.
pany 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 agaiu
a regiment, and not a flock OF sheep with
out a shepard. They had a strange com
mander; fine man enough he must have
been once, but his ruined com plexioR and
bloocshot eyes, with their look of devil
may care, told the tale o dissipated years.
Still, the men felt that they had a master
among them once more, and neither bull
let Dor blade could make any impression
on their frmness, though their numbers
diminished woefully fast, and, owing to
their commander being one of the rank
and file like themselves, the sharpshoot-
ers could not pick him out.
The ammunition was failing, and they
knew that In a few minutes death must
await them as surely as it did an hour ago,
when each was covering TO save himself,
when suddenly they heard the tattoo of a
machine gun aud saw the swarthy hordes
of Arabs mown down.
The heart OF everyons but the man with
the oioodshot eyes beat high He did not
value his life. In another moment he sas
dead, pierced TO the heart by shot fired
by an Arab in his flight-st random.
moment sfterwaTd the general dash
ed mp az the mead OF his cavalry, and the
main force appeared on the tops of the
ridges. The Arabs were in full flight,
and the hussars we're ordered TO com plete
the rout. 1t appeared that there had
been double treaehery. The regiments
guide was one of the enemy, who had led
| them into a trap, and the enemy was an
Arab in the service OF the English, who
had slipped away at the earliest oppor-
tunity, and taken the alarm TO the gener-
al who had fastened to the rescue with
! his whole force. The general found the
sOldiers crowded round a fallen comrade,
man in private's uniform, with the
regiment8l 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 saved them he
uubuttoned The dead mans tunic and
shirt, for he had caught glimpse of
slender gold chain round the swarthy
neck.
The chain WAS attached to leather
wallet, brown with sweat, and wet with
the blood from his death wound. II
hung mex to his skin. The general open
ed 10 teverently, and as he examined 1t
the rough soldiers standing around him
we're moved, for tears rolled down his
cheeks. The wallet contained only three
things, a tress of fair, silky hair, the
miniature of beautiful young girl with
a delicate, high-bred face, and a letter,
worn by being carried about 10 the pock-
ct, addressed: Captain the Honorable
Charles lie Grey, Whites" The paper
inside was coroneted with the writing
splashed with tears. The note was very
brief:
"My first and last darling:
"After this terrible morning ] can new
err never marry you-can never see you
again. But, by my hope of heaven, am
yours, and yours only till die, she whose
fondest wish on earth vas TO be your
wife. g. O."
80. @. GwendoIen Carbis," said the
general in husky voice, and he kissed
the letter and miniature fondly, and re-
turning them 20 their wallet put them in
his pocket. Bring the body to my tent,
he comm snded, and they hastily Knocked
up stretcher, and on it they laid the
body OF Private Harris, with the boy
officers sword IN his hand, and the tat
tered oolors OF the regiment laid over his
body az if he had been by CON mission, ga
we'll ss in fact their commander.
CHAPTER II.
The Castle of Doom, where the long
line OF the earls Of Moryah had reigued
] - ~ ~ ~