Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-10-12


the whole division. We called her
derisively "Miss Anna" treating her
with an amount of mock considera-
ton that made Parsons eyes fairly
glisten with appreciation, The
second night after their arrival we
began to sing, as usual, when the
Virginian rose, and in a speech, the
delicate humor of which / shall not
attempt to reproduce, begged that
''Miss Annals rest should not be
broken by our rude chanting
/ shall never forget the broken,
tender, deprecating little reply that
came from Parsons, and how we con-
scented at last to sing, His face was
so rapt as he sat beating time with
his forefinger and occasionally quay
ering out an effective Dying Tonight,
Dying Tonight" we sang as if our
very life blood was ebbing away,
that began to realize the absolute
cowardice of ridiculing n perfectly
innocent, unconscious man. | began
to try and shield him from the fun
makers, and was finally joined by
0rphee, who became and eloquent
partisan. As for Parsons, he grew
almost to worship the handsome,
sweet-voiced ad.
One luckless afternoon, Parsons,
0rphee and strolled off together,
leaving Miss Anna" to the mercies
of our mess; but tormented by some
vague presentment of evil, induced
nv companions to return q little
earlier than they intended. As we
neared the tent my ear caught the
sound of derision that came first from
our Virginian, and were then finally
caught up by the Others and then
ended in peal after peal of laughter.
We pushed eagerly in. Alas! Miss
Anna" decked out in the most ridic-
ulous toggery, had been tied between
| four stakes driven into the ground
and the men were engaged in prick
ing her with pine burrs until the poor
animal fairly writhed with agony.
In a minute we had freed her and Par
sons held the poor bleeding creature
close to his breast. His small, square
figure seemed to rise and dilate with
a certain sense of superior power, as
| he turned his blanched face and blaz-
ing eyes upon the crowd.
''You call yourselves gentlemen, !"
he said harshly, you who have tor
tured a poor, dumb, defenseless
creature left in your care. Thank
God, my meaning of the word is diff
ferentl You have no excuse. You
are all supposed to be men and hon
\ orable men, men who are fighting
for the rights of their country, and
yet you can amuse yourself with
such senseless cruelty as you have
practiced this afternoon. You have
branded yourselves as towards
and liars, for''-and here his voice
broke suddenly-''I trusted you"
There was an ominous, threaten
ing stir in the little tent, and several
men stepped out towards the speak
er, picturesque in his very unpictur-
sequences, whose grotesque figure
stood out sharply against the bit OF
landscape showing through the open
ing in the tent. But his face awed
them back. The goat turned and
moaned pitifully, rubbing his nose
I dRdlliSJ L dI5Oll . COClO hlJA LAlutV III
sistence. His face softened wonder.
fully, be seemed to forget the men,
his anger, everything, and he whis.
pered to her in soft, caressing tones
F'You have followed me through
thick and thin, Miss Anna. When
the overflow came and wewere starv.
ing, 1t was you who struggled DacB
to us through the water, and it was
your milk that kept US alive. Every
thing then depended on YOU
strength. We called our baby after
you and when the poor little one
died it cut me cruelty, cruelty. lean
not forgive this days work. b
brave, Miss Anna, be brave" anC
putting his cheek on Miss Anna'i
, head the tears fairly rolled out o
his eyes.
He stopped minute, drawing il
his breath in short, quick little sob
and threw out both hands with al for
lorn gesture of abandonment.
"Ohl great God! Twas SO lionel,
, when wife and babies all were dead
and loved Miss Anna then; | Low
her now as the one relic left me O
that beautiful, vanished past. Thei
the war came and / tried to leav
you, thinking it would be best, blu
you followed me to be ridiculed, de
t spised and even tortured. All thecon
j duct of the past week breaks owe
} me and see what a blind fool | hay
) been"
/ parsons, you're to go on pickle
: duty tonight, and you had bette
/ start now" called in the voice of on
) lieutenant. Themen, now thorough
Q ashamed OF themselves, came neare
and were about to offer some hear
$ felt words of apology, but Parson
turned away, and delivering "Mis
: Anna" over to Orphee, said plead
e ingly:
/ "If anything should happen to MI
$ you will take care of herr"
d Orphee's eyes filled with tears as J
y pressed the extended hand.
e Without another word or loo
= Parsons strobe out into the dark.
q Were brutes, cowardly brutesl
if said our Virginian, disgustedly.
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