Wichita eagle., 1889-05-10

that was widely different thing"
''Sure, the Major must have begun hi.
examination at their boots, since he
couldn't at FIRST" began the Irishman
soto coce, but was checked by sudden
glance shot at him from the keen eyes OF
the Major, who repeated slowly and with
visible shudder, Of whose genuineness
there could surely be no question: "Ahl
that was very, very different thing, and
an icy sweat broke out on my forehead. as,
hastily retracing my steps, hurried to
ward the camp. When got within about
twenty yards of the edge OF the wood
saw, not dozen yards away, native
standing by tree, with his back toward
me. He was in full view from where
stood, but perfectly hidden from any one
in the open space between the camp and
| the wood.
'He had his rife up to his shoulder, and
| was taking careful aim at something or
somebody The thought flashed like light
/ ming across my mind-The villain! It's
the Colonel he's aiming at My resolution
was taken instantaneously. If he heard me
cock my revolver, then, before / could
! shoot him down, he might fire, without
waiting to take better aim at his living
mark.
of my revolver as leaped noiselessly with
few cat-hke bounds across the interven-
ing space, and before 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 groan.
1.-The next moment the Colonel spran g
forward into view in the open-he had
been hidden before by a tree that came be-
tween US. There he stood stock still gain g
into the wood to my left. He had evident
ly heard the sound of the blow, slight as it
was, but was not sure of the direction from
which it had proceeded. His left side was
turned almost full toward me, his right
shaded his eyes.
las he gaZed intently into the wood
heard, faint, yet distinct, a sharp click to
my right. / turned my head in that direc-
ton and there-my sight was unusually
quick and keen in those days-I saw the
rusty, discolored muzzle Of a gun project
ing from the far side Of a large tree, and
pointing in the direction of the Colonel.
''The man that held it was completely
hidden from me by the tree. What could
Idol Was to stand there, impotent as a
baby to avert the danger, and see my
Colonel SHOT down like dogl
"a shout of warning would have been
worse than useless; it would simply have
fastened the fatal catastrophe. ] could
not fire at the indian, Tor he was complete
ly out Of sight-there was no part Of him
to be seen. Even had there been, it would
have availed me nothing unless I could
have killed him instantaneously. A bullet
in the leg would not probably have made
him vince or alter his aim by hairs
breadth, for the fellows were either regu-
lar stoics or utterly insensible to pain.
One casual glance had sufficed to show me
did l mention that my eyes were most
extraordinarily goodi-'telescope and micro
scope combined they used to say-that
that aim was directed full upon the mo-
tionless Colonel's left temple.
"a moments reflection decided me-
there was but one chance left; desperate
one, but still it was chance.
II grasped my revolver firmly in my
hand, despatched as it was with blood
and brains; then, without cooking it, for
knew that the faintest sound made by me
at this juncture would have been the
ColoneAs death signal, took steady aim at
a point about yard from his head, IN the
line that knew the bullet must take from
the rife of the native to his temple. l
might have aimed at the muzzie of his rife
had l not known that the moment the click
of my revolver was heard the death-deal-
ing bullet would be on it's way When 1
think of that moment of agonizing sus
pense my words seem to stick in my
throat
Again the hint was taken, and the irrev-
erent young IrishEan winked at a friend
as he thought to himself: "Crams do stick
in ones throat sometimes, and it takes a
lot of washing to swallow them downl'
'"These things take time in the telling,
but, by jingo they took literally no time
in the doing 'Pon my honor, l could
hardly expect you to believe the end of my
story, but that you know, like myself, that
truth is stronger than fiction.
well, / took steady aim at the spot that
] knew the bullet must pass, and fixed it
us immovably as if the muscles of my arm
had been blacksmith's wise, so that
when the moment came, might fire with
out looking at it again Then, with my
eyes fixed on the Inuzzle of the rifle, l
watched it-not a second had elapsed since
/ heard it cocked-then raised the hammer
of my revolver, hardly daring to breathe,
lest should alter the aim by the breadth
of gossamer thread.
GAS had anticipated, the moment the
sassin, and before the report Of his shot
reached my ears, saw the bullet leave the
barrel of his rife. That instant I pressed
the trigger. 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. l brought him down, and the
Colonel rushed toward me with his own re-
volver ready for use. He recognized me
on the instant, and demanded an explana-
ton of the three shots that he had heard.
l told him, and he paled under his sun
burn.
Dare he said, with an almost imper-
ceptibie tremer in his voice, Dare, you
have saved my life twice over AS stood
there listening / heard strange, sharp
sound close to my ear, and picked up this
showing me In the palm Of his hand a
large, shapeless lump OF lead, which proved
on examination to be the two bullets insep-
arably welded together.
I" He grasped my hand, covered with the
gore of his late would-be murderer
80 Thanks, my brave fellow; your cour-
age and presence of mind shall not go I'M
rewarded And / may mention, in pass
ing, that the gallant Colonel kept his word.
=. We surmised afterward that the two
natives had crept up like snakes through
the long grass, unperceived by our poor
fellows, who were probably rendered
irowsy by the intense heat, had come up
TO each man from behind and strangled |
him before he could utter cry or give the |
alarm to his comrades.
And now l am sure you will all &C
that the Colonel's was one of |
the narrowest shaves man might wish TO |
nave-almost equal to one of my own ad- |
ventures among the Zulus, which hope to |
eli ,-ni, on Soma f,,t,ir,a ausani inc, y