Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-15

ment you have conthrived, but by fwah
I've seen l know that you cannot commi
murdher wild another mans rifle, sucl
shakin' towards you are. I'm goin' t.
slape, sez, an you can blow my head of
whole lay 1 did not slape, though, fol
long time. Can We wonder?
Next morn the news was through all the
| reg'mint, an there was nothin' that the meu
did not tell. O'Hara reports, fair an easy,
that Vulmea was come to grief through
tamperin' wild his rifle in barracks all for to
show the mechanicism. An by my sowl' he
had the impartinince to say that he was on
| the sphot at the time, an cud certify that ut
was an accidentl You might ha' knocked
my roomful down wild straw whin they
heard that. Twas lucky for him that the
bhoys were always thryin' to find out how
the new rule was made, au' a lot av thin
had come up for easn' the pull by shtickin'
bits av grass an such in the part av the lock
that showed near the thrigger. The first
issues av the 'Tinis was not covered in an I
mesilf have eased the pull av mine time an
agin. A light pull is ten points on the
range to me.
"I will not have this foolishness,' sez the
Colonel; 7 will twist the tail of Vulmea,'
sez he; but whin he saw him, all tied up an
groanin' in hospital he changed his will.
Make him an early conyalescint,' sez he to
the doctor. and Vulmea was made so for
warnin'. His big bloody bandages an face
puckered up to wan side did more to kape
the bboys from messin' wild the inside av
their rifles than any punishment.
"O'Hara gave no reason Tor fwhat he'd
said, an all my roomfuI were too glad to
inquire, tho he put his spite upon thin
more wearin' than before. Wan day, how
ever, he tux me apart very polite, for he cud
be that at the choosin',
YOU'RE a good sodger, tho you're an
insolint man. sez he.
Fair words, Sargint, sez I, or may
be insolint again
''Tis not like you, sez he, to lave your
rifle in the rack without the breechpin, for
widout the breechpin she was when Vulmes
fred. I should ha' found the break av ut
in the eyes av the holes, else, he ser.
"'Sargint,' ser I, 'fwhat wud your life
place, for on my sowl, my life wud be worth
just as mach to me av 1 tould you whether
ut was or was not. Be thankful the bullet
was not there sez I.
That's thrue, sez be, pulling his mus
tache, but do not believe that you. for all
your lip, was in that business
"'Sargint,' sez I, I could hammer the
lie out av a man in ten minut's wild my
fists if that man dishpleased me; for am
good sodger, an 1 will be threated as such,
an whole my fists are my own they're
strong enough for all work have to do.
They do not fly back toward me, sez I,
lookin' him betune the eyes.
"'You're good man, sez he, lookin' me
betune the eyes, an Oh, he was a gran
built man to see. You're good man, he
sez, an I could wish for the pure frolic av
ut that I was not Sargint, or that you
were not privit, an you will think me no
coward whIn 1 say this thing
"'I do not, sez 1; I saw you whin Vul-
mea mishandled the rifle. But, Sargint,'
sez, take the wurrd from me now, spakin'
as a man to a man wild the sthripes of,
though tits little right 1 have to talk, me
being fwhat am by natur'. This time We
tux no harm an next time ye may not, but,
in the ind, We tax harm an bad harm.
Have thought, Sargint, see I, It's worth Ut,
isn't ut?'
"You're bould man, sez he, breathin'
hard; a very bould man. But 1 am bould
man, tn. Do you go your way, Privit Mul-
vaney, an will 60 mine.'
I'VE had no further spache thin or
afther, but wun by another he drafted the
twelve av my room out into other rooms an
got thin spread among the conn nies, for
they was not good sort to live together, an
the company officers saw ut. They wud ha'
shot me in the night av they had known
fwhat knew. but they did not"
An in the ind. as I said, O'Hara met |
his death for his diviltry. He wint his own |
way too well, Eyah too WE'LL Shtraight to
that affair widout turnin' to the right or to
the let he wint, an may the Lord have |
mercy on his sowl. Amin"
Earl 'earP' said Ortherls, pointing the |
moral with q wave of his pipe, "an' this is |
i'm 'oo would be bloomin' Vulmea all for |
the sake of Mullins an bloomin' buttonl' |
"Ortheris," said hastily, for the ro-
of Private Ortheris are slightly too |
daring for publication. "look at the sun;
it's quarter past six
"0hl Three-quar.ers of an hour for five
an 'arf miles! Well have to run like
Jimmy o."
The three musketeers clambered onto the
bridge and departed hastily in the direction
Of the cantonment road. When overlook
them offered them TWO stirrups and tail,
which they accepted enthusiastically.
0rtheris held the tail, and in this manner
we trotted steadily through the shadows by
IN unirequented road.
At the turn into the cantouments we
heard carriage wheels. 1t was the Colonels
,arouche, and in it sat the Colonel's wife
ind daughter. 1 caught q suppressed
'huckle, and my beast sprang forward with
i lighter step.
The three musketeers had vanished into