New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-24

the ransom. Ours are the villages on the heights,
said voice in the background.
These were the Bad Men-worse than COLLINS
and it needed all Wee Willie Wrinkles training
to prevent him from bursting into tears. buo
he felt that to cry before native, excepting only
his mothers ayah would be an infamy greater
than any 'mutiny. Moreover he,- as future
Colonel of the lv5th, had that grim regiment
at his back. W..
Willie Wrinkle, very blanched and uncomfortable.
Yes my little Sahib Bahadur" said the tallest
of the men, and eat you afterward:n
That is child's talk, said Wee Willie Wrinkle.
:" Men do not eat men.
A yell of laughter interrupted him. but he went
on firmly" And if you do carry us away, !
tell you that all my regiment will come up Ia
day and kill you all without leaving one Who
will take my message to the Colonel Sahib?"
Speech in any vernacular-and Wee Wine
Winkie had colloquial acquaintance with three
easy TO the boy who could not yet manage
his "r's" and tbs Alright
Another man joined the conference, crying:
20 foolish men. What this babe says is true.
He is the hearts heart of those white troops For
the sake Of peace let them go both, for ii he DO
taken, the regiment will break loose and gut the
valley. Our villages are in the valley; and we
shall not escape That regiment are devils. Iney
broke Khoda Vars breast-bone with kicks when
he tried to take the rifles; and If we touch this
child they will fire and rape and plumber for
month, till nothing remains. Better to send
man back to take the message and get a reward.
| say that this child is their God, and that they
will spare none of us, nor our women. If we
1t was Din Mahommed, the dismissed groom Of
the Colonel, who made the diversion, and an angry
and heated discussion followed. Wee Willie
Winkie, standing over Miss Allardyce, waited the
upshot. Surely his "wegiment, his own wcgi.
ment,' would not desert him if they knew Of
his extremity.
The riderless pony brought the news to the
105th, though there had been CONSERVATION in the
ColonePs household for an hour before. The little
beast came in through the parade-ground in front
OF the main barracks, where the men were SET
ting down to play Spoil-five till the afternoon.
Devlin. the color sergeant of Company, glanced
at the empty saddle and tumbled through tho
barracz-rooms, kicking mp each room corporal
as he passed. Up, ye beggars! There's some
lie couldn't fall off S'elp me, e couldn't
fall off," blubbered drummer-boy. Go an
hunt acrost the river. He's over there if he's
anywhere, an maybe those Pathans have got i'm.
For the love O Gawd don't look for i'm in the
nullahs. Let's go over the river
There's sense in Mott yet" said Devlin. "E
Company, double out to the river-sharp.'
So f Company, in it's shirt-sleeves mainly,
doubled for the dear life. and in the rear toiIed
the persprlng sergeant, adIurlng IT to double yeU
faster. The cantonment was alive with the men
of the 195th hunting for Wee Willie Wrinkle,
and the Colonel finally overlook Company, far
too exhausted to swear, struggling in the pebbles
of the rver-bed
Bad Men were discussing the wisdom of carrying
off the child and the girl, lookout fired two
shots. ,,-,,
What have | SAID !" Sh0uteu i'm Mdrouluicus
There is the warning! The pultOn are out al
ready and are coming across the plain. Get
away. Let us not be seen with the boy!'
The men waited for an instant, and then. as
another shot fired, withdrew into the hills,
silently as they had appeared 49, u
The wegiment is coming" said Wee Willie
Wrinkle confidently to Miss Allardyce, and its
all wight. Don't cwy!'
He needed the advice himself, for ten minutes
later when his father came up, he was weeping
bitterly with his head in Miss Allardyce's lap;
And the men of the 195th carried MIN
home with shouts and rejocings; ana copy,
who had ridden horse into lather met MN.
and to his intense disgust, kissed him openly
in the presence of the men, -
Rut there was balm for his dignity. His fatner
assured him that not only would the breaking
of arrest be condoned, but that the good-conducu
badge would be restored as soon as his motner
could sew it on his blouse sleeve Miss Alardyce
had told the Colonel a story that made him PROUD
Of his SON. .;s Wa Will.
Wrinkle indicating Miss Allardyce with grimy
forefnper - knew she didn't ought 70 go
acwoss We wiver, and I knew We wegiment would
come TO me if / sent Jack home
You're hero, Wrinkle" said Coppy-"a pukka
hero ,r;u;.
Winlxie but Won mustn't call me Winke any no
more I'm Percival william Williams
And in this manner did Wee Willie WLnkie
enter into his manhood.