The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-11


and made responsible for one another. The
thing that kicked the beam in the boy
mind was a remark that a woman made
when he was talking to her. There is no
use in repeating it, for 1t was only cruel
little sentence, raped out before thinking,
that made him flash 30 the roots of his
hair. He kept himself to himself for three
days and then put in for two days leave
10 go shooting near a canal engineers rest
house about thirty miles cut. He got his
leave, and that night at mess was Roisier
and more offensive than ever. He said
that he was going to shoot big game"
and left at half past 10 o'clock in din ekka.
Partridge-which was the only thing a
man could get near the rest house-s not
big game; so every one laughed.
Next morning one Of the majors came in
| from short leave, and heard that The Boy
| had gone out to shoot "big game" The
! major had taken an interest in The Boy
and had, more than once, tried TO check
him in the cold weather. The major put
up his eyebrows when he heard Of the ex-
petition and went to The Boys rooms,
where he ruDlmaged.
Presently he came out and found me
leaving cards on the mess. There was no
one else in the antercom.
He said: 1.-The Boy has gone out shoot
ing. Does a man shoot tetur with re-
volver and a writing case?"
said: Nonsense, major!' for I saw
what was in his mind
He said: Nonsense or no nonsense, Pm
going to the canal now-at once. l don't
feel easy"
Then he thought for minute, and said:
Can you ie:''
"You know best" answered. 'It's my
profession"
Very well, " said the major; "you must
come out with me now-at once-in an
ekka to the canal to shoot black buck Go
and put on shikar kit-quick-and drive
here with gun"
The major was masterfui man, and I
knew that he would not give orders for
nothing. So l obeyed and on return found
the major packed up in an ekka-gun cases
and food slung below-an ready for a
shooting trip.
He dismissed the driver and drove him
self We logged along quietly while in the
station; but as soon as we got to the dusty
road across the plains he made that pony
fly. A country bred can do nearly any
thing at pinch. We covered the thirty
miles in under three hours, but the poor
brute was nearly dead.
Once l said, whats the blazing hurry,
majors"
He said quietly: ''The Boy has been alone,
by himself for-one, two, fve-fourteen
hours now. l tell you, don't feel easy"
This uneasiness spread to me, and
helped to beat the pony.
When we came to the Canal Engineers
rest house the major called fer The Boys
servant; but there was no answer. Then
we went up to the house, calling for The
Boy by name; but there was no answer.
'Oh, he's out shooting" said 1.
Just then saw through one of the win
dows a little hurricane lamp burning. |
This was at in the afternoon. We both |
stopped dead in the veranda, holding our
breath to catch every sound; and we heard !
inside the room the fbrr-brr-brr' of |
multitude Of flies. The major said nothing, |
but he took of his helmet and we entered |
very softly.
The boy was dead on the charpoy in the |
center Of the bare, lime washed room. He |
had shot his head nearly TO pieces with his
revolver. The gun cases were still strapped,
so was the bedding, and ON the table lay
the boys writing case with photographs.
He had gone away to die like poisoned
rat!
The major said to himself softly: "Poor
boy! Poor, poor devilr' Then he turned
away from the bed and said: Il want your
help in this business
Knowing The Boy was dead by his own
hand, l saw exactly what that help would
be, so | passed over to the table, took a
chair, lit cheroot, and began TO go through
the writing case. the major looking over
!
we came too latei Like a rat in holei
Poor, poor devilI''
The Boy must have spent half the night
n writing to his people, to his colonel and
20 girl at home; and as soon as he had fin
shed must have shot himself, for he had
Deen dead long time when we came in.
read all that he had written and passed
,ver each sheet to the major as l finished
We saw from his accounts how very seri-
,usly he had taken everything. He wrote
IbOut disgrace which he was unable to
,ear'' ''indelible shame'-"criminal fol-
w wasted life" and so on besides lot
# private things to his father and mother,
much too sacred to put into print. The let
er to the girl at home was the most pitiful
# all; and | choked as read it. The major
made no attempt to keep dry eyed. / re-
pected him for that. He read and rocked
himself to and fro, and simply cried like
woman without caring to hide it. The let
ers were so areary and hopeless and touch
ne. We forgot ali about The Boys follieS,
nd only thought OF the poor thing on the
harpoy and the scrawled sheets in our
ands. 1t was utterly impossible to let the (
2tters go home They would have broken
is fathers heart and killed his mother
fter killing her belief in her son.
At last the major dried his eyes openly
nd said; Mice sort of thing to spring on
Il English familyl What shall we do?"'
| said, knowing what the major had {
rought me out for: The boy died of '
holera. We were with him at the time. !
Ve can't commit ourselves TO half meas
res. Come along"
Then began one of the most grimly comic
,enes have ever taken part in-the con- I
DcJion of big written lie, bolstered with
violence, to soothe the boys people aG '
ONE. | began the rough draft of the let J
r, the major throwing IN hints here and
here while he gathered up all the stuff
lat the boy had written and burnt it in the I
replace. II was hot. still evening when =
e began. and the lamp burned very badly.
1 due course got the draft to my salts
Iction, setting forth how the boy was the
attern of all virtues, beloved by his regi-
ent, with every promise of a great career
sfore him, and so on; how we had helped q
I'M through the sickness-it WAS no time L
II little lies you will UNDERSTANDABLE how
= had died without pain l cboked while 8
was putting down these things, and 6
linking of the poor people who would
ad them Then I Laughed at the gro
of the AFFAIR, and the laughter =
liked itself up with the choks-and the