The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-06-11
CHAPTER x.


The mould in bis mouth and the dust IN MS
eyes;
And they went south, and east, and north,
The strong man fights, but the sick man DIES
There were three friends that spoke of the
The strong man fights but the sick man dies,
'And would he were here with US noW,' they
''The sun in our face and the wind in our
Ballad.
The Nilghai was angry with Torpenhow
Dick had been sent to bed-blind men are
ever under the orders of those who can see
and-since he had returned from the park
had fluently cursed TOrpenhow because he
was alive and all the world because it was
alive and could see, while he, Dick, was
dead in the death of the blind, who, at the
best, are only burdens upon their associates.
Torpenhow had said something about a
Mrs. Gummidge, and Dick had retired in
fury to handle and rehandle three unopen-
ed letters from Maisie.
The Nilghai, fat burly, and aggressive,
was in Torpenhow's rooms. Behind him sat
the Keneu, the Great War Eagle, and be-
tween them lay large map embellished
with black and white headed pins.
81 was wrong about the Balkans, " said the
Nilghai. "But Pm not wrong about this
business. The whole OF our work in the
Southern Soudan must be done over again.
The public doesn't care, of course, but the
Government does, and they are making
their arrangements quietly. You know that
as well as / do"
~ remember how the people cursed %
when our troops withdrew from Omdur-
man. 1t was bound to crop up sooner or
later But can't go, said Torpenhow. He
tod bn q
hot night. "Can you blame me?"
The Keneu purred above his pipe like
large and very happy cat.
Don't blame you in the least. It's I'M
commonly good of you and all the rest of it.
but every man-even you, Torp-must con-
slider his work / know it sounds brutal,
but Dicks out of the race-down-g astados,
expended, finished, done for. He has a
little money of his own. He won't starve,
and you can't pull out of your slide for his
sake Think Of your own reputation"
''Dick's was five times bigger than mine
and yours put together"
E"That was because he signed his name to
everything he did. It's all ended now.
You must hold yourself in readiness to
move out. You can command your own
prices, and you do better work than any
three of u.s."
Don't tell me how tempting it is. I'll
stay here to look after Dick for a while.
He's as cheerful as bear with a sore head,
but think he likes to have me about him"
The Nilghai said something uncompli-
mentary on soft-headed fools who throw
away their careers for other fools. Tor
penhow flushed angrily. The constant
strain of attendance on Dick had worn his
nerves thin.
There remains a third fate" said the
Keneu, thoughtfully. Consider this, and
be not larger fools than is necessary. Dick
is-or rather was-an able bodied man of
moderate attractions and certain amount
of audacity."
"Oho!" said the Nilghai, who remember
ed an affair at Cairo. 81 begin to see. Torp,
I'm sorry"
ToPpephow nodded forgiveness 'You
were more sorry when he cut you out,
though Go on, Keneu."
s'I've often thought, when I've seen men
die out in the desert, that if the news could
be sent through the world, and the means of
transport were quick enough there would
be one woman at least at each MANS bed
side"
"There would be some mighty quaint
revelations. Let US be grateful things are
as they are" said the Nilghai.
'Let US rather reverently consider
whether Torp's three-cornered ministra-
tions are exactly what Dick lsadS Just now
What do you think yourself, Torps" -
II know they aren't But what Gan do9"
7 ''tIay the matter before the Board. We
are ali Dicks friends here You've been
most in his life" -~~>s ~<-------.--
But picked it up when he was off his
head"
1.-THE greater chance Of it's being true. /
thought we should arrive. Who is shea"
Then Torpenhow told tale in plain
words, as a special correspondent who
knows how to make verbal prccis should
tell it. The men listened without inter
ruption.
els it possible that a man can come back
across the years to his calf love?" said the
Keneu. SIS it possible?"
81 give the facts. He says nothing about il
now but he sits fumbling those three letters
from her when he thinks l am not looking.
What am to do?"
''Speak to him." said the Nilghai.
''Oh, yes Write to her-I don't know her
full name, remember-and ask her to accept
him out of pity. l believe you once told
Dick you were sorry for him, Nilghai You
remember what happened, Ell! Go into the
bedroom and suggest full confession and an
appeal to this Maisie girl, whatever she is.
honestly believe he'd try to kill you; and the
blindness has made him rather muscular"
''Torpenhow's course is perfectly clear"
said the Keneu. "He will go to Vitry-sur-
Marine, which is on the Bezieres-Landes
Railway-single track from Tourgas. The
Prussians shelled it out in 20 because there
was poplar on the top of a hill eighteen
hundred yards from the church spire.
There's a squadron of cavalry quartered
Thereon ought to be. Where this studio
Torp spoke about may be l cannot tell.
That is Torp's business. I have given him
his route. He will dispassionately explain the
situation to the girl and she will come back
to Dick-the more especially because. % use
Dicks words, there is nothing but her
Cd 0Ic%1,, 70 how ~oo,,%tD