The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-12
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 1892
straw, made n wry face and said as he ex.
pectorated its chewed end:
"He won't shoot me"
And the orderly turned away.

straw, made wry face and said as he ex-
perforated its chewed end:
"He won't shoot me"
And the orderly turned away.
A blaze Of sunlight on the plaza Of the
little town. A regiment drawn up to form
three sides Of square. white and cruel
glitter of steel. A breeze which waited
breathlcss, allowing the regimental colors
to hang like wilted tulip on its stem, and
the only bit Of scarlet in picture where
all was blne-blue sky, blue river and the
blue OF the army men. And little church
struttiug like a bantam with shining comb
crowed out hymn.
And facing it all alone indOmtalhy, with
the spiteful look of corpered mouse In
his half shut eyes, stood Private Bill.
For it had indeed come TO this.
He was to I've shot for the most preposter-
GUS bit Of unreasonable folly which had
ever entered into youngsters head. He
was trife whitehall was ALL Assolemn
~ young owl he stood, every freckle
showing plainly from his pallor, but dis
playing the same ridiculous grit.
Then detachment of men were singled
from the rest, each whittier than the man
they faced
;, And Private Kerr was still in the guard
house.
"Readyp
"Take-aiml" .-.." .-..
"Firel"
The crash-the rattle of bullets followed.
And tlien the smoke cleared, disclosing
Private Bill with his freckles bit more in
relief, but still standing.
Each man had fired into the air,
"TheElf never shoot mel' called out
Private Bill
Around behind the detachment of men
rode the colonel. He was CHASTITY and
hoarse with emotion. That small alert
figure was strangely imposing but mutiny
Is an ugly thing, and he was colonel in
the United States army
He drew his sword.
"You level those guns or I'll off with
your hcadsp he beloved. beside himself
with rage
.'They won't do It'll" piped up Private
! Bill.
"God have mercy on your soul, you
young fool" responded the colonel, turn
ing bis head away-for the fellow was but
lad
Now.
"Ready"
"Take-aimi"
"Firetn ....-. IT,.
But not sound. Only deathlike ST.
lence, followed by several deep drawn
I breaths like the signs of the dying. Slowly
the colonel turned his head.
This is what he saw:
Three sides Of q square of men in army
blue standing opposite a bantamlike church
which was growing out hymn. A small
detachment of men, with puzzled, foolish
faces, resting on their arms, as they looked
from one to another and then at him.
And fncing it all Private Bill, his face
rri nI in ,,Ia ,uI; ;nb ho,1
eclipsed its freckles, and whose hands had
torn open the top buttons of his army coat,
exposing throat and breast as white and
tender as the moonlight of Mexican
night.
Private Bill was right; the men did not
fire. After one glance the colonel heard
sigh such as had already saluted his ears,
and managed to calculate feebly:
"Well, I'll be -"
He then added something presumably
less emphatic to the chaplain, after which
Private Kerr was produced from the guard
house looking very subdued-not TO say
silly.
"Do you see that young mani" asked the
colonel of him savagely, pointing mean
while to Private Bill.
eyes, sir"
"He was brought here to be shot"
"Yes, sir" But Private Kerr's color was
sickly.
81 have decided to do worse"
yes, sir" And Private Kerr grows
green.
"He shall not be shot; but-he shall be
married."
And he-or she-was, then and there.
And when the moon shone on the ban
tam church, which seemed to sleep with
Its head under its wing, a great bass voice
muttered forth from the black pit of m
adobe hut:
'It takes woman to mutiny
successfully"
Eyes, sir, said the little orderly at the
door.
Which goes to prove that the colonel
speedily recovered the use Of his fayorite
Language. Staats in Truth.