The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-02-24

and neatly answered. Thompson's
had frisked off gayly in the draught of
the open door, and was just saved from
being chewed under the table by Ham,
erton's puppy, who had followed his
master in.
cit shall be little Billy" said Major
Hamerton to himself; and proceeding
to the discussion of further details con-
corning escort and commissariat ar
rangements for the small expedition.
A little before nightfall they started,
party of fifteen in all: the two En-
glish ofiicers-Billy in state of the
widest joy and bursting with import
ance-a duffedar, and twelve Sowars of
Khunaz Horse. A second telegram
had been received soon after the first,
saying that the Ghazis, who were few
in number, had taken themselves off;
that native hospital assistant was in
charge of James, the wounded police
flicer; and that he was to be brought
back here, because there was no other
European doctor nearer than Quetta.
"Hope we come across the beggars,"
Billy said eleefully.
But the colonel, who had ridden out
little way with the party, and had
wished them "goed luck" found him
sell saying something like prayer in
his heart for the safe return of the two
men, who were, in bis opinion, the
very pick of the regiment.
In times of peace these inglorious
little brushes with sneaking Ghazis are
not among the pleasantest features of
service in Afghanistan. To an old
soldier they SAVIOR too much of that
potting from behind hedges with which
The Irish peasantry have fami iarized
us, and to which no military glory is
attached. He does not care about send
ing out good men to furnish targets for
skulking devils, who have no ground of
quarrel, but are merely possessed of a
fanatical desire to spill Ferringhee
blood. Wherefore the Commanding
officer was ill at ease, and for the next
two days there fell dizziness and a
malaise upon everybody in camp. Like
the influenza it attacked them all, from
the colonel downward, only, as Kipling
says, that is another story.
1t was the spring of 1890 that the in
fluerzi came sweeping over Afghanis-
tan, death laden from European cities.
1t was when April had cast its brief
ethereal spell upon this barren spot, and
had woven a fairy carpet Of flowers all
over the plain, teaching the green land
scape the meaning of a smile. Only for
few beautiful days in all the year is the
ground moist and fragrant, and covered
with delicate, short-lived blossoms. Like
lovely ghosts they come and go-the
white wild hyacinth bells, the small
red tulip, the exquisite purple iris. 1t
was with these sweet visitors that the
influenza came, dealing suffering and
death among the lonely scattered out
posts, where comforts are few and lux
uries for the sick unprocurable.
But in this January the plain was
barren of any verdure or vegetation,
save for leahess shrub that grows low
upon the earth and gives out a fragrance
resembling that of wild thyme. And
you cOulu see right away to the horl-
ION in one dire tion and as far as a
chain of low, rocky hills in the other
Upon the third day after the depart
ure of the expedition the colonel rode
out to reconnoiter along with the doc
tor, who was always game for ride.
The commanding officer was more anX-
ious than he allowed to appear. Some
how two years sojourn in those drcary
wids draws men very close together
when they are made of good stuff. The
party ought to have returned ere this,
and the colonel's heart was disquieied
within him. He was scanning the hor-
lion carefully, when suddenly he pulled
up and shaded his eyes.
" What's that little cloud of dust,
doctor? Is it couple of horsemen?"
The doctor, whose eyes were younger
answered that it was no devil" but
horsemen, and that they were making
for camp.
"By Jove!" exclaimed the colonel
with his field glasses up, cit is-it's
Thompson and Sowar?"