The Somerset reporter., 1892-02-25
SELECTED.
BILLY.

!
spent in digging trenches and raising 8
rude temporary fortltication within mus
ket- shot of the enemy.
All the next gray, sunless day, the op
posing forces irregulsrly ratified forth
their mutual malevolenee across neglt CT
ed Helds, like two dogs barking at each
other from behind fences on opposite
sides of a street.
At I O'Clock, when the dusk was gath
ering, man was wanted to risk his life.
The morned orderly returning with the
Colonels dispatch from another direction
than that in which he had set out, had
foolishly ridden mp across the line OF the
enemys fire. When within few hun
dred yards of the trenches he had thrown
back his head capped one hand to his
side, held his message aloft in the other
hard and fallen forward-dead-up his
horse Fifty feet nearer the animal had
! plunged in pain sud rolled over upon hi
bleeding rider Both lay in the dust, and
the Captain cried;
"a volunteer to bring in the Colonel's
dispatch -
Four tired and dusty pnvstes shambled
forward. The Captain looked from OF e
to the other of their gaunt faces. Before
he had made a selection, q shrill voice
was heard from somewhere crying
Ppm OFF, Captsin!"
At the same time form was seen to
scramble to the top of the embankment,
to leap forward, and to disappear outside
Someone's gone without orders, Cap
tain" said the Sergeant.
The Captain thought for a moment,
then addressed the four volunteers
Wait till We see how this one makes
out. Who is he, Sergeant?'
The Sergeant stood at one of the EN-
brssures that bad been scooped in the
parapet, his eye fixed upon the small per
spcctive of country visible through the
opening. Others peered through other
embrasures. The Captain stood near the
Sergeant, but did not expose himself to
the small chance Of being entered by bit
of lead that might stray through the
opening.
81 can't make him out" muttered the
Sergeant in reply. Its too dark to see
plain. He's down on his belly crawlin
along the ground toward the orderly'e
body like snake"
That takes time grumbled the Cap
tain.
but If he ran for it on two feet their
sharpshooters would bring him down,
sure, ODStfNeu lut tlRtdDt.
"They don't seem to Dotice him, said
the First Lieutenant who had posted
himself Mt an embrssure. They've stop
ped firing altogether
Have they sent out any one to bag the
dispatch?" inquired the Captain, appre-
hensively
IL cant see; their works are so far
away, and it's quite dark over there, ex-
cept where few of their lights move
about. No one has come in sight, any
now" replied the First Lieutenant.
This happened when warfare WAS yet
primitive as compared with possible mill
tary operations in these days of tremen-
dous guns and search lights and other
means which make it easy for battles to
occur between armies several miles apart.
The Captain was thirsty, but wished
not to leave his place at the embrasure un-
til the dispatch should be in his hands,
He sent private for his canteen.
Get it from Billy" he directed. Billy
was boy he had taken from the ranks to
he his personal attendant-a youth Of If
teen. who had enlisted when the company
had been formed, having succeeded in be-
M accepted by the recruiting Officers in
spite of his non conformity with the re-
quirements.
The private came back without having
found Billy, but with the canteen which
corporal had picked up in the trench.
'I wonder where the scamp's gone"
said the Captain to the First Lieutenant.
Deserted, I'll bet. He WAS young
coward. | told him so the other day,
when he was afraid to go to the well for
water under fire"
II know" said the Lieutenant, with
rswing his eye for mement from the
embrssure. "Billy told me about it him
self. 1t nearly broke the youngsters
lesrt | found him lying with his face
o The ground behind your tent, crying
ike baby. whats the natter | ask
ed. He wouldn't say for "hile but at
asst it came out. You'd told him he'd
never make q soldier
"And he never will p granted the Cap
tain interrupting.
"But wait" said the Lieutenant con
tinuing. "What you said broke him all
IN. he told me, for he really wanted to be
4 brave man, and to fight for his country.
That's what his mother had allowed him
ia come for. 1t Amt that I'm afraid he
said. it's because if | was gone mother'd
have no one left An what thatr
The Lieut,nsnt's abrupt breaking off was
the TO the sound of firing, which began
suddenly. He turned to the embrssure.
They've spied our man" exclaimed
he Sergeant That's what they re
blaizn' away at
Whats he doingt' asked the Captain.
Hes reached the body. an he's on
MS knees this side of the horse loosiu tht
the dispatch from the dead fellows hand.
Now he's got it, now he's SHINING back
IN fours. The dispatch is in his mouth.
Their bullets are knocking up the dust
around him. said the Lieutenant. "Ihev
have sense enough to aim low. 1t looks
like Private Connor."
Cant be him." blurted the Captain.
Private Connor's over yonder. lie JUS
went on guard"
"Whew Listen to the firing" said the
Lieutenant.
THEY'RE bangin' at him with every
musket they've got behind their old mud
pile" added the Sergeant.
"Our mans all right now said the
Lieutenant. He's up and running.
But the sergeant shouted mo, by gun
Down he goes :"
The four volunteers sailed forth at the
Csp,siu's command and brought him in,
They tore the dispatch from between his
teeth. and the Captain hastily read 1t in
the light of torch that one brought.
rhe Lieutenant knelt down to examine
the man who had brought in the dispatch
from the orderly's body. He had died
without groan, pierced by 9 minnie ball
to the heart.
"Shot in the back" said the Sergeant,
"but he got his discharge honorablY new
ertheless
"Hello, Here's another bit of paper
! fallen from his pocket cried the Lieut.
ensnt, rising. Perhaps he found two
dispatches on the messengers body"
The Captain, having persued the Col
onel's order, took the paper handed him
by the Lieutenant. Something impelled
him. when he had glanced at It, to read 1t
aloud, and having begun to do so, he was
moved to continue to the end of the page.
.P. S.-Above all, my boy never shrink
from dangerous duty on any account
even mine. Show yourself hero, as
your father was, and his father ard
mine Remember that night and day |
pray for you, my darling. Your loving
mother
The Captain looked up from the sheet
and said. 4 reckon this Amt dispatch.
Itsa letter. Who is the man, Lieuten.
ant?"
The Captain, the Lieutenant, and the
Sergeant grouped around the dssd mans
bad, and 4 corporal lowered Pickering