The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-23

that he hit tho tiger and equally sure that
another rifle was fired at the same moment
that he pulled the trigger. Of course such
lame statement had no effect, and lie was
sentenced.
could not help thinking that there was
flaw in the evidence. How was It if there
was ms agreed loud report,-which meant
full charge Of powder-that the bullet
stopped mt the saddle instead OF going
through both saddle and horse? That was
n great discrepancy-a full charge would
have made n loud report and sent It right
through anything at distance of 200 yards,
/ felt there was something wrong and
made up my mind to go on the spot. had
but six days to 20 in, but much might be
done. Margaret insisted on going with me
in spite of all could do to keep her away
Have | not done all you wished me to
do since we have been out heref Do, for
heavens sake, let me have my way in this"
So we went up the country in post haste
was of course as one Of the staff admitted
to see Gerald, whom found terribly cut up
Il don't mind the Imprisonment. It's
the disglacel The lashesl My Godl shall
kill myself directly get loose after it, /
know shall"
mo, no., said Meggie; don't, for my
sake Oh, Gerald! If you knew how have
suffered for weeks past, you would live for
my sake do not care about the brand or
the la5hes. know you are innocent, and
That there has been some horrible blunder
committed in this matter. Oh, Willie,
dear, do think of something to save him."
"Oh, do there's good fellowl Get me
some stuff that will make an end of me-"
Don't talk like that, Gerald. There's
some internal mistake in it. Don't despair
yet. Let's go over the ground again, step
by step" AID made him tell me the whole
story over again.
at seems to me, Gerald, we want not
few things to show you are not guilty. We
want the tiger you shot at, and that we
sha'n't get and we want the clew to the
mystery Of the other rife"
"Oh, I've thought of it all till I'm sick.
don't care what happens now. I'll wait
till the day before it's to come off and then
break my head against the wals.'
Don't be fool, Gerald Pm sure you
are innocent So is Margaret"
Yes. So are II hundred others, but it's
all no use. In three days l am disgraced
for life, if live"
Well, must leave you now and see
what | can do"
let me have five minutes with Meg
gle, will you."
/ left them alone for some 10 minutes,
and then told MegGie she must go home
with me. was beaten. | could not see
how ! could get any fresh evidence, and
without that reprieve-a postponement-
was impossible | went to the wounded
oilicer-the captain of his own company
and got him to tell his own story. 1t was
the same thing over again-always the ex-
ceedinsly load report and the fouled and
still smoking carbinc.
II would" !" said the captain, "haye given
the price of my commission rather than
have had it happen. He's AS fine a fellow
as ever sat horse--brave, kind and as thor
ough gentleman MS the colonel himself.
l always made him my orderly when
could 50 as to have his company. / declare
to You that did my best at the court mar
tial for him aud got into disgrace with the
general presiding for 'coloring my state
ments'-that was his expression-so as to
favor the prisoner. almost sniveled when
heard the sentence us if he had been my
own brother The men are mad about it.
There has not been lash or public punish
ment of any kind in the regiment for the
last % years.
| hardly knew how to pass the time.
tried to think, but my ideas only travelled
in the same old grooves again. l invited
the assistant surgeon to come up to nv
quarters and introduced him to my sister.
He was a young fellow and seemed quite
hattered by my simple attention, for in
the army they have not quite made up
their minds whether a medical officer
should be treated as a gentleman, but the
strauEest thing ever saw in my life was
my sisters conduct. OF course, speaking
to you fellows, shan't be misunderstood,
and some Of you have seen her. She laid
herself out TO please him to an extent
never should have thought my dear grave
Meggie capable of-saug to him, played to
him and made eyes at him till thpuRlt
her brain was turned. She said She should
SO like to see his quarters, asked him to
ask us To lunch and shut me up like rat
trap when | veuturcd to hint that it might
not be convenient.
Well, he went away at last as mad az She
] spoke to her after he was gone and She
fell into my arms, sobbing Gs If her heart
was breaking, and then without word Of
explanation ran out Of the room. Next dav
we went tolig quarters, and nothing would
satisfy her but that he should mix up some
medicine for her out OF the bottles of his lit
tie travelling case There she wac, handling
and smiling and tasting everything like
a child of 10 rather than girl of is. She
sent him about the room, made him bring
books from the opposite side of 1t, so that
she might read about the properties Of the
drugs. and, in short. behaved so like an
lunatic That thought the trouble about
Gerald must have affected her mind. | cot
her away nj last and intended to insist on
her remaining i'll the house and putting
some ice to her head. 1t was quite unuece,-
sary. The minute we left the surgery she
was calm aud silent AS n man.
Well, The days passed IN some sort OF
dreary fashion till the evening of the llth.
j had been asked during the day to godown
with the officers to see some rifle practice
Mt some temporary marks and went tlorn
1t was rather late when | rode up to the
firing point, and they were Just leaving of,
and on Of them came up and said;
Il sas, captain, tel! us the cause Of these
new bttlets turnin. inside UutE' and he
handed me bullet reversed, just such an
other as Williams has in his hand
took it just to explain the matter to
him when thought struck through my
mind Ikea flush of lightning
"Savedn' exclaimed. who's got that
bullet out OF the saddle"
What bulletfp
"Gerald s-my cousin's.r
"oh. Gentleman Jacks affair The
doctors @at it,
'.Wh here is hey"
Don't know-quartcrs, I think"
Ne he's come into town. | saw him on
the road as we came by"
sped on into the town leaving them to
think what they pleased, aud spent more
than two hours finding tho doctor. At last
caeght him. In another minute we were
riding fnil gallop to his quarters. He had
the bullet. little bruised and sngnlarly
fiattened and planted nt tho point it
must baSp hepn inst sptIit whom n strupk
then want to the sergeant who had charge
of the 70 rounds of ammunition that were
found III Gerald pouch. About midnight
contrsse - find him, and after some lit
tie delaS .3t possession Of them. then
returned 10 tho doctor, and VIC compared
the 10 Bui.ets with the one found in the
shdfile. thnn ran 70 the lnlngrnph clerk