Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-21

4
about him where none others could see
OF hear, has assigned them the stations
which they are to take the instant of
alarm and has given them their instruc-
tons. Walsh it is who is now on look
out, and he is peering away down south
ward SO intently that some comrade is
prompted to call up to him in a low
tone:
See anything?"
To which. without removing the glass
from under his hat biim, the Irish
trooper merely shakes his head.
ANY more smokes?' p
"Sorra a smoke have seen at ALL"
well, then, what in blazes are Won
staring at!'
How can tell ye till find out 80 is
the dlbernian reply, and this is enough
to send the corporal on climb Drum
mond at the moment is again kneeling
by Wing, who has but just awakened
from fitful sleep, Miss Harvey being
tho first to hear him stir and sigh.
Ruth and her sister, too, seem about
to withdraw, but Wing, whose voice is
woak now, begs them to remain.
Has anything been seen yet-back
on the trail-of the Stoneman party: ''
he asks.
mo, sergeant, " replies Drummond.
but remember that we can only see
some six miles Of the trail, after that
1t is lost in that tOrtuous ravine down
which we rode on the chase Walsh is
mp there on lookout, and I'll ask if hc
can see anything now," and calling to
| Of hn L: L. 4
inquire. All eagerly await the reply.
AT last it comes:
mo dust on the back track, sir, but
something that looks like it far to the
south. We think it may be some of our
fellows coming back, but it is too faint
and far to make it out yet -
| The corporal is the speaker, his reso-
nant voice contrasting strongly with the
feeble accentsof his immediate supe-
rior, the wounded sergeant.
Then l have something that must
be told you, lieutenant, something Miss
Harvey already has an inkling of, for
she has met and known my dear moth
er. If this pain continues to increase,
and fever sets in, may be unable to
tell it later. Some of the men thought
l had enlisted under an alias, lieuten-
ant, but they were wrong. Wing is
my rightful name. My father was
chief officer of the old Flying Cloud
in the days when American clipper
ships beat the world. The gold fever
seized him, though, and he quit sail
ing and went to mining in the early
days of San Francisco, and there when
!, l was little boy of 10 he died, leaving
mother with not many thousand dol
lars to take care of herself and Inc.
, 'Hou will have your brother to help
you were words he spoke the last day
of his life. and even then noted how
, little comfort mother seemed to find in
that fact. 1t was only few months
5 after fathers death that Uncle Fred
t from being an occasional visitor, came
: to living with us all the time-made
l his home there, though seldom within
' doors night or day. He was several
S years younger than mother. He was
Q the youngest, it seems, of the family,
: the baby, and had been petted and
r spoiled from earliest infancy. l soon
a found why he came. Mother was often
t in tears, Uncle Fred always begging or
demanding money. The boys at school
t twitted me about my gambler uncle,
though I've no doubt their fathers gam
4 bled as much as he. These We're just
, before the early days of the great war
. | that sprang up in 1861 and that we boys
out on the Pacific coast only vaguely
4 understood. Sometimes Uncle Fred
Q came home drunk, and l could hear
f him threatening poor mother, and things
$ went from lad to worse, and one night
1 when i was Just Is ! was awakened
: from sound sleep by her scream. In an
instant / flew to her room, catching w
G as l ran fathers old bowie knife that
s always hung by my door. In the din
t light l saw her lying by the bedside, q
i man bending over and choking her.
, With all my strength l slashed at him
s Just as he turned. i meant to kill, but
the turn saved him. He sprang to his
k feet with an oath and cry and rushed
. to the washstaild. 1 had laid Uncle
: Fred's cheek open from ear to chin.
:, 1T was long before mother could
check the flow of the blood. 1t soberet
/ him. of course. and made him piteously
g weak For days after that she nurset
d and cared for him, but forbade my en-
l. tering the room. Men came to see hin
v insisted on seeing him-and sh'
il would send Inc to the bank for gold ant
o pay their claims and bid them go
t At last he was able to walk out will
IS that awful slash ON his thin white
t face. Once then he met and cursed
Q me, but l did not mind-1 had actet
II only to save mother. How could sup
d pose that her assailant was her owl
II brother? Then finally with sobs AM
p tears she told me the story, how he hat
IF been their mothers darling, how wilt
1t and reckless was his youth, how ne
mothers last thought seemed to be 10
n him, and how ON her knees she, m.
e own mother, promised to take care
g poor Freddie and shield him from ever.
70 i'll. and this promise she repeated to me
= bidding me help her keepit and to con
l. ceal as far as could her brother s mis-
70 deeds. For a few months things wen
h a little better. Uncle Fred got com