The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-03-13

ply with 80 mnch AS q B2ngl0 6h06s his.
led by their silence, Captain Bellamy
after dusk had fallen led ashore d much
weaker landing party than he would
have employed had he anticipated re-
yistance. Not until the men had tum-
b1ed ont Of the boats did the enemy open
fire, and then the captain knew he had
made q mistake. He still hoped that he
might avert disaster by rushing the fort.
and he made the attempt; but, as has
been already shown. he failed and fell.
His men surged past him for q few
yards, but were then repulsed and driv-
On back pellmell. In the confusion and
darkness they missed him, and he was
left lying, with his left knee mangled,
to bleed to death or to get d speedier
qnietns from one of the many bullets
that were whistling after the ~retreating
blueiackets.
re- 10 astonishing that he escaped being
hit . second time, for not only were the
Chinamen firing with rifles from the fort,
but the men in the boats were ulsing their
machine guns. In Eve minutes, though,
the worst Of the storm had passed away,
and with the iull Captain Be1Iamy saw
q dark figure slowly drawing near him
from the right. He fully expected to
find that his visitor was one Of the enc
my armed with q mission to put an end
to him, or perhaps drag him into the
fort, where death might be administered
. little at o time, and though O brave
mar he was much relieved when he was
able TO distinguish that the newcomer
was one Of his own people.
beg pardon, sir, I hoped it was you,'
whispered d voice, which the captain at
once recognized ut that OF his coxswain.
"Hopedr' growled the captain. What
do you . by hoping, you scomdrela
Here ! am with my knee smashed, bleed
ing to deathi1
''Sad news for Miss Violet" muttered
Larch.
"Confound Miss Violet and you too!
Bear q hand here and pull me out of this
If you can. The beggars win be blazing
away again in q minute"
Mustn't move you, sir, till I've tied MP
your leg" said Larch, who had already
taken of his handkerchief and was sat-
isfying himself as to the position OF the
wound and the quantity Of blood that
was being lost ''It's that big artery on
the inside Of your leg, sir, that's got to
be attended 10. If You won't mind my
using my 'baccy box and my handker-
chief-so-now, TIL twist it close
Hang itl You're twisting my leg of"
cried the captain.
Never mind, sir" said Larch. eve
stopped the
At that moment the Chinese in the fort
opened fire again.
"What the dickens is the matter with
you, Larchi" demanded the captain.
For an instant the coxswain, who had
drawn back with o shudder, was silent.
When he spoke, 1t was with an altered
voice. They've hit me, SIR. 7 think. " he
said.
ssThen run. man, and take shelter
urged the captain. ''r'm all safe now for
an hour or two, II they don't come ont TO
look for me"
There's d wall o little TO the right,
sfr,n said the coxswain, who paid no at
tention to his chiefs orders, "and / think
/ can get you behind It If you can drag
yourself on tony back as / crawl. Only
don't disturb the bandage, SIR"
Captain Beilamy, with . great effort,
managed by degrees 60 work himself on
TO the mans back and to clasp Larch
round the neck. 81 hope, Larch, that
you're not risking too much, but II we
get through this thereU be o Victoria
cross for You as certainly as there1l be D
wooden leg for me-"
ssHeg pardon, sir" muttered Larch,
who was now crawling slowly with his
burden toward the wall, '.but I don't
want any Victoria cross. Would they
promote me, do you think, STRIP
~ don't doubt it, Larch. You'll get
your warrant"
The coxswain stopped suddenly.
Whats the NATTER cried the captain.
Larch resumed his laborious crawl.
II was only thinking, = he explained.
won't you be wiser to defer your
thinking until we are under the lee Of
that WALTZ growled the captain. IF
those fellows fire any more. we're done
for"
The coxswain made no reply, hat
dragged himself ON, yard by yard, until
at length he gently deposited his load be-
hind the thick stone shelter. As hemade
q motion ~ III to return whence he had
come the captain cried: stay in here,
you idiot. Where the dickens are you
goingY"
Iarch sank down by the captains side.
BEG pardon. sin" ne said after o pause,
ssbut may + speak my mind ont to you
just for this once % between man and
mani
"Csrtainly you may" replied the cap
tain, somewhat astonished at the ones
tion.
Having got permission, Larch neither
hesitated nor attempted to restrain him-
self. His confession came with d rush.
tive been q fool,r he said. 81 knew it
All along, only ] wouldn't SEQ 1t. I've
had mad dreams Of promotion, not to D
warrant only, but TO q commission. I've
thought of nothing but her. I've kissed
the earth she has trodden upon. I've
hoped; I've prayed. Look I'm that baccy
box when they take Of your bandage,
MAMA MNR - AEMN =