The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-05

dAWD' jim CuSh- e9hSu' H'S Soh
LIN." tinucd in q mo-
notonous voice. 81 thought maybe
you got lseeled over. There's been
thunder to pay to-day. | was worry
ing about it good deal"
The youth still lamented, "0h, Jim
oh, Jim-oh, JIM
"Yeh know" said the tall soldier, II
was out there" He made careful
gesture. "An', Lord, what circus
And, b jimmy, I got shot--I got shot.
Yes, b jiminy-I got shot" He reiter-
ated this fact in Il bcwildered way as
If he did not know how it came about.
The youth put forth anxious arms to
assist him, but the tall soldier went
firmly on as if propelled. Since the
youths arrival as a guardian for his
friend, the other wounded men had
ceased to display much interest. They
occupied themselves again in dragging
their tragedies toward the rear.
Suddenly, as the two friends marched
on, the tall soldier seemed to be over
come by terror. His face turned to a
Bemblance of gray paste. He clutched
the youths arm and looked all about
him, as if dreading to be overheard.
Then he began to speak in shaking
whisper:
II tell yeh what Pm 'fraid of, Elem
III tell yeh what I'm 'fraid of. I'm
'fraid I'll fall down-an' then yeh know
them damned artillery wagons-thcy
like as not II run over me. That's what
I'm 'fraid Of"
The youth cried out to him hyster-
ically; 'I'll take care of yeh, Jim. I'll
take care of yeh. l swear to Gawd l
will"
"Sure-will yeh, Flem?" the tall SOL
dier beseeched. .'.
"Yes, yes, tell ych-I'll take care
of yeh, Jim," protested the youth. He
could not speak accurately because OF
the gulping in his throat
However, the tall soldier seemed sud-
denly to forget all those fears He be-
came again the grim, stalking spectcr
of a soldier. He went stonily forward.
The youth wished his friend to lean
upon him, but the other always shook
his head and strangely protested: "No
-no-leave me be-leave me be"
His look was fixed again upon the
unknown. He moved with mysterious
purpose. And all of the youths offers
he brushed aside. "No-no-leave me
behave me be-"
The youth had to follow.
Presently the latter heard voice
talking softly near his shoulder. Turn
ing, he saw that it belonged to the
tattered soldier. "Ye'd better take i'm
outa TIL road, pardner. There's a
bat'try comm helitywhoop down tn
road an he'll git ruined over. He's a
goner anyhow in about five minutes
yeh kin see that. Ye'd better take i'm
outa tn road. Where tn blazes does
he git his stren'th from?'
Lord knows" cried the youth. lie
was shaking his hands helplessly.
He ran forward, presently, and
grasped the tall soldier by the arm
Jim, Jim," he coaxed, ''come with
me-"
The tall soldier weakly tried to
wrench himself free. Huh" he said
vacantly. He stared at the youth for
q moment. At last he spoke as if dimly
comprehending:
"Oh, inteh tn fields? Oh"
He started blindly through the grass
The youth turned once to look at the
lashing riders and bouncing guns OF
the battery. lie was startled from his
view by shrill outcry from the tat
tered man.
"Gawd. He's runnin"
Turning his head swiftly, the youth
saw his friend running in u staggering
and stumbling way toward % littlC
clump Of bushes. He and the tatteret
man began q pursuit. There was {
singular race.
When he overlook the tall soldier, hC
began to plead with all the words hC
could find. ''Jim-Jim-what are yor
doing-what makes you do this way
you'll hurt yourself"
The same purpose was in the tai
soldiers face. He protested in a dullet
way, keeping his eyes fastened on the
mystic place of his intentions. "No
no-don't tech me-leave me be,-leavt
me be-"
The youth, aghast and filled with
wonder at the tall soldier, began qua.
veringly to question him. where ycf
goin, jim? What you thinking about
Where you going? Tell me, won't you
Jim?" The tall soldier faced about a
1pon relentless pursuers In his eye