Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-01-26

ned0her OF us speaking WORD. TURN
ing into narrow path which led into
the forest, he glanced over his shoul-
der and beckoned me to follow.
Having passed through the wood,
we entered q small clearing, near the
center of which stood solitary, tum-
ble-down log cabin, toward which he
led the way. As the door was reached
he gave double knock, and looked in
my face laughing.
The door was lifted away, for it's
hinges had long since disappeared,
and we entered. I shall never forget
the sight which greeted nay vision. A
poor, meanly-clad. middle-aged wo-
man. surrounded by five little chill
attractive about the woman save the
look Of gratitude with which she gazed
on. Bill. i'''' :'iis
swell, and how are we getting bn
now?" he asked, patting one of tho
tow-headed boys with his big, brawny
hand, at the same time. placing on q
rude shelf package which had no.
ticed under his arm as we came.
The tears sprang into the woman's
eyes as she turned away, unable to
speak, during which time I took hur-
ried inventory of the contents of the
cabin. A camp kettle. frying pan, a
piece of pork, bag of something,
pile Of hay in q corner, and short
piece of board supported by two goodly
sized stones, comprised the entire fur
niture.
"Oh, cheer up, mother; we'll soon
be all right; tomorrow we're going to
thrash Burnside, and you and the lit
tie chicks can go back home," said
Bill, in CHEEKY tone, as he kicked the
fire and laid on another huge log.
"God will reward you, Mr.. Garret," I"
said the poor woman through her tears,
and again her voice left her.
@That's all right. mother" spoke
Bill, and grasping the kettle he s:art-
ed out, saying to me as he disappeared:
"There's pile of wood about a hun
dred yards back of the cabin" Iun-
derstood the hint, and by the time
returned with my load Bill was back
from the spring with the kettle full.
"I'll try and come again tomorrow
evening. mother; keep stout heart;
good by, little chick" and he strobe
out into the star light. But Bill failed
to keep his promise, for the next even
ing he lay on the hillside just back of
the stone fence on Marye's Nights,
shot through the shoulder.
As We reached the wood, on our way
to camp, I said to him, II feel like fall
ing down before you. Bill, and kissing
the dust from your feet; and this was
what you stole for, and this is where
you went alone, and this was what you
marched all day for, in front of the
guard tent, with that awful placard,
and was one of the first to turn my
back on you. Can you forgive me, old
fellow?"
"Come along, you great IDIOT" he
said, good naturedly. sDidn't 1 know
you couldn't understand"
~Tell me all about it, old chap. May
touch you?s said, passing my arm
through his, as we entered the tele-
graph road.
@There isn't much to tell, the noble
fellow answered. II found that poor
creature with her five little brats in
that old shanty, with not thing but
what they wore on their backs. That
was about sunset. 1 found the pile OF
wood where sent you, and that night
stole part Of Company BIS
rations. which 1 carried to her.
About day made raid on the COM
missary department, and got that bag
of meal, and as passed Archer's Ten
nesseans, hooked the camp kettle
and frying pan which you saw. The
next night, one of Major Hayes men
caught me just as I had taken a big
side of bacon from under the tent.
Next day trotted before the guard
tent, you know, but that night, after
you were asleep, 1 hooked piece of
meat from Walkers commissary, which
will run them several days. This is
about all there is about it, but you
must keep quiet, for I'll catch it again
if Cooke hears of it,"
never saw the woman again, for
when three days later I went to look
after them, the cabin was empty.