Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-09-07

bearing OH its shoulders a laughing,
growing, dark haired child. One hand
of the man held the baby, the other
graspcd carbine, and the late afternoon
sun CLEANED on the weapons in his belt.
They saw, too, that the baby had fas-
tened lightly to one chubby fist, fiut-
tering white cloth. Seeing them, the
man stood quite still watching them,
only tho white cloth fluttering in the
wind.
"a flag of truce!" Gruntcd the cap
tain, sharply calling a halt-he was too
true a soldier not to regard such sign.
"What does he want, l wonder? Lower
your arms there, men, there is plenty of
time" he added grimly.
The robbcr came on again rapidly and
finally halted little distance above
his shoulder. Then he, too, lowered his
carbne and stood there, with head up
raised, looking at them dcfiantly.
"You have mel" he cried at last, his
voice ringing out clearly through the
still air. "You have tracked me up here
you, II hundred against one man. Yet,
even now, you should not have taken
me calmly thus, even though 1 stand
alone-you should not have taken me
thus, but for the little one. ~
He glanced up for moment at the
baby on his Shoulder and drew one lit
tie hand down to his lips, and then faced
the soldiery again, speaking directly for
the first time to the old officer:
"You are Il brave man, captain" he
added almost appealingly, land such
men do not make war on infants. What
do you do with the little one, my cap
tain?''
The captain shrugged his shoulders.
"The child is nothing, Andreano," he
said sternly. "She may die with you.
With bound the bandit had sprung
back from them, and i'll an instant the
child was off his shoulder and behind
him, and he knclt there with his car
binc leveled, fiercely facing them.
"Beasts !" he cried. 81 come to you
under the white flag, we'll knowing that
must die, and asking nothing for my
self. l crave only that you should spare
the innocent little ore. Know this, then,
since you will not-I will kill the child
rather than she shall fall beneath your
murderous blows, and will die such a
death as few men have died, with a
dozen coward souls to bear mine own to
hell. Now, what say you?"
He knelt there quite calmly, with his
carbine leveled and with the child
thrust behind him. But the old captain
had stepped forward and raised his hand
"Stop, Andreano!" he cried. "You
are right We make not war on babes
This hunting down of one man is but
little to my liking, and 1 will not foul
it more. The child is safe"
The man rose and laid down his car
bine and took up the child again.
''And the little one shall go with you
down into the valley i'll safety?" he
asked slowly.
81 have given my word No harm
shall come to the little one Give it to
me.
The robber kissed the baby's soft face
observation-disclosures, twice, thrice-and
then moved quickly toward the captain,
down the rocks, and passed the child
into his arms.
81 thank you, my captain" be said
gravely. "And now you are to shoot
me?"
"Such are our orders, Andreano"
The other shrugged his shoulders.
$50 bo it, ho said softly, "only cover
the face Of the little one that she may
not sec"
Tho captain passed the child into the
hands of the little soldier of the swarthy
face, and they took it quickly out of his
sight. Then came an order rapidly given
and another; a vollcy rang out startling
the echoes on those lonely hills for
moment; there was half sobbing cry
and Andreano's course was run.
So it came about that when the sol
diers marched down into the valley
again one of them bore upon light
pole the head of the notorious bandit,
for all the wide eyed peasantry to cape
at, and, strangest sight Of all, upon the
front of the captains saddle, with the
captain S arm about her, sat a laughing,
growing, dark haired baby.-Firefiy.