The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25

arms and l heard the death-rattle in his
/ throat. His jaws set and another soldier
passed to an honorable discharge. 1 closed
his eyes, picked up the remaining piece of
salt meat and was about to place 1t in my
knapsack when great darkness settled
down upon me, my brain reeled and | sank
heiplessly among the dead.
1 do not know how long / slept but
was awakened by some one Juggling at the
piece of meat in my hand. l opened my
eyes ard was amazed to see Corporal
Hendy of my own regiment standing over
me. He drew back hastily and muttered ::
81 thought you were dead, sergeant"
"And why?' l replied, getting on my
feet after q great effort.
Because your eyes were closed and
there was blood upon you"
MAY not wounded man sleepP"
Eyes, if he is a fool for do you not know
that the Utes will be back here before noon
to strip the dead and wounded of their
arms and kill those who yet linger. Last
night when the parting volley of deadly
bullets sang through the ranks l was hit
in the shoulder and fell, but at dawn when
the sun came up and the day grew warm
/ managed to get up and was seeking
among the knapsacks of the slain for
food. found you with that piece of salt
meat in your hand and the frenzy of
hunger came upon me. 1t seems that you
were not dead, as / supposed, but merely
sleeping. Sergeant, for Gods sake will
you share your food with me?"
There was a wild hungry look in his
eyes, / fastened to cut the meat sguarely
in the middle and handed him half. He
devoured the greater portion of it like a
man who had not seen food for some days
and I made way with part of mine.
then shared my canteen with him, and
both Of us, though still very weak, were
somewhat revived and consultation was
held. We concluded to head for pine
forest on our right, about a mile distant,
and there take refuge until we were able
to get into safe camp.
Together we leaned on each others
shoulders and started across the hot plain.
The heat was terrible, and in the whole
expanse of sulphur sky above us not a
single cloud was visible. The sun quivered
in the molten atmosphere, and its rays
seemed tipped with fire. Our eyes were
unable to stand the glare upon the sand,
and we staggered toward the forest like
two drunken men. Twice we fell, and lay
painting for breath, while around us the
spiral waves of heat coiled up from the
desert into the melted air. Each time we
drank little water from the canteen, and
managed to struggle along. Finally,
after nearly an hour of agony and suffer
ing, We staggered, arm and arm, into the
edge of the jungle, and fell exhausted
under low, shady tree that was partly
concealed from the plain by tufts Of thick
grass.
Not breath of wind stirred to temper
the hot air, and long before noon it seemed
as though the sun was dripping fire from
the sky on the desert. We must have
laid here some hours when my attention
was attracted by long cloud of dust
rising from the plain in the direction Of
the lava beds. l communicated my dis
covery to Hendy and we watched it anx-
iously, hoping it might be relief. Nearer
it came. The Corporal was right. The
Indians were returning. They swept up
to the spot where the volley OF bullets had
done such deadly work the night before
and stripped the slain of all their equip
ments. After this had been accomplished
they came toward the woods and disap-
Feared, about two hundred yards above
where we lay half dead and exhausted.
Slowly the afternoon wore away. A
wild locust hummed and buzzed around
as though it were the only living thing in
all the world. Lazily followed it with
my bloodshot eyes and watched it for
nearly an hour. Its steady. winding flight
made me drowsy with sleep, and as the
sun neared the horizon it sped away into
the jungle and l turned my half-closed
eyes toward the sky. There, far above me,
l made out the forms of three vultures
sailing gracefully around over my dead
comrades, and with each fight they cir
cled nearer the earth. They crossed and
recrossed and grew dizzy with watching.
Slowly my heavy eyelids fell, and as the
sun went down and the birds came nearer,
my brain spun round and round and
passed into deep and heavy sleep.
What was that sound2 | awakened
with start. It seemed as though heard
low whine. I raised myself upon my
arm and listened. Nothing came to my
ears and l fell bacK again to sleep. ]
closed my eyes but hunger gnawed at my
vitals, and felt for the small piece of meat
that was left. 1t was gone. / searched
In every pocket but it had disappeared
Corporal Hendy was sleeping some twenty