The Red Cloud chief., 1895-02-15

u
to headquarters. Word comes hack :,
try you by 'drumhead' court martha
"Well?"
well, that is the end Of the story. /,
There was silence for q few moment.
while they regarded each other.
1t is not tho end Of tho story. gen.
eral. The story of a life has no end.
Death Is hut q transition. 1t pleases the
Great Commander to assign me n frp;t,
less task. 1t ~ not for me to ask why.
/ am but n Of his soldiers. Gphtinc
with my brothers for my people"
She a conquered. There was some.
thing SO forcible in her words, some.
thing SO truly grand in her manner,
that the man who would break her
spirit desistod. He regarded her admir-.
in9ly and was silent.
All ask, general, " she said pres.
emily, seeing that no did not speak. sis
that there DO no greater delay than nee.
essary. Now l have a strength which
may be worn away by long waiting.
with death staring me in the face"
Still the officer did o speak. He
was MISUNDERSTANDING how he could
get rid of so unpleasant a duty as the
trial and execution of this splendid
woman, He feared that should he re.
port her capture to headquarters he
would get the same reply as in the case
he had cited.
II will not harm you" he said pres.
entity. Some II else must take the
responsibility of this complication of
death and q woman"
1t does not matter who does the
work, so long as it must DO done"
Perhaps not to you. 1t matters q
great deal TO me. My hands are clean.
/ don't care to stain Them"
While this conversation was going on
Corporal Ratigan was listening aud ob.
serving the speakers with a palpitating
heart. There was something SO cold
cut III the generals tones that the cor.
poral felt n repugnance at his prisoner
being in his especial keeping. He pre-.
ferred that she should be sent To some
one else and was relieved when ho an.
nounced his intention to shift the re.
sponsibility. Besides tho %corporal
hoped that ho would himself bo intrust.
ed with her keeping until she should
arrive ut some camp where the com.
mander would DO willing to receive her.
"Shall Oh take her to headquarters,
general?" he asked.
"Ah, my man!' said the general, as
though aw akcned from q r~evcrie, ''are
you here? l had forgotten YOU"
"Oi can conduct her to headquarters
If you desire it, general"
Il am not in the habit Of receiving
suggestions from my brigade or regi.
mental commanders, much less q cor.
poral."
Ratigan saw that no had made a mis-.
take and said nothing. The general re.
garded him with his shrowd eyes. 1t
was plain to him that tho man was in.
terested m his prisoner.
Corporal, you may 80 to your camp"
Eyes, SIR"
Orderly" called tho general to q
man standing near, take this woman
to the ambulance"
As Miss Baggs passed out the eyes Of
the two were fixed again on each other.
While the general did not use words |
he could not resist q last attempt with |
his presence, his masterful countenance,
his piercing eyes, to overawe his pris.
oner. She met that gaze firmly, un.
flinchingly, till sho was without the
tent; then with % final glance of con.
tempt sho turned and walked toward
the ambulance.
The general called her back.
lyon do lot seem well satisfied with
my treatment of you," he said in q
tone in which there was something Of
"Wo soldiers must do our du.
ty."
1T is not your doing your duty, gen.
eral, that fails to win my respect. 1t is
that you have not tho manlincss to do
it yourself, but must needs put it upon
some II else"
Again the two pairs of eyes met and
FLASHED. Tho victory was with the wo.
man. The general lowered his to the
ground.
"You may Co." he said.
As soon as she was gone he went to a
tent where there were writing materials
and wrote a note, which he sealed and
addressed. Giving 1t to the little captain,
he directed him to send it, with the pris.
oner and the dispatches captured Oh
her, to the officer whose name was on
the envelope.