Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-09-06
SCOTS Emulsion

|
and to avoid them he rG-entcrcd the house
from which he had emerged went up
stairs, passed through the gap once moro
and made his way down the stairs, intend
| ing in this way to get into the next mar
row street to the one which the two houses
separated. Before he got down the stairs
Maiferty saw coming up them another
party of hooters. Without moments
hesitation the private uttered prodigious
shout, summoning II body of imaginary
companions to his help, Vile the hooters,
deceived at this, turned tail and fled from
the house, Mafferty dashing close after
them and yelling defiance. His zeal out
stripped the privato's precaution, for he
had chased the party of Pandics half way
down the narrow, long street, when one OF
the latter CHANGED to turn round. He SAW
the state of affairs and Maffcrty's rusc be-
ing discovered the looters turned round
and made an ugly rush at the British
trooper Mafferty became sufficiently
discreet to turn round, too, and to show
his pursuers VERY clean pair of heels He
reached the outpost in safety, where Il
storm of bullets from the luopholes covered
his retreat us he crossed The bitches nn5
mound. The door was hastily unbarrcd,
and on his admittance firmly barred again.
The reused fanatics made two or three
desperate attempts to carry the stockade,
but several of them bit the dust, whereup-
on the rest withdrew.
AS soon as Mafferty got up stairs among
the defenders of the outpost the first man
his eyes fell upon was none other than the
volunteer Giraud
Apparently the Frcnchman was assist
ing in the defense, while upon the floor
Captain CORVALLIS lay dead, splintcrs of
recently burst shell showing what had
EapEG"'I.
Perhaps you'll be tellin me, sor, where
Miss Margot isl" said Matfcrty us he
glanced round the room and failed to dis
cover her. "And, like us not, you'll tell
me why me mothers son was left to whip
or be whipped by score av Pandics with
out your lave or hclp?"
''ThG message from tho captain came
too late, " said Giraud. "When l got up
stairs | found to my surprise that NargOt
had disappeared, and gap in the wall
explained clearly enough that she had been
carried off by some of the rebels as a good
many white women have been lately. l
was coming back to you, when some loot
ers entered the house and l had to get off
as well as l could. 1 have only been here
few minutes, and as it was, l had
narrow escape"
"You didn't seem to be particularly
hurried by the mutincers who were in
your company. l must say, Giraud, "
said the officer who was then in Charge
"for my part 1 thought they were so
friendly disposed to you that you were
bringing them to our help"
Giraud bit his lip, but made no reply to
this He went to one of the loopholcs and
assisted in tho independent firing which
was going on at the outpost.
Maiferty, who had been for some years
in India and who could both speak in and
initiate the tones of the native lingo, took
up his post again and seemed to be pre-
ternaturally occupied in the defense, al
though in reality he was watching tho
purposely bad firing of Grand and con-
vincing himself thereby that the French
man meant no good to the brave defenders.
"By the howly mither, that's the third
I've bowlcd over, manin eight misses and
three bullscycs, which might be improved
upon" Mafferty was saying when the
officer in command Lieutenant Walton,
went toward him and said:
"Mafferty, l want to speak to you.
Come over by the table"
Obcdient to orders, Mafferty went and
sat down SO that his face was toward Wal
ton and his back to Giraud, who try as
he did, failed to overhcar any part of the
conversation.
"They're giving us q little respite Just
now, >" began Walton. 81 thought saw
CORVALLIS give you a note to take to his
daughter. What became Of it?"
81 guy it to that spalpeen yonder to de-
liver worse luck!" said Mafrerty, nodding
his head at the man behind.
did you read it?"
81 couldn't resist that same" Private
Mafferty confessed.
Walton frightened up at this. "What
were the exact words? DO you remember
them?" he asked
"The worst has come. Trust yourself
entirely to bearer, answered Maffcrty 81
thought that Mossoo Giraud was for us
and not agin us, or I'd "a burnt the paper
or swallowed it afore his fingers should
have closed ON it, " added the disconnected
trooper.
"Well, tell needn't hesitate-what do
you make out Of the affair? You know
we are all in love with Miss Margot down
to the very drummer boy If there is any
foul work going on, we must try to thwart
it, though how I'm to help in that is more
than can conjecture, seeing that duty
coops me up here"
cts thrue we are all in love with Miss
Margot," assented Maffcrty, "and think
know the perticlor one av us she's selected
to love back, which amt meself, worse
luck, as you may know, lieutenant"
you'd run any risk if you thought by
doing so you could save Miss Margot?"
pursued Walton.
"Id turn Pandy or anything else, sor,
to save her for you"
Walton caught the prlvate's hand:
ord never ask you what I'm going to
ask if duty did not hold me here, " he said
"There's ono thing to be said BY follow
ing out my plan, you may save your own
life, if you have luck, which is more than
one of us here will do, fancy"
"That's to be seen. But there spake,
and I'll obey, sor. I've nivir bin disrepec'.
full to me superior officer yit, and it's too
quare tonne for me to be so now. Send
me to bring Miss Margot back, and I'll do
it this tonne, or I'll drop from Pandy
bullet"
at ietor 20 mo +hon ,, cold Walton Tho