The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-03-20


if he did not know how it came about
The youth put forth anxious arms to
assist him, but the tall soldier went
firmly on as if propelled Since the
youths arrival as a guardian for his
friend, the other wounded men had
ceased to display much interest They
occupied themselves again in dragging
their tragedies toward the rear.
/ Suddenly, as the two friends marched
| on, the tall soldier seemed to be over
come by terror. His face turned to a
semblance of gray paste He clutched
| the youths arm and looked all about
him, as if dreading to be overheard
Then he began to speak in a shaking
whisper:
II tell yeh what I'm 'fraid of, Elem
I'll tell yeh what I'm 'frsid of. I'm
'fraid I'll fall bowman then yeh know
them damned artillery wagons-they
| like IS not IL run over me- That's what
I'm fraid Of"
The youth cried out to him hyster-
ically: III take care of yeh, Jim. III
take care Of yeh- I swear to Gawd I
will"
"Sure-will yeh, Flem?" the tall SOL
der beseeched
"Yes, yes, tell yeh-I1l take care
Of yeh, Jim, protested the youth He
could not speak accurately because OF
the gulping in his throat.
But the tall soldier continued to
plead in a lowly way. He now hung
babe-like to the youths arm His eyes
rolled in the wildness of his terror. II
YVES allus good friend t yeh, want 1.
| Elem? I've allus been a pretty good
| Teller, amt l? An 1t amt much Z ask,
is It? Jest t pull me along outer tn
road? I'd do it fer you, wouldn't 1,
F1em?"
He paused In piteous anxiety toawait
his friends reply.
The youth had reached an anguish
where the sobs scorched him. He
strove to express his loyalty, but he
could only make fantastic gestures
However, the tall soldier seemed sud
denly to forget all those fears. He be
came again the grim, stalking specter
of soldier. He went stonily forward.
The youth wished his friend to lean
upon him, but the other always shook
his head and strangely protested: ''No
-no-leave me behave me be.
His look was fixed again upon the
unknown He moved with mysterious
| purpose And all of the youths offers
he brushed aside. "No-no-leave me
be-leave me be" =
The youth had to follow.
Presently the latter heard voice
talking softly near his shoulder. Turn
| ing, he saw that it belonged to the
tattered soldier. "Ye'd better take i'm
outa tn road, pardner. There's a
bat'try comm helitywhoop down tn
road an he'll git ruined over. He's a
goner anyhow in about five minutes
yeh kin see that Ye'd better take i'm
outa tn road. Where tn blazes does
he git his stren'th from?-
Lord knows" cried the youth He
was shaking his hands helplessly.
He ran forward, presently, and
grasped the tall soldier by the arm.
| Jim, jim" he coaxed, ''come with
me-
The tall soldier weakly tried to
wrench himself free Huh" he said,
vacantly. He stared at the youth for
| a moment. At last he spoke as if dimly
| comprchending:
'>Oh, inteh tn fields? Oh"
He started blindly through the grass
The youth turned once to look at the
flashing riders and bouncing guns of
the battery. He was startled from his
view by q shrill outcry from the tat
| tered man.
'Gawd. He's runnin'."
Turning his head swiftly, the you'll
saw his friend running in staggering
| and stumbling way toward a little
clump of bushes. His heart seemed to
wrench itself almost free from hi.
body at this sight He made noise OF
pain. He and the tattered man began
pursuit There was singular race.
VIXEN he overlook the tall soldier, he
began to plead with all the words he
| could find. "Jim-Jim-what are you
doing-what makes you do this way
you'll hurt yourself"
The same purpose was in the tall
soldiers face He protested in dulled
way, keeping his eyes fastened on the
mystic place Of his intentions mo,
uo-don't tech me-leave me behave
| mo BE-"
The youth, aghast and filed with
wonder at the tall soldier, began qua
veringlv to question him Where yeh
goin', Jimr What you thinking about2
Where you going? Tell me, won't you,
Jim?" The tall soldier faced about as
upon relentless pursuers- In his eyes
there was q great appeal Leave me
| IL can't yehe Leave me be fer min
| nit"
The youth reeoiled. "Why, jim" he
said, in q dazed way, whats the mat
ter with your
The tall soldier turned and. lurching
dangerously. went on The youth and
the tattered soldier followed. sneaking
as if whipped, feeling unable to face
! the stricken man If he should again
confront them They began to have
thoughts of q solemn ceremony. There
was something rite-like in these move
ments of the doomed soldier. And there
was resemblance in him to a devotee
| of a mad religion, blood-sucking, mus
cle-wrenching. bone-crushing. They
could not understand; they were awed
and afraid. They hung back, lest he
have at command . dreadful weapon.
At last, they saw him stop and stand
motionless- fastening up, they per
ceived that his taco wore an expression
| telling that he had at last found the
| place for which he had struggled His
spare figure was erect; his bloody
hands were quietly at his sides BE
was waiting with patience for seme-
thing that he had come to meet He
was at the rendezvous They paused,