Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-11-19
,sss. ev o. r,nHysoS wlt.v,

Instantly The InGMn intcrposed.
Don't kickr' he said. Hold your
! hoof there" shouted Rorke, and others
of the men joined in their cry of warm
ing. Wonderingly he looked about him
OH the quickly gathered group, swaying
| bit unsteadily even now.
"Why not?' he scowlingly, sullenly,
thickly asked. "What harms there
kicking rattlehox that 8 almost broken
my shin? What's the matter with you
fellows, anyhow
1T isn't the box, yo goner.l, it's
what's inside Of It'll That's Colonel Far
rar's picture! Gods praise to him for
the finest soldier that liver rode at the
head of the Twelfth. ~
THAT Colonel Farrar's pioture?"
muttered the man i'll strange, half
awed, half defiant manner. "Well, /
swear, that's-that's queer" And then,
in some odd, nervous abstraction, he
whipped out cigar, and the next thing
they knew, had lighted it at the stove
and tossed the flaming paper among the
sweepings on the floor. Instantly there
was q rush, a trampling of feet and just
as Rorke wrathfully had collared the
stupefied man Lieutenant Farrar burst
in upon the scene, stamping out tho few
remaining sparks, and then turning an
grily upon the group.
"Who dropped that fire? Who, I
say?' he repeated, for, in soldier ST.
lence, the men had stood at attention,
but, true to soldier ethics, would tell no
tales. "Don't let that happen again,
corporal, )" he went Oh sternly. "You
know we'll enough what a fire would
mean hcreabouts, with the cannon pow
der stored in the tower yonder. Rcmem-
Der the orders--thc guardhouso for the
first man fooling with fire. Go Oh with
your work. And then. as the men
turned silently away and Terry stood
there, looking abashed and troubled at
the implied rebuke, Will sought 10
soften the effect. "Why, you re doing
great work here, corporal. The old place
is wearing Christmas dress and no mis-
take"
at is, Masther Will, said Rorke de-
lightedly.
"Masther Will"' repeated Farrar in
dignantly "On my soul, Rorke, you"-
II beg the licutenant's pardon, said
Terry, all contrition and soldierly re-
spect. But I've known him such
few weeks as lieutenant and so many
and many long year as Masther
WHIP
"That'll do. corporal. Have the pic.
ture in its place rs soon as you can.
Mother will be over here to look at it. v
Eyes, Mas-yes, SOFT. "
And again, as Will turned angrily to
rebuke the poor fellow, there was
gathering Of the men at the window
looking out upon the parade, and some
thing was said about lady slipping on
the ice, which carried Will away like
shot. Two strides took him to the
door, and one glance sent him rushing
to the rescue. 1t was Miss Ormsby.
And then, while some of the men
went ON with their work, others seem.
ed to hang about Graice, who was odd
ly fascinated by the box and cast fur.
tive glances at it, while Grow Knife,
under Rorkes direction, was quietly un-
packing it. Again had Graice wandered
unsteady over by tho stove and stood
there, sullenly kicking at it until one Of
the men bade him quit or he'd start a
fire in spite of them. "You'll have us
all in blazcs before our time, were the
soldiers words.
mot l. Fires my friend, answered
Graice in surly tone.
And likely to give ye long and
warm welcome if ye carry to purgatory
the spirit ye SO sweetly manifest here.
How yer friend?" retorted Rorke.
II mean it saved my life year ago
in Mexico. saw q girl once too often
for her lovers good--hot headed cur! He
would have it and got it-in the heart
and got in quod, and our consul could
not help me. am not the kind Of citi-
zen the United States hinders foreign
government from sending to kingdom
come, and l was mighty nigh getting
there"
"And ye didn't" said Terry, highly
interested. "The Interpretations Of hiv-
Ell are past findin out" D."
Fires stood my friend, say. had
my pipe-greasers ain t the Id mar.
tinets you have here-and spark went
into the straw. 1t blazed in an instant
There was HI to pay, with the guard
and greascrs and prisoners running
every which way. The prison had a lit
tie tower, like that, yonder," said he,
pointing to the wooden structure above
The old guardhouse. II saw my chance
in the confusion and ran for it. 1t was
stone and never took fire, and got safe
ly away at night and vamoosed the
country and read afterward how the
flames had devoured the ruffianly muir
derer Roy and here he caught HIM
self, with sudden gulp, seeing Rorke's
suspicious eyes on him"
"Eh, Graice? Roy, ye were sayin.
Murderer roisterer and rascal, Tom
Graice," he went on. $50 I've nothing
to fear from fire."
Rorke eyed him long and distrustful-
ly, grunting audible comment on the
story, to which some Of the men had lis
tened in absorbed interest, while others
were busily removing the picture and
setting it in place upon the wall. Then,
as 1t was fairly hung, Grow Knife step.
ped back across the room, his eyes rev.
erently fixed upon the fine, soldierly
face. Graice, meantime, after a hurried
glance about him, had drawn flask
from his vest pocket and had lifted it to
his lips, when Rorke grabbed it.