Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-03-18
You must help me-

You must help me-
And the poor devil burst into pas
zion Of tears untfl he shook. and Jacl
went half blind himself, and the no
prairie danced and blazed in his eyes
He took Baptiste back to the camp
And that ngnt Baptiste went up 4
Mexican Joe's. They gave him drinl
,ut of sheer terror. for he scared theil
white souls with his eyes. And h'
mlked and muttered and the tears raE
lown his face. Then one OF the Mexi
.ans. known as Pete. thought he had
softened and was chicken-hearted, aud
le began to fool with him. Just ther
the round moon got up on the white
plateau and stared at the plain, which
was SO lonely save for the military
post and the place where they sold
1rink And as the lights began to
blink against the moonlight Pete be.
gan to laugh at Jean. Then Mexican
IOe sent of to the fort. and the guard
zane out at the double. with Jack
,mong them. They were just in time
% see murder done: for Jean caught
Pete and broke his black neck with his
1ands. And back-handed he struck
Mexican Joe In the mouth: he fell chok'
ng with teeth, and his own knife cut
aim. and Jack came In running. But
lean was insane and blazing. and when
Door Jack took him by the arm he
looked red to Jean and the Frenchman
.aught him by the waist and dashed the
boys brains out on the log wall. Then
The Corporal. who was white as dried
llkali lake. struck Jean on the neck
with the butt of a gun and felled him
But Jack and Pete were dead. They
lad to carry Jean to the guardhouse
and 1t was dawn before he came to.
He knew nothing. and he asked FOR
lack Robertson, and he was so down
and SO sorrowful that it made the men
pity him.
who shall tell himr' they asked
each other. and no one would.
But as Jack wouldn't come Jean be
gan to think. and dull. stupefying ter.
ror came crawling into his mind. Was
| It true, or q bloody Imagination Of q
dream? he asked himself, dry-tongued.
And presently he wept out aloud and
hung at the heavy door and shook It
He asked them whether 1t was true-oh,
was 1t true?
Are you there. WinterT he asked
Of one of the men.
"Yes, yes, JEAN" said Winter. chok
ing.
rs It true that-that ! killed Jack.
Winter? If 1t Is true, don't answer"
And Winter sat on one Of the guards
beds with his face down. He never
spoke, and Jean groaned like a man
IN his great agony.
He neither ate nor drank. nor spok.
gain that day. and then the night drew
on, and the moon got up again. and she
looked down on two new mOunds-One
was out at the back Of Mexican Joe's
and the other was in the little, white
rallied military cemetery where men
were buried who died Of hanging and
bullets and cut-throats when they were
tired of Uncle Sans outpost duty. But
Jean was locked up close in hell.
But at Mexican Joe's there was Il
great gathering. and they drank 70
leans hanging and told of Black Pete's
exploits at thIeving and the knife
for the news had gone abroad. and Joa
corralled the half dollars that night
until it was close on II. Then there
was a change in their entertainment
The devil entered in.
About II 80 there were only two men
In the guardroom, and they were lying
Ia. hAnahnS 6racSa1 ond QalaAn
Jean was walking up and down his cell.
Once or twice he came to the door and
felt it, Then he went back and meas
lred the distance from the wall. 1t waf
only nine feet. 1t was enough.
That long day had torn him in bits
his eyes were ringed with black cir.
cles; his cheeks We're sunken; he had a
gnawing pain at the back Of his head.
He could stand II no longer. He rushed
at the door with his shoulders and car.
ried it into the middle of the guard
room. AS the men started to their feet
Jean seized a carbine and q belt Of
cartridges and disappeared through the
open door leading to the main fort. and
ran down the road to Mexican Joe's
He hadn't got time to go to Montreal.
The light in the shanty shone through
the windows and the door-the one
door. The Mexicans stood up against
the bar. He ga W Mexican Joe standing
there toothless. He shot him dead
through the door as they turned. Ha
killed six as they stood or wavered,
two more as they dropped for shelter
or ran. Two more he struck down with
his rife dubbed. And then, with two
bullets in him and a bowie-knife in his
breast, he went slowly to the cemetery.
When the guard hunted him up there
he was lying dead upon Jacks gtave.-
London Graphic.