The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-12-11

be now, Ned, with i sinking heart, ac-
knOWledged he didn't know where he
was. He rode to the highest point near
him and saw nothing nothing hut roll
ing bluff and hollow. On and on he rode
until he was misera bic. b Hes forgot the
glory.sof the two fat turkeys, and y. was
now well OH III the afternoon.
AT last he reached a higher bluff than
any before, and from 1T he could see Il
succession If lower bluffs and then again
q high one behind He sat OH his horse
there for some time and then rode to-
ward the other big bluff. and so high
it was he could not see its summit
even from the holloWs with the other
bluffs hetWeeus He rode along, slowly
now, for his horse was not so fresh, and
was in one Of the hollows. when sudden
~, far i'll front Of him. there came to
his ears N strange s0und-thc long, ring
ing notes of n cavalry bugle. Ned stood
on his stirrups to stare about. plunged
all at once into a higl, state of excite
ment. But his horse; never had that
patient and docile animal behaved in SO
extraordinary a way before. 1t pricked
up it's ears and threw its head back. and
plunged Again, across. the Plains,
sounded the blood burning bugle, and all
at once over the further bluff, came run
ming men and tho sun shone on the
sounded yet again. and one of them
waved i sword, and SO clear was his
voice when he spoke the words that Ned
distinctly heard them: .
"Commence firing :r..r& I:s#t ,r7s' +
=, Then there was 4 noisy cracking of
many carbines, and the men came run
ming forward, stopping every now and then
to kneel and fire again. But Ned knew
little more: it was all he could do to
hn11 ntN vho
longed neigh, had taken the bit in his
teeth and was. charging, apparently with
the most joyous feelings, toward the en-
ticing bugle. Up one bluff and into the
hollow and up another the unwilling boy
was carried directly toward those dam
gerous puffs of white smoke, the turkeys
Hopping by his sides, and ut the top of
from sheer fright. Coming to meet him,
heller SHELTER. save who save can, came
band of of Indians in full retreat, with
bullets popping among them right and
left. They We're as startled as Ned. His
white face doubtless led them to believe
party of white men were cutting them
off Without u shot they turned and
fled right and left; utterly scattered
save one, 4 huge man with 4 large war
bonnet He was apparently mad with
rage and came swooplng down OH Ned.
The instinct Of self-preservntion. rather
than reason. made, the lad raise his shot
gun to his shoulder and Hire, although
no bullet. but mere bticksh6t, was iii his
cartridge. Dimly the boy say some
! thing had happened and heard the II il
scream with pain, and again heard the
commanding officers voice hurriedly
shout: "Cease firing"
His horse swept OH through the lines
of amazed soldiers, and Mt last. with
every manifestation of delight. ranged
quietly up behind the men by the side of
the horses. left riderless i'll charge Of a
few soldiers. whose: comrades had dis
mounted to fight OH foot.
horse and sat with dizzy head, seeing
nothing clearly, until a tall man with a
saber stood iii front of him and looked
sternly at the boy: -
''Who on earth are you?' he said.
THE idea of charging right into the
teeth of our fire." *
'Plcase. SIR" said Ned, very much
frightened at the look of the big sabcr.
X didn't mean to. Badly ran away with
The officer broke into Il smile, and lift
cd the boy TO his feet, and shcathed his
sabcr. :"
Its lucky you were not killed." he
said. ''rell me how it came about. Do
you know you knocked an Indian off his
pony. that one of my men arc bringing
prisoner?"
ooh! please. SIR cried Ned, turning
white, ''is he killed? Oh! really, l didn't
mean to-
That's ali right. thy boy: He was a
mischief ma ker in his tribe, and you've
ended our mission for us. \ few wild
young braves jumped the reserve, and
we were chasing them back. Now he's
out Of tho way, the others will scatter
home and be quiet. SO you see you've
earned all the honors of the campaign"
The bcggar's sound enough said Il
bright young officer coming up. Hell
probably be blind though. He got that
wild shot full in the face
The two officers turned to Ned then
and questioned him, and with boyish
innocence he told them all-about their
hardships. his fathers sickness, his
mothers WEAKNESS and worry, and little
Loo's desire for thanksgiving turkey.
AS he concluded smiling sergeant led
up Ned's horse.
Its our old Badly, sir, he said eve
had him when the troop was in Wyon.-
ing. and he was condemned and sold.
ran, of course, when he heard the buglc
and ranged alongside like the veteran
he is
The men crowded round the old troop
horse with many jokes and caresses but
Ned looked at him in dismay.
"My turkeys!' he cried.
wild charge, and Ned broke down and
burst into tears, thinking of poor dis
appointed Loo. But the captain sent
two horsemen over the way the boy mad
come. and they brought them back safe,
ly. So that was all right and much
more for the younger officer, who was a
DOCTOR had some quiniue in his saddle
bags. and showed Ned the. way home in
triumph, and there he doctored the boys
father and made him comfortable, 50
that they got home to Texas safely.
The dinner that night was very fash.
ionable. if the time they, ate it c"unts
for anything. for it was O'Clock before
the turkey was cooked. ~-
But said Loo, cuddling grateful
against Ned. ''it wouldn't-it couldn't
have been Thanksgiving day with only
fapjacks Could it, now?''
Poor LOO.-NeW York Sun.