The Penn's Grove record., 1896-03-13


%l.nives. Then robertson ran In ah'
took Baptiste by the arm.
Jeans face was purple and the veini
IN his forehead ~distcnded. His teeti
were set in a kind of trismus; he coult
not speak. But out of his mouth came
foam and out of his eyes fire. liz
caught Robertson by the body and hIt
ed him up. The Englishman stareC
him full In the face.
"You are hurting ne, you damned
fooln' he said In a quick, sharp voice
And Jeans face cleared up. He pu'
Jack down quite grayely and began 10
dust the alkali off him. Then he smiled
and looked foolish. Jack put his arm
In Jeans arm and marched him off to
the guardroom. The others came be-
hind without a word. They locked the
two friends up together, but In half an
| hour Jack knocked at the heavy door Of
his adobe prison.
Hes all right now, and fast asleep
said Jack as he went off.
In the morning Jeans penitence was
heartbreaklng to see; a child could
have whipped him. He almost cried
when the young lieutenant bullied him,
and he swore to be a good boy for ever
after. This he kept for quite a long
time-almost a month.
JEAN" said Robertson one day, az
they sat outside when the sur had gone
| down, you are a laundering thick
headed. go~odhearted idiot, and one OF
these days you will make me mad, n
| shall just talk to you as you deserve.
YES" said Jean with a smile, u
ought to be kicked"
But who's to kick your We shall
have to hire Mexican Joe's mule. He's
n kicker, and will knock the stutiing
out of you too quick"
And the younGster laughed. 1t pleas
ed him c~uriously TO be the only one who
could speak to Baptiste, or handle the
man when he was drunk. For he had
good grit, md 1t gave him a certain re-
sponsibility and duty that helped tF
steady him.
How lid you ever come TO enlist in
this cursed army said Jack. "fou
are about as fl for n c%avalryman as ]
am 10 be general"
~ came into Santa Fe dead broke"
said jean, ''and they asked me, and
said Yes because 1t was so difficult to
get work, and was hungry. And PEG
! pie down here are so hard
"They are &c." said Jack. II know
It,"
And why did you joinf" asked Bap
tiste.
Because l was busted and a fool
and hungry and disheartened," said
Jack, angrily; 'and I've a good mind 10
get up and get right now"
No, no." said Jean. II would be very
lonely here. You are my only friend"
And he put his enormous list on
Jacks shoulder. The boy turned round
On him with Il smile.
You're a bully good chap, Baptiste,
and I'll stick it ont with you till our
times up. And then, Baptiste, will you
go homer
Jean got up and leant against the wall
of the store. They were sitting at tie
back OF the building on Il log. He turn.
cd his face away.
NO." he said, not yet. IAN afraid"
".Afraid?"
"Ycs. | should kill them"
He meant the woman he had loved
and her lover, Long ago he had told
Jack The story, with the tears running
down his face. For this maj had cheat
ed him out Of his fathers Inheritance,
and thereby of a girl, too, who had
been bought, so Jean said, with his OVID
uoney.
81 should go back to do it," said Jack
somhcrly. For lie had a vindictiye
'uind.
Il cannot" said Jean, for | love her
still"
Then l would kill him." was Jacks
suggestion.
But she loves him"
Likely she has got over that by
now" said the youthful cynic of %.
anyhow, 1t would be a good thing 10
do"
You don't understand" said Jean.
"If l hurt anyone l loved l could not
live"
You're ii bully good sort, JEAN" said
Jack, and they relapsed into silence,
For these two Ia that hideous. unnatur.
al hole really loved each other.
When that long, dry, sOmber month
Of August was over, and the alkali dust
was thicker than ever, Baptiste started
in again at the drink, and Jack couldn't
keep him away from it. But he escort
ed him to the guardroom three times in
the month. and thereby saved some
lives, and then Baptlste got a letter
from Montreal that drove him wild.
Jack found him u en- the plain roll
ing in the dust and tearing up the sage
brush with his hands. The maj looked
terrible and ludicrous. for he had been
crying bitterly. and the dust marked bis
red face In patches till he looked like u
circus clown who had not touched his
paint for n week. And when he saw
Jack he shouted to him: Keep away,
lack. | shall kill you, l shall kill you"
So Robertson sat down thirty yards
off and watched him. Baptiste kept his
face turned away. and Jack heard him
groan. Presently he rose and began
hunting for little bits of paper. He
called Jack to help him, and then, with
the tears running down his face, Bap-
tiste cleared a SPACE on the ground and
tried to piece them together. AS he did
so he swoIe In French, and then he
groaned. Presently he began to read
what he could.
My sister wrote to me-, Jack. And
fhe says yes, she writes that Made
line had "a baby--oh, 1t kills me! And
then the beast vas cruel to her-and
yes, 1t is true, he struck her until she
cried outand the neighbors came In. And
she is miserable, and he makes her
miserable. And | would have given
her my soul, and let her beat me II she
wanted! And % l am going home
will kill himl Tomorrow I must 90.