Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-12-18

baby, come and find Christmas" AS he
turned, he stopped abruptly. Dikkon
stood squarely facing him. The mans
sallow face was duly purple with passion;
his eyes cleaned tigerishly. "Take back
that order, Colonel he raved. "Give me
back my old dogl Give him back, 1 tell you'll
or I'll"
ARREST that mani" Dixon was in the
grasp of dozen ready hands. There was
that in his eyes, as they turned on the Colo
mel, that had sent the mems hearts to their
throats. "Clap him in the guard-house.
He's probably drunk or mad. The court
martial can decide which"
The Colonel turned on hiSheel and strobe
off through the blackening twilight with
the f, frightened child on his breast AS he
went, there followed him the bowls of
half choked dog, as Grubbins was dragged
in one direction, powerless to reach the
master who was being marched off in the
other.
The Colonel was in what his sister and
housekeeper called a most un-Christmas-
like temper throughout his dinner. "Con-
found the fellow" he muttered, pacing
restlessly to and fro, when dinner was done.
"Why need he have given me that mad
| mans talkl Mooney would have found a
, way to keep the beast safe till the men could
send in a petition, and-then- of course-it
being Christmas, and all" He looked
abstractedly out into the inky darkness.
"Dear, dear! believe Pm half a mad
man myself when Marion comes into a
question. More than ever since there have
been those Apache rumors. can't leave to
carry the child North; and if, while she
was here the Indians" he put up his hand
to his forehead, suddenly damp with the
| starting sweat.
There rang out through the windy dark
ness the long-drawn howl Of dog, fol-
lowed by sharp sudden shot, and another
and another; shouts, wandering lights
"What is thatl Martha, bar the doors
and windows" shouted the Colonel, hoarse-
ly, He caught up his sword and buckled
it as he ran.
Mooney had come to kindle the smoky
lamp in the guard-house cell. The figure
lying face downward in the bunk had
stirred at sound of heavy footsteps, and
turned toward him a bloodless face, and
eyes of dumb, agonized entreaty "Shure
1 wud if 1 cud, We poor sowll" said Mooney;
yet Dikkon had spoken no word.
sit isn't to let him live. 1 heard the
Colonel's orders. God send him such tor
ment as he's sent mel But Mooney, Grub
bins is a soldiers dog. Yo' won't hang
himl Oh, for the love O. God, for the
sake of Christmas, say you won't hang him.
Yo'l give him bulletl"
Mooney gripped his hand with a firm,
quick nod.
"I'm in TO- term in the military prison,
sho' Grubbins is gittin' older every day,
an he'd be onery, missin' me, and likely to
git kicked round, 'mong the men. He
mought as well go befo' do. But-yo're
a good shot, Mooney, but yo'll stand close,
and not let him need but one bulletl"
Another nod. Mooney shut the door
softly, and went out into the dark Left
alone, Dikkon threw himself down again
in his bunk, his face hidden in his arms.
"Pd like to say good-by to yo', Grub
bins" The man was sobbing, thickly,
drVly, without tears. "Td have liked to
ask yo' to a told Marcela-
The long-drawn howl that the Colonel
had heard at his window, came to Dikkon's
ears as he lay in the guard-house bunk
At the shot that sharply followed, the man
sat upright, his face gray "He's gonel
The old dogs gonel"
Another shot.
Dikkon leaped up as they say men leap
who take bullet in the heart.
Mooney Yo' crazy blunderer. Yo'
had to shoot againl Oh, my Godl o
Grubbinsl Grubbinsl"
, |
floor. He ran his fingers hard into his
ears. So he lay, half-unconscious, agon-
lied, hearing nothing more.
The Colonel stood Just without the door
of the stables, all the men of the little
garrison around and before him. At his
feet across the threshold, lay the body of
an Indian, the face taking CHASTITY cleans
ing of its war-paint from the thin stream
} of blood that trickled from its temple.
, Three other Indians, bound hand and foot,
} crouched sullenly in the midst of their
3 guard. A trooper was, with many half
choked grunts of discomfort, examining
, his shattered knee. The faint, far echo Of
galloping ponies was dying away through
the wind, over the plain.
/ "Let me understand this" said the
D Colonel. He spoke somewhat unsteadily
D He was looking down at the dead Indian
: at whose belt there dangled a child'i
0 scalp. 1t could not have been taken many
months ago. The child had had golden
] hair.
e Corporal Perkins stepped forward, salut
a ing. at was like this, sir. The half
- breeds had probably told them Christmas
! was good time to attack, the men being
; Jolly, and careless like They must have
IS crept up through the brush behind the
!. stables. There was board loose at thu
;. back o. the stables; this fellow"-he indi
IS Gated the dead Indian-"crept through it
" Their scheme was to stampede the horse
; first, so there'd be no way of escape. IT.
2 ha' worked well if-~
a. 'Well9"
Il "If Grubbins-"
,, "Grubbinsp