The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-06-05
The youth had to follow.

/ taking softly near MS SuOutOST. L III II
/ ing. he saw that it belonged to the
tattered soldier. "Ye'd better take i'm
outa TIL road, pardner. There's 4
bat'try comm helitywhoop down tn
road an he'll git ruined over. He's q
| roner anyhow in about five minutes
veh kin see that. Ye'd better take i'm
outa TIL road. Where tn blazes does
he git his stren'th from?"
Lord knows" cried the youth. He
was shaking his hands helplessly.
He ran forward, presently, and
grasped the tall soldier by the arm.
Jim. Jim he coaXed, come with
me-"
The tall soldier weakly tried to
wrench himself free. Huh" he said.
vacantly. He stared at the youth for
a moment. At last he spoke as if dimly
comprehending:
'Oh. inteh tn fields? Oh"
He started blindly through the grass.
The youth turned once to look at the
flashing riders and bouncing guns of
the battery. He was startled from his
view by a shrill cutlery from the tat
tered man.
''Gawd. He's runnin'."
Turning his head swiftly, the youth
saw his friend running in staggering
and stumbling way toward little
clurnp of bushes. His heart seemed to
wrench itself almost free from his
body at this sight. He made noise OF
pain. He and the tattered man began
a pursuit. There was a singular race.
When he overlook the tall soldier, he
began to plead with all the words he
could find. 'Jim--Jim-what are you
doing-what makes you do this way
you'll hurt yourself"
The same purpose was in the tall
soldiers face. He protested in a dulled
way. keeping his eyes fastened on the
mystic place of his intentions. NO,
ro-don't tech me-leave me behave
ne be-"
The youth, aghast and filed with
wonder at the tall soldier, began qua
veringly to question him. Where ych
goin'. Jim? What you thinking about?
Where you going? Tell me. wont you,
Jirl?" The tall soldier faced about as
upon relentless pursuers. In his eye:
there was a great appeal Leave me
be, can't yeh? Leave me be fer min
: nit"
The youth recoiled. why, Jim" he
said, in a dazed way, whats the mat
| ter with you?"
The tall soldier turned and. lurchine
: dangerously. went on. The youth anC
| the tattered soldier followed. snealzing
as if whipped. feeling unable to face
l the stricken man if he should again
: confront them. They began to have
= thoughts of a solemn ceremony. There
: was something rite-hle in these move
: ncnts OF the doomed soldier And there
/ was a resemblance in him to a devote(
IF q mad religion, blood-sucking, mus
cle-wreuching. bone-crushing. They
i could not understand: they were awet
and afraid. They hung back. lest hC
I have at command dreadful weapon
l At last. they saw him stop and stanC
!. motionless. fastening up, they per
J. ccived that his face wore an expression
= telling that he had at last found the
5 place for which he had struggled. Hi
!. spare figure was erect; his blood!
D hands were quietly at his sides. Ill
t was waiting with patience for some
e thing that he had come to meet. IL
S was at the rendezvous. They paused
/ and stood expectant.
Y There was silence.
2 Finally the chest of the doomed sol
der began to heave with a straine'
d motion. 1t increased in violence unit
= it was as if an animal was within an,
| l.. f,,,-
d be free.
t This spectacle of gradual strangula
|. ton made the youth writhe, and once
g as his friend rolled his eyes, he say
something in them that made him sim
n wailing to the ground. He raised hi
n voice in a last supreme call:
V Jim! jim! JIM
Y The tall soldier opened his lips an
t spoke. He made a gesture. "Leav
me be-don't tech me-leave me be"
= There was another silence, while h
II waited.
l Suddenly his form stiffened an
Strengthened. Then it was shaken b.
i a prolonged ague. He stared mt
space To the two watchers there wa
e a curious and profound dignity in tn
e firm lines of his awful face.
u He was invaded by creeping strange
ness that slowly enveloped him. For
. moment the tremor of his legs cause
Z him to dance a sort of hideous horI
= pipe. His arms beat wildly about hi
= head in expression of imp-like enthr
= siasm.
u His tall figure stretched itself to ii
:, full height. There wasa slight rendin
! sound. Then it began to swing fol
l. ward. slow and straight. in the manne
:. of a falling tree. A swift muscula
contortion made the left shoulder strik
y the ground first.
Il The body seemed to bounce a littl
"a way from the earth. God" said til
tattered soldier.
l. The youth had watched spell-bounG
a. this ceremony at the place of meeting
~ His face had been twisted into an e1
! preston of every agony he ha
n imagined for his friend
k He now sprang to his feet and. goin
IN closer. Pazed upon the paste-like facS