Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1896-02-11

boldly forward There near the riuo, |
down among the stones, is huddled |
heap. Il is the first man have ever
shot. don't quite know what TO do. /
push him with my foot No response.
He is dead. How strange It seemsl A
few minutes ago this dead bundle was
as full Of life as L Every muscle and
nerve, every sensation in fullest work
ing order, and now but one little aot Of
mine, and the whole is thus collapsed.
Only now the moon was looking down
On two human beings approaching each
other over the wide veldt A moment
later she looks sadly down ON one stand
ing beside the crumpled remains Of the
other
The two horses are still grazing peace
fully on opposite sides Of the rocks.
I reused myself from my musings and
took up the dead mans rife. II was
Martini henry. After appropriating its
cartridge, knocked out the block axis
pin and threw tho block away, 80 that
il might no longer be Of use to an enc
nv. And then Thought toreplenish my
own ammunition from the enemy's
store and turned again to the corpse.
felt a reluctance TO touch the poor
limp thing, but his haversack was part
" underneath him and had to be got
out. That done, I drew the cold hands
down TO the sides and Strengthened ont
the legs, but could not go SO far as to
turn the body ON its back-I feared to
see the face. In the haversack found
besides the cartridges a Bible and some
rusks and "biltong' (sun dried meat).
The cravings of hunger were reawaken-
ed by the sight Of food and was soon
munching away at my newly acquired
simply, while I still stood in kind Of
fascination over the body of my victim.
How strange to be eating the food pre-
pared for one who had no need for ii
To be tasting the flavor, which somehow
did not altogether like, that possibly
he would have beon tasting now had not
all power of taste suddenly gone out Of
him forever Then his Bible lying there
reminded me that we we're both practi-
cally of the same belief. Two Christians,
whose religion told them to love one an
other, meeting in the midst Of heather
land-stranger to each other ON earth
but brothers in spirit We meet-tC
greet each other with peace and good
will2 No, but without even word o.
anger one to kill the other.
And a great remorse comes over me
What right had to take his life? 3.
killing him, in what torrent Of grief an'
ruin may l not have involved wife anC
BARNS? Did / not fire before there wa
need for it? In vain tell myself tina
had / not killed him he would hav
gathered me.
All feeling Of animosity is drowne
in that of pity. At any rate if his com
rades find him they shall know that W
"Rooi-batches' bear no grudge, bu
have some good feeling in us. May
help to dispose them more peaceably tc
ward us
So, after very short meal, sto'
the ammunition and the remainder c
the food into my pocket. Then l dra
the body from where it lies, leavin
only black, shining blotch among tn
stones, into o shallow cleft between th
rocks. Here l turn it on to its back an
! see the pale, dead face, the paler for Il
, contrast with its black beard in I'll
: clear moonlight close the glass,
, staring eyes and compose the limbs
1 their narrow bed, and then, with larl
bowlders, / overbridge the grave al
A I'LL up every crevice we'll with stone
3 Little now is left to do. On the highe
1 rock, Just above the grave, l build
= cairn of stones, in which firmly plal
9 the rife upright. / take his Bibl
. which has writing in its cover that mi
9 tell his name, and fasten II, inside b
+ hat, to the muzzle Of the rifle, and
d the cleaning rod tie my handkerchie
! 70 serve at once as a scare to beasts Al
y an attracting sign to men. And til
> turn and leave the spot.
d reached Standerton all safely wi
y my two horses soon after daybreak a
d delivered my dispatches. When empti
s. my pockets, daylight showed me Il
n what was left Of the biltong and ru
was all besmoared with blood. --SketS