Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-02-03

drulyDt raised q nap OF lHe tent ana ell
tered An officer with stern and bag
gard face looked up from a rough table
wherein he was writing. The Sergeant
said to him:
Caught asleep at his post. sir"
"Ah," said the officer with deep
frown on his face, and drawing a long
breath.
Il took his gun away from him and
had to speak twice to him before he
awoke."
"Ah," repeated the officer; then to
Jimmy: What have you to say sirl'
Il suppose it's true" admitted jim.
my. 81 did my best to keep awake"
The usual excuse" replied the otTi.
Ger, turning to his writing again.
"Place him under guard till daybreak.
Then have out a file of twelve men and
shoot him"
Good Cod" cried Jimmy, you sure
ly don't murder a man who has come to
fight for you in that off-hand way with
out even hearing what he has to say
for himself"
81 have heard you" rejoned the Off
| tti iulttlgs dhC nm away 80
| geant"
The Sergeant grasped young Stee.
vens roughly by the arm and led him
out of the tent.
This isn't right, you know" protest
ed Jimmy. Il must be tried by a jury
or something"
"Oh, don't trouble about that, sonny"
replied the Sergeant. what the Gen
eral says is usually right: If there is
anything wrong about 1t there will be
an inquiry later, but that won't help
you much. See, it is beginning to get
light in the east already"
What time was it when you found
me" asked Jimmy, in despair
1--WE found you at four o'clock when
we came to change guard"
Then Jimmy saw that further protest
and a half.
"Oh, If l had only another chance"
he groaned. Il don't feel much like
sleep now. Don't you think the Gen
eral would give me another chances"
The Sergeant shook his head unsym-
pathetically
TOO much depends on it," he said.
"The General has wanted to make an
example for some time, short and
sharp, and you're the man to furnish
the example"
The Sergeant turned Jimmy over to
two armed men.
Guard this youngster," he said.
Hes to be shot at daybreak, and it's
getting near that time now. I'll go
and rout out a squad. Don't waste any
time lamentlng, youngster." This to
Jimmy: If you have any prayers,
now's your time"
ITS all Irregular" cried Jimmy to
the sentrles on each side of him. "A
mans life can't be taken away at the
simple word of another man."
But the sentries' business was not to
answer, so they stood, two grim, voice
less automatons, one on either side of
him. All the time there was running
in Jimmy's mind horrible sense of the
irregularlty of it all If the country If
the newspapers knew of this, there
would be fuss made, but he felt that
when the fuss came it would be too
late to help him. The steady tramp OF
a number of men broke into his reyerie
The gray of the coming day was
spreading over the east
Right about! Marchr' said the Ser
geant, and Jimmy mechanically march
ed rs he was told.
They stood him up with his back
against tree, the twelve men drawn
in line before him, and appallingly
near.
Il won't have my eyes bandaged,'
said Jimmy. Il want to sec them fire.
Every we'll" replied the Sergeant
putting the handkerchief in his poeke
nonchalantly, as if 1t were point no
worth discussing.
Jimmy felt as If he would choke. Hi,
heart was beating with tremendous IA
pidity, and his breath came in thicl
gasps There was a short, sharp com
, mand from the Sergeantand the twelve
rifles were leyeled at his breast. H.
heard the word Fire" and then The
ringing of a dozen shots, and it strucl
him as curious that they did not go of
simultaneously, but with a perceptibi,
interval between, as If some had hest
tated to pull the trigger. Then thu
amazing fact struck him that all the
bullets had gone through the palm Of
his hand, which was the more astontsh
ing because he had kept his hands be
hind him He found himself looking
curiously at the palm of his hand. ant
feeling the warm blood trickle over II
The fash of the twelve rifles had a
once wiped out the daylight, and Jimm.
stood under the tree with the glitterin.
stars once more over his head. Th
twelve men and the Sergeant had van
ished, but the sharp pain was still II
his hand, and the warm blood wa
triekling from the wound.
well, I'll be blessed" said Jimmy
: this was a dream, toe, but what hor
rible one. My hand has come down o.
? the bayonet point, after all. | wonde
how long I've been asleep this time.
J. was half past one when last looked a
my watch"
Jimmy pulled out the big silver time
piece once more, and turned 1t towar,
the gllttering star. 1t still seemed to b
half past one, but as he looked close
he saw that the minute hand had NOV
ed just pcrceptibly beyond the hllfpas
point.
Good heavens" gasped Jimmy i
amazement; "have l dreamt all tha
CHASTITY stuff in thirty seconds. But