The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-06-03
@~THE OTHER BOX.~@


been settled with due exaetness. The
Junior Subaltern had been an uncon-
scionable time at work. 1t is probable
that he was getting very sick OF his
hoax, and would have been glad enough /
to show 1t up II anyone had given him /
the lead. After all, he knew that there
was an ugly side TO the farce, and as
his first boyish enthusiasm died away I
he wanted TO throw the thing up. But /
no one helped him out OF 1t, and for
very shame he could scarcely give him
self away. Besides, the two principals
wouldn't have thanked him.
Nothing more remained to be done.
There was solemn enough leave-taking
on all sides as the five youngsters filed
out of the room and locked the door,
leaving the two men In their corners
and the box In the center of the room.
For a moment or two the five stood In
silence out in the passage. the Junior
Subaltern holding the end OF the string
and shaking like an aspen leaf with
suppressed excitement. Then he gave
it a sharp tug. and they could hear the
box-lid sliding back until 1t dropped to
the floor with slight smack.
1t was a hushed and rather con-
the various rooms in quarters, and the
hours of that night hung heavily. 1t is
a fact that the f'e youngsters did not
average an hour ofsleep between them.
This was proved by the alacrity with
which they all turned out at the first
break of dawn, and assembled, SILVER
ing and wn-looking and haggard,
ready to go and release their voluntary
prisoners.
They were, in fact, so disturbed that
they took no notice of the Senior Cap
tain, who, for some reason best known
to himself, had turned out, too, and fol-
lowed them as they trod softly along to
the door of the dlsused room. He was
still unnoticed as they reached 1t, and
there made marked halt; and his
curiosity to see their little game pre-.
vented him from announcing himself
They stood for moment in breathless
silence showing a strange, sudden dis
inclination to stir.
Then, as was the case the night be
fore the Junior Subaltern took til,
lead. There was faint murmur as III
turned the key In the lock and stepped
boldly into the room the rest following
in a crowd. The Senior Captain stooC
for a moment outside, wondering ant
trying to make out what 1t all meant
, But sudden, stifled cry caused him t
. step quickly after them.
, He was a man who had been In sew
:, eral actions. He had seen men kille
under all sorts of CHASTITY circum
stances. He had commanded buria
: parties sent out otter the Afghan VIZ
men had been at their deyilish worl
and had seen sights that, hardened a
= he was, had made him feel sick an
: full of horror. But those scenes WEI
= in no way comparable with what m'
= his eyes as he entered the room benin
. his juniors.
/. The two men were no longer proppe
= up in the position in which they ha
been left. Their swollen, distorte
= bodies were huddled on the floor in a
titudes that showed the awful mann
in which they had met their doom. b
the figures, almost grotesque in Il
= contortions which had attended Il
- last death agony, were as nothing.
:, each case the face was upturne
Z livid, with distended cheeks and craze
= ed skin, with flecks of blood oozil
:, from mouth and nose, and with ey
= widely open and a fear and horror
- them past all description. 1t was Il
= so much the physical agony as the {
% preston Of terror in the fixed faces tn
u rendered these corpses so dreadful
contemplate. Yet the two men, VIII
% alive. were as brave, with all tn
~ faults, as any men should be.
no AS he looked in, the Captain W
20 glued to the ground by the namel'
W horror of that death-stare. He seem
70 forgetful of his companions, of wit
rs he was, all his faculties concentrat
nc on the two huddled masses on the fio
as A CHASTITY incident aroused him. ]
e Junior Subaltern burst into lau
~, faint at first, and then swelling !
peal after peal of uproarious mil
~ The others stood and watched him.
an "Ha! hap he shouted, Keeling II
- foot to foot, and holding his shak
me sides. Look at theml Don't Z
~ sham well? Aren't they flrst-rate
,e tors?"
Nc The Senior Captain stepped up
o. him, and laid hand roughly on
~, shoulder.
Then the boy turned, and they c.
~ all see in his eyes that he was I
But the touch had Quoted him.
~ 'sThey act beautifully, don't the
u' he whispered confidentially to
A., senior officer. II wonder when
first found out the joke"
VI what do you mean?" asked
t. other, soothingly.
"Mean?' the maniac replied. "V
don't you see? had two boxes
AZ alike, and put the empty box In
The snake is still in my own room
1t seemed something like grim
tradiction that, almost at the same
mept. fiat, specialized head re
u, itself under one of the bodies, and
80 10 baleful eyes surveyed the awe-st
inc ,rroun Son Fro nciscO A rp0naut