The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-09-18

the side with a lance thrust. anotbar,s
leg had been broken by a ball, and two
or three were grumhling over flesh
wounds more painful than dangerous.
Altogether we had come off very well.
The colonel had behaved like the oh
%stinate, narrow minded. but heroic old
soldier that he was, and now stood
leaning upon his saber, waiting to re-
ceive my respects, which 1 paid him in
due form.
you have done we'll, SIR" he con-
descended to remark, Every we'll in
deed. Not that NEEDED your help. No.
sir, we should have thrashed them all
the same'-which was not true-'but
1 thank you, lieutenant"
A woman's voice crying out in an
anguished tone: "Fatherl Father! He
is dead! Come here!'' interrupted our
conference.
We hurried to where a number Of
troopers, some bearing torches ignited
at the smoldering campfire, had gath
cred about a prone figure, whose head
was supported upon a girls knee. The
mans face was so covered with BLOOD
from a wound that l did not recognize
him at first. He wore civilians dress,
and his rigid hand still clutched a re-
volver.
"Hellol' cried the colonel, his gener-
GUS feelings in the ascendant for once.
THAT is the brave fellow who gave us
warning of the attack He fought like a
paladin. l never saw such utter reckless
g%allantry, and l have seen some pretty
rough fighting in my time too. A civil
ian at that! l sincerely hope he is not
badly hurt"
dead! Deadr' sobbed the girl heart
brokenly. "He saved me at the sacrifice
of his own life"
mo, miss" said Sergeant Jennings,
who had been examining the insensible
figure; "badly wounded, but still
alive"
"Oh, thank and bless you for those
wordsl" cried the girl, raising her white
face and pushing back her loosened hair.
Then, by the flare of the torches, l
saw that she was one of the loveliest
beings I had ever beheld; that she would
have been well nigh perfect in face, as
she was in figure, but for one sad defect
she was blind of one eye.
"The ball struck him just here on the
temple" said Jennings. TITS an ugly
wound, but there is a good chance for
him to pull through"
Murmuring again, "Btess and thank
you, " the girl bent over him and wiped
the blood from his face with her hand
kerchief.
"It is odd" said the colonel. "Iseem
to know that young man, but 1 cannot
place him. There was something famil-
lar in his voice, too, as he came rushing
in before the skirmish."
"Look, father" replied his daughter,
turning the unconscious face more to
the light of the torches.
Henry Omer!' calculated the colo
mel. And at the same instant I recog-
nized my mysterious friend.
what does it mean?'' continued the
colonel, with an expression of mingled
trouble and perplexity in his grizzled
features. "He was thought to be dead"
"And dead he will be- i%nterposed
Sergeant Jennings bluntly, "if we don't
get him to the fort as soon as possible. "
The necessary orders were issued,
and half an hour later, with our wound
ed bestowed upon ~improvised stretchers,
We took up Our march for the post.
Agnes Montgomery rode close beside the
litter upon which Omer, still insensible,
was borne. At every halt she dismount-
cd and hung over him until the journey
was resumed.
We reached the fort without annoy
ance from the Apaches, and Omer was
installed in the c%olonel's quarters, un
der the surgeons care, with Agnes for
nurse. For a week he lay lowering be-
tween life and death, then was pro-
nounced out Of danger.
One day ! vas sent for to the colonel's
dwelling. dropped upon pillows, look
ing woefully haggard and weak, with a
bandage covering one eye, | found
Omer. Standing at his bedside, clasp
ing one of his thin hmds in both of
hers, was Agnes Montgomery, looking
wan and worn, too, but I thought there
was something of quiet happiness
mingled with the divine pity of her ex.
preston. / noted that she wore glasses,
so that the defective eye was scarcely
observable.
Omer smiled family as I approached
him and held out his other hand. / ut
tered some words of sympathy for his
misfortune and congratulated him upon
his escape from a worse fate.
"You may we'll congratulate me-" he
said, "for l am the happiest man on