The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1897-04-03

forest
The night was very clear, very silent.
and very dark. The clearness OF the
air was shown by the brilliant twink
ling OF the stars. Jimmy pulled out his
open-faced silver watch, and found tina {
by holding 1t at a certain angle, the
| light from one clear star would just
enable him dimly to discern the time,
although he had to look sharply to see
the position OF the large hands on the
broad. smooth face of the watch.
give minutes after twelve" said
Jimmy to himself. repeating the words
over and over. but somehow they seem;
ed to convey little meaning to his par
tlally-stupefied brain. give minutes
\ after twelve" he reiterated, and closed
his tired eyes for a second until he
could comprehend what he was saying
to HIMSELF when he opened them and
stared again at his watch he was start
led nearly out Of his wits. At first ne
thought the minute hand had dropped
ten minutes. 1t was now a quarter
after twelve. In that seeming second
he had been asleep ten minutes, stand
ing with the watch In his hand. II
frightened him to think that this was
possible; he imagined that under such
circumstances a man would have fall
en-. If, with his back against the tree,
he could sleep as comfortably as lying
in his own bed at the farm, what might
not happen before his long four hours
watch was overi If he could only pace
up and down, he might keep himself
awake. but to stand there like a statue
the very thought made him shudder.
The safety OF an army probably de-
pended upon his vigilance. He must
keep awake at all hazards, for the
army's sake. II not for his own. He
knew that the penalty of sleep was
death. Il must keep awake; l must
keep awake" he kept repeating to him
self; then he was astonished to hear
his father say: "Come, Jimmy, II is
time to get up; this Will never do, you
know" He saw the kindly face of the
old man before him.
1T isn't daylight yet, father" he said,
and as he spoke he saw above him the
| AAtaA ohes anu ht EaoP0hf
have been asleep again."
With trembling hands he took out the
silver watch. Actually the bright star
seemed to have shifted in the sky. He
rubbed his eyes two or three times be-
fore he could persuade himself that the
watch was not playing tricks with him.
1t was seven minutes to l o'clock.
Il have been asleep for nearly three
quarters OF an hour" he said with hor-
ror, as he placed the watch in his vest
pocket again. He picked up his gun
with hayonet on the end of It, and
swung 1t backward and forward from
hand to hand to keep himself awake;
all at once he missed It, and 1t fell clat-
terlng among the dead leaves at the
foot of the tree. He picked it up quick
ly and stood, at once all alert, at the
foot of the tree to listen. Nothing bur
the deepest stiffness surrounded him.
He leaned the gun against the tree and
moved his arms up and down. lie
bllnked at the stars, and the movement
of his arms seemed to become more and
more mechanical, until at last a wagon
half-laden with new-made hay drove
up beside him, and he saw his father on
the load driving the horses.
Come, Jimmy" he said, this is the
last load, and it looks like rain"
Il don't see father. how am to Stand
sentry and load hay at the same time, q
replied Jimmy.
"Oh," said the old man, its quite
easy. You may as well be doing thai
as moving your arms up and down."
Jimmy saw there was truth in this
and noticing the haycocks beside him
he took a ptchfork in his hand and dug
it deep into the understanding hay
The pltchfork sank down through the
hay and struck something; then wagon
and haycock both disappeared, aud
Jimmy found himself trying to eXtrl.
cate the point of his bayonet from one
of the gnarled roots of the tree. He
was In despair.
81 may as well lie down and be shot
for It," he said dlsmally. 81 can't keep
awake If am to stand still"
He looked again at his watch. 1t was
twenty minutes past one. He had some
thought OF saving himself by rushing
into camp and crying that he heard
some one coming through the wood, but
he knew that would be treachery to
comrades. all of whom were doubtless
sound asleep. SO he SET his ingenuity
to work to keep himself awake. He
needed sharp lesson, he told himself,
and SO he prepared one.
Searcning his pockets. he found a
piece of string. He made a loop with
It which he put round his wrist; then
over the lower branch of the tree. he
wrapped the unlooped end of the string
three or four times. so that II the
weight OF his arm came upon the loop
the cord would untwine from the
branch and his hand would come down
He leaned his gun against the tree with
the bayonet point upwards. and his
open palm lowering few inches above
the sharp needle of the bayonet
Il shall stand this way till. -four
o'clock" be said" and II l fall asleer
my hand will drop upon the bayonei
point"
Again he looked at his watch and saw
1t was half past one. Two hours and a
! half Sttfl 70 sand cruordf A.. he -t,-os