Evening star., 1897-05-29

II Did 1t! 1 Did It:'
forward and hands clasped. His broken
cap strap trembIed below his chin and his
haversack, crowned by an inverted tin
cup, was hitched up into an absurd hump
on his back. At the mans feet a bare
earthen mound rose against the line of the
broken wall, and something that looked
from below like a crooked root growing
out of the side of the mound seemed to
grasp the red light of the flaming stacks.
Around the dark figure the mimic balls
and fragments of shell walled like jerky
harp.
There amt no flies on Henry" mur-
INJURED wheel driver, through a mouthful
of hardtack.
Come down from there. Price," cried the
captain. who had walked back the road,
attracted by the light
There was not the slightest movement in
the bent figure.
Price roared the captain.
Henry Price sank slowly to his knees and
pressed his face to the red twisted root.
The action of the man crouching over the
mound was strange and his position so
perilous that the captains anger gave way
to a feeling of pity. which was half admi-
ration for the fellows insensiblity to
danger. He looked on for one irIeSolute
moment ard then ordered a sergeant to
bring Price down This not such a
hazardous duty as might at first seem, for
the non-commissioned office: had bat
Chamber up the bank and clutch the cloth
ing of the oblivious man and drag him
the declivity The two came down to-
gether out of the glare into the dull red
light of the cut, followed by drift OF peb
bles and dirt
Henry Price scrambled to his feet with
out resenting the action of the sergeant
or so much as noticing the presence of the
captain. He took off his old cap and drew
his hand across his damp forehead. His
words were not addressed to the crowd
about him, but rather to his own guilty
conscience.
Its NV work / did it,
Did what, Henry?" asked the captain.
laying his hand kindly on Prices shoulder.
The stricken man appreciated the friend
illness of the action, and recognized the
presence of his commanding officer. He
was eager to speak.
Its my brother up there. ] killed him.
I've been waiting a year to find out for
certain. I did it, Price threw up his arms
with a gesture of despair The light
streamed down on to his CHASTITY upturned
face. and marked it with the color of blood
In an instant he recovered himself
'Listen. captain he exclaimed, eager
1y. 1t was this way: He in the south
ern army. Jim was. My regiment formed
In this cut in the other battle. We were
ordered UP to the top of this very bank.
As i came to the tcp-right there. captain
"a soldier rushed in above me- Our guns
went off together. That soldier was Jim.
/ saw his face he fell. My God, / can
never forget his look, captain. / was near
enough to catch him in my arms, but my
foot slipped and fell back into the road.
/ was mad 10 climb uD again, but the rebs
charged with yell through the cut and
swept us out / hoped 1t was only a
wound. but now 1 know the truth. Captain
Sanderson-I did it Poor Price was an
abject picture of misery as he uttered the
final three words, standing dry-eyed in the
red road. You see" he continued. point
ing upW ard. Jim lay just there where he
fell, until the burial party found him-and
they didn't half do their work. Look cap
tain. that's his skeleton hand thrust out of
his grave-Jim's hand. with the gray sleeve
beaten into The dirt by the rain"
My dear fellow. said the captain,
there Is no certainty that 1t Is your
brother"
Don't know said Price. with a hope
less expression of conviction. Jim lost
his forefinger fooling with a gun when We
were boys together. The very same finger
is gone from that hand up there.
Il killed my brother"'
Price resented almost angrily the sort OF
sympathy that tried to throw doubt upor
the identity OF the remains. Several of tn.
men who climbed up under the shelter Of
the bank TO where they could get a neal
view of the mound in the fierce light of tn,
conffagration. reported the exact condition
of the skeleton hand. The index finger wa.
certainly wanting, and a rag of gray sleeve
beaten down and rotted by the rain, la,
about the opening in the soil.
The only consolation that remained I,
the stricken and contrite brother was tn
sad duty of reburial. and the erection O
some object to mark the place. But TO
INC uDoH MIN fT1C6 wOult
have gone instantly about this work, re
gardiess of the scathing fire that swep
the strangely lighted and exposed noun
on the crest of the hill. He unlocked
shovel from one of the caissons and leane
impatiently on II awaiting his opportunity
but the final desperate struggle in the ligh
of the burning buildings necessitated III
hasty withdrawal Of the battery from 1t
cramped and defenseless position. and whe
quiet settled at last over the field, Henr
Price was sc ecarated from the sunken roa
by two lines of pickets, and morning foun
the battery long distance from Groyeto
cross roads.
Soon after dawn Price presented himse
before the captain at the roadside. H
face was haggard and his appearance ind
Gated that he had passed a sleepless nigh
He was received with all the respect an
Ympathy due to the brother of Jim.
This is my last battle" he said. Il ha,
had a warning There's Jim back on tf
hill, half buried. and shan't live to reac
him. Promise me one thing, captain. A
ter the fighting is over have him decent
buried"
Don't be silly" said the captain.
Promise me, sir" said Price,
IF We hold the grourd." said the cal
tain. "Tn have everything done that ye
wish: but pluck up heart, my man. You
live to grow gray hairs yet"
My hours are numbered" said Pric
"I am resigned to my fate now that / ha,
your promise that you will look after Jim
The captain was a kind-hearted ma
and the despondency Of Jim's broth
touched him. Go back to the FORGE,