Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-02-17

this fellows place. Come, sir, you are
my prisoner"
Jimmy hadn't a word to say, but fol-
lowed the man into the camp. They
passed between the silent tents, seeing
sentlnels standing here and there like
statues. At last, near the center of the
encampment, they came to large tent
which showed that light was burning
within. The Sergeant, or whoever he
was Jimmy had been too recent a re-
crult to know the distinction of the
army, raised flap of the tent and ell
tered An officer with stern and bag
gard face looked up from a rough table
whereon 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 awning n long
breath.
u took his gun away from him and
had to speak twice to him before he
awoke."
All" repeated the officer; then to
Jimmy: what have you to say, SIR"
Il suppose It's true" admitted JIM
my. Il did my best to keep awake"
The usual excuse" replied the Off.
GER turning to his writing again.
place him under guard till daybreak.
Then have out file of twelve men and
shoot him."
Good God" cried Jimmy, "you sure
ly don't murder man who has come to
fight for you in that off-hand way with
out even hearing what he has to say
for himself
Il have heard you," rejoined the Off.
GER quietly. take him away, Ser
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. II 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 it 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 1t when you found
me" asked Jimmy, in despair.
"We found you at four o'clock, when
we came to change guard"
Then Jimmy saw that further protest
was useless. He had slept two hours
and a half.
"Oh, IL l had only another chance"
he groaned. II don't feel much like
sleep now. Don't you think the Gen
eral would give me another chancey"
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 squad. Don't waste any
time lamenting, youngster." This to
Jimmy: IF you have any prayers
now's your time
"It's all irregular" cried Jimmy to
the sentries 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 Jlmmy's mind horrible sense of the
irregularity 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 1t would be too
late to help him. The steady tramp of
a number of men broke into his reverie
The gray of the coming day was
spreading over the east.
Right about! March, said the Ser
geant, and Jimmy mechanically march
ed as he was told.
They stood him up with his back
against tree, the twelve men drawn
in line before him, and appallingly
near.
II won't have my eyes bandaged,"
said Jimmy, Il want to see them fire."
Very WELL" replied the Sergeant,
putting the handkerchief in his pocket
nonchalantly, as il it were point not
worth discussing.
Jimmy felt as if he would choke. His
heart was beating with tremendous ra-
pidlty, and his breath came in thick
gasps. There was a short, sharp COM
mand from the Sergeantand the twelve
rifles were leveled at his breast He
heard the word Fire" and then the
ringing of a dozen shots, and 1t struck
him as curious that they did not go off
simultaneously, but with a perceptible
interval between, as If some had hest
tated to pull the trigger. Then the
amazing fact struck him that all the
bullets had gone through the. palm of
his hand, which was the more astonish-
ing because he had kept his hands be-
hind him. He found himself looking
curlously at the palm of his hand, and
faaliny tha warm hlood trielxlp ovnr ir