Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-10-21
reported that every one of the do
Tenders was kiIled.''


dare say. It was not ALWAYS aasn
% make out accurate reports inst tban
SURVIVORS had a disorderly knack of
turning Up, wounded and half-starvad
SItef the dispatches had been SEM
nome | ought to have been killed no
doubt, but | was knocked over in 4ho
shick OF the last struggle, and fairly
buried beneath pile of rebel cornses
mat saved me, I believe. The relief
party VIC had been waiting for arrived
on the scene half an hour too late
laey routed the mutineers, and naid
Ihe last tribute of respect to their dead
friends. and the men who meant n
bury me- brought me round again in
stead. But enough of that-it is not
an experience to linger over.
We were quite a nice little party at
Jus*uirur before the row broke out. I
was down on a visit to Jack. He had
been home on furlough the year be-
fofc, and brought a wife back with
him. She was the most desperate firt
I ever met. Not one of those spar
ktlng. plquant creatures whom one in
stlnctively expects to have some fun
with. but "a daughter of the gods. di-
yincly fair a calm, statuesaue beau.
t.. with an oval face, grandly chiseled
features, a perfect mouth and wonder
ful, luminous gray eyes.
old Major Gardner, who was in
command of the garrison, hated the
sight Of her. I soon found out why
She never descended to frivolity, Or
Lee men render her conspicuous by
their attentions, but she would listen
by the hour while man poured out
his hcmesickness, his ambitions, his
;ofty aspirations, his yearnings after
TIC ideal, and any other beautiful SEN
timeht he happened to possess, and
size would witch the heart out of him
with the subtle, exquisite sympathy
that lurked in her marvellous eyes. and
in the curves of her wistful, perfect
lips. And then, some day, the un-
lucky wretch would lose his head, and
she-she, would lift her delicate eye
b"oWs incredulously and freeze him
into ncthingness.
Then the crash came. [ won't bore
you ty going into that-it is ancient
history now-but should like to tell
you how that woman died. For five
weeks we held the tiny fort against a
horde of rebels, and our slender garri-
son thinned daily.
''The mutineers knew their business
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to our careful
training They planted their batteries
on the roofs of neighboring houses and
KEPT up a deadly fire on the fort. The
havoc their shells wrought was fright
full. Strong men were killed at their
posts. Poor wretches who lay moan
ms in the hospital room were hurled
into eternity, together with the min
isrer;ng women who bent over them,
and the bodies were hastily buried in
the compound after dark. Day by day
our ranks thinned, and the situation
became, if possible, more serious. We
had got a messenger sent Off to the
nearest station for assistance, but we
neither knew whether he had Sot safe
ly through the enemy's lines, nor
whether he had found the other forts
IN the same plight as our own.
sit was a hideous experience. And
through all the horror and carnage
MIS-. Reeves passed calmly and serene
ly-like some fair star shining amid
black clouds. In that terrible crisis,
with that awful, palpable shadow OF
death hanging over us, all the falser
side Ct her nature seemed to slip away
from he- like an ugly mask, leaving
only what was good, and womanly and
true. Nothing daunted her, nothing
sickened her She went to and fro
among the men, looking after their
comfort, cheering the respondent; al
WAYS brave and hopeful herself, and
injecting others with her brightness.
"EIer care for the wounded was most
unwearying. She seemed to feel no
fatigue where they were concerned,
tended them without a thought of the
risk she often ran from flying bullets
and other missiles Their own moth
ers and sisters could not have done
more fol- them than she did-or done 1t
in a sweeter way. When food ran snort
She evolved meals for us out of most
imp, omising materials, ana HVed Oh
the same bare rations as the rest, IN
spite Of our protests.
"The men simply worshipped the
ground she walked over, and would
have followed the forlornest OF forlorn
hopes at her bidding. The Major
views concerning her underwent a
conlp,ete alteration. I saw him once
dash his hand furtively across his eyes
as lie watched her supporting the neaa
OF {; poor fellow dying of gunshot
wound, and whispering gentle Woros
into his ear. / think he foresaW the
end from the beginning; though-true
ola hulldog that he was!-he never ad-
;tted it. The odds were too great
even for British pluck and valor-un-
less help came soon. =.
&c