The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-01-07

moment the two paused, evidently
to talk the matter over; then, real
izing that there was only one man
opposed to them, they spurred on
their horses to the charge.
Puff, ping, pingl The foremost
Afridi swayed and made desperate
efforts to recover his balance, but
Baby's rifle puffed once more, and
he fell, and the horse, mad with
fright and pain, turned and galloped
back out Of the pass.
! Then there was o lull. Baby
breathed freely. Over 20 minutes
had passed now, and his thoughts
were Of Dora. Had his messenger
reached them yeti Hardly Per
haps the old general might come to
his assistance with some of the men
when he had arranged for Dora's
safety.
The enemy had drawn off. He
had time to think, but his eyes were
kept steadily on the narrow open
ing at the end of the defile. What
were thoy up to nowG What would
their next move be2
What was that7 A cloud of dust
coming through the defilel There
was no wind. What could it be3
Suddenly 1t dawned upon him that
some of the Afridis were crawling
upon him on their stomaohs, wrig-
Cling along like eels, thrashing the
dust about them in front TO obscure
his aim.
But he caught sight of a body
here and there, and whenever he
did his rife spoke, and it was gener-
ally followed by yell. Still, that
dust cloud gradually approached.
He had to expose himself more now
to take aim at his attackers.
Pingl That was near his own
head, but he must raise it to get
sight Of them. The rest were now
crawling along after their leader,
for they were not going to be held
at bay by one man.
Pingl This time he felt sharp
sting on his neck, and something
like warm water trickled down be-
tween his shirt and his neck.
But he continued to pump in the
bullets. There was numbness in
his left shoulder and a fearful pain
when he tried to turn his head. He
wanted to brush the blood away
from his eyes. There were scram-
BILE and scuf1le, The Afridis were
to jump up and make
rush. The final act was now be-
gun.
He tried TO load his rifle, but some
how things were getting muddled
and mixed, and he could not lift his
gun.
Suddenly thro WAS a yell, and
he was conscious that the Afridis
wore closing IN upon him. The end
was coming. He hoped they would
not mutilsto him, and, if they did,
hat the old general would not tell
his mother and the girls.
With struggle he was on his
teet. His vision was almost obliter- /
sted now, and no knew it was with
bis own blood. he threw his empty
revolver full at them. He had still
'0sr shots let in the other one,
vhioA he c2-saased into his right
sand, for hS left hand somehow
'osid not pua the trigger.
Slsedly he plugged in tho four
ahots, gripping His weapon hard. ,
ae vsatsd 30 put up his right arm
% ward o9 something and defend
Ais haaA. but he could not move it.
Ie staggered. Something seemed to
explode inside his brain, and he fell
lown over tho horse, but there was
he victor's smile ON his face. He
1ad won. for he had saved Dora.
HE would have had the V. G.. for
his had he lived, "said the old gen.
'ral as he stopped down and gazed
nto Baby's face, with it's boyish
mile, beautiful in spite of all the
of dust and blood
lpon IT. He was stern man, but
ne tears fell thickly as he scruti.
lized the form of tho young sub.
ltern to sse If there were a chance
4 lie.
Ear away in England, in cottage
estling away half buried among
be oFks and elms of a quiet little
illnee IA Yorkshire, mother
'oeT,s for her boy, who died like a
older, as hrs father before him.
In the rame village lives an elder ,
spinster, who fights with the rec
or and the curate. She has been
allied sour old maid, though she
not so old as she looks, but she
as altered very much since the day .
the picnic in India. People won
er 1T her devotion to the widow I
'dy whore sen was killed in India.
The vicar knows, for he went ;
trough the whole of Baby's private
apers-Baby was an old pupil of {
ls-but he keeps his own counsel
1d is always patient with Miss ,
ora's eccentricities. Answers. !,