Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-08-05
THE Y OF JjNTEER.

Through the withered folds of grain
rode the hunchback, Sandy Hartog, on his
blind old buckskin, Nell Rarely he de-
scended from his mountain home. Keenly
alive to his deformity, he dreaded the
roughsgood nature Of Vaquero Water. -
Amt been down lately commented,
the .Judge''-postmaster, notary, store.
keeper, all in one-''not upto date on war
matters?'' -. III, ...Ls ,.....z -. -
War!" cried the hunchback. "Who
withS What for?'' 80. 1877.
Reckoned as MUCH" returned the 9TH
er with a complacent chuckle. "Set right
down in. the store, Sandy, an read yer pa
pers. You'll find 'em real eye openers.
Hold on till the stage comes in an get the
latest news"
The huncRback hesitated, then turned
and entered the darkening store To his
relief, it was deserted by the usual fire..
quenters.- Neither lazy Jim Green, the
man in politics, nor Smouse, the socialist
of the hills, was there. He strobe to where
the western light filtered through dingy
pane and there read on, absorbed, breath
less. For him no waiting day by day for
keen developments; relentlessly, from the
sinking of the Maine to the call for volun-
teers, marched events to the inevitable
end. i. 49,. t
The evening loafers, unheeded, dropped
in by twos and threes, lounged on the nail
kegs near the, door and waited their sole
touch of contact with the outside world,
the stage from Las Pelitas. .Sprawling on
the counter was the man in politics, per-
son of Importance in the village. His
voice, raised in lazy scorn, broke in upon
the hunchback's reverie:
Flight! Not if I know it! I've been
waiting for ten years to get my hand into
the county treasury. It's in now, and
don't take it away for no war"
Bursts of obsequious laughter followed.
His hand in this same treasury was worth
81 day to many a hanger on.
might as well CO." said another voice.
"Nothin else to do-dry year an no thrash
in
"No," Smouse shouted, turning his
gaunt, unshaven. face upon the speaker,
''for there amt nothin in it! Look at me.
I'm not goin to be shot for $13 a month.
I've never worked for less'n $2.5 day.
I'd ruther starve on acorns first:''
Begun already, amt you? Times pref
ty bad in the Brush hills, eh?''
"I'd kinder like to co." drawled Jim
Green, the village Hercules, diverting at
tention from the angry Slnouse, "but the
folks won't let Inc. My 1nommer says I
amt big enough
"For shame!'' cried the hoarse voice of
the hunchback; for shame to loaf at your
mothers apron strings, when these"-he
pointed to the papers strewn upon the
floor-'when these call on you to fight. -
"Fight!' echoed Jim. what for? I
amt goin to be shot fof a lot of dirty Gu
bans. Worse'n greasers, anyway"
"For your flag, for your country-your
country, right or wrong. If had your
strength, if p He broke off with a
muttered curse.
why don't you enlist, Humpy?" said
the man in politics., with an airy wink at
his constituents. "Quit chopping wood.
You can't make nothin now it's 81 a cord
an board yourself. Never mind your
shape, your arms as strong as another's,
an you can boiler Remember the Maine!'
with the best of 'en. Here's the stage,
boys! Quick!"
In the stampede which followed Sandy
Hartog mounted Nell and rode homeward
through the gathering dusk. On past the
fields of dried out grain, past the Brush
hills, laden with chemisal; through them
and beyond, to where La Panza mountain
scared upward to the eastern sky. Half
way up the precipitous slope perched the
cabin on knoll, a solitary spot, fit abode
for a lonely, morbid man.
Not morbid now. The pent up misery
of childish years, the adventurous long
ings of his youth, the bitterness of a man
hood forswearing woman's love Or homely
ioys-ail had vanished in the gathering
dusk. At last he felt man. Character
istic of change in the dreamer, he fell
to making plans, considering ways and
means. Nell must go.
II wouldn't sell you, old GIRL he NUT
tered, mot for lapful of sparkling gold
twenties, but you can't go with me, and
!; couldn't turn you loose to starve. One
shot and it's over For our country and
our flag!'' ....
He put his arm about her neck in mute
farewell. A shot rang out upon the still
night air. Nell's half starved life was
over. Unlocking the clumsy cabin door,
glancing hastily around to see that all was
we'll, he made for the farthcst corner oil
the room, loosening plank under which
lay concealed the spare savings of years.
enough, he quickly calculated, to take
him from Las Pelitas to the recruiting sta
ton 200 miles away.
Closing the door behind him, Hartoq
stepped out into the fragrant night.
Next day he reached his goal. STAN
meringly in short, broken sentences he sci
forth his errand. Kindly they listened
viewed with compassion the misshape1
body, the haggard face, the deep set eyes,
brilliant with a feverish light-kindly
still ignoring his deformity, refused him
on the score of heart disease.
The hunchback thanked them and
slowly turning, left the room. What now
Of the future-return to Vaquero Water
be a butt for the clumsy wit of the village
store, live without Nell? Never! Ont
bright ray of hope had illumined his-lone
~ life. To darkness he could no more re
turn. 80, .,.r e..
!; Near by an organ droned out patriotic
airs. A heavy dray lurched in the road
way. He crossed the street abruptly, stag
gered, fell. Diinly he saw the crowd surge
round him. His country's anthem family
sounded in his ear. ) .',.> -
Remember the Maine!' he Whispered
feebly, "the flag of our countrywide. -
And the stage bore the news toVaquerc