The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-02

and knocked an Arab down wllh his
clinched fist. Wynne} }ssayed TO fol-
low him, but his limbs refused to
servo him. u
opening them again TO find the line
filled up by fresh men, and the ad-
jutant standing beside him with
rage and contempt in his childish
eyes.
"For Gods sake, forgive me!'
whispered Marmaduke. A furious
retort was on the others lips, but
he checked himself at the look Of
unutterable anguish on Wynne's
face. A plying haze came to his
eyes and he turned away, struggling
his shoulders.
The fire ceased on all sides of the
square, and a handful of hussars
galloped forth to ride down the re-
treating enemy.
3.
Marmaduke lay painting on the
ground by the wells. a fatigue par
ty, 20 feet away, was pumping up
the yellow, fetid water through a
leaky hose. A squalid crowd of men
were scattered about, groping in
meat tins which emitted a horrid
odor of decay. Marmaduke was dy-
ing of hunger and thirst, but ho
dared not eat such food. At the sight
of it his hand went instinctively to
his nose. So it was with the water.
To assuage his thirstshs sucked the
buckle of his sword belt; to keep
down the pangs of hunger he MUNICH
ed piece of biscuit, turning it over
many times in his mouth and only
swallowing particleat Il time. 1t
was not hunger thatEhe minded; it
was thirst.
Suddenly the pumping stopped.
"Ha!leluiah'' sangout voice.
"Well, of all the blooming things!'
"What's the matter?"
"Who'd have thought we'd ave
chawnced OH the blessed mawdies
wine cellar2''
Marmaduke sprang to his feet.
One of the fatigue party stretched
over the well had pulled out from
somo esoteric place Of concealment
one, two, three, four, five, six bot
ties of champagne. The men gath
cred round.
"Koch Fills, 1854, read one slow
ly. "Guess this amt no ginger
beer, anyhowl"
For once Marmaduke had his wits
about him. "Give you tenner for
the lotp' he shouted. The finder of
the treasure troye stared at him i'm
pudently. 1t does not take long for
a soldier to reckon up his officer
when he has seen him under fire.
Give quid apiece is my price, y
he replied. "There ain no bloomin
civil service stores out here
Marmaduke flushed angrily, but
he handed the man a promissory
note and took two bottles.
Marmaduke cracked his first bot
tie and swallowed half of it at one
gulp. 1t made him feel light in his
head. but, God, how delicious it was!
He saw the adiutan nt looking at
him wistfully, canful of the
muddy water in his hand. Wynne
was about to call to him when he
remembered the events of the day,
and turned SO that the other might
not see his face. Then his moral
courage, Of which he had plenty,
came back to him, and, clinching
his teeth, he wheeled sharply about
and approached the adjutant.
"Will you condescend to drink
some of my wines" he began sturdi-
ly, bat his voice faltered as he add
ed, II do not ask youto drink with
me.
The other looked askance at him
a moment, then said: Don't be a
dashed idiot. Of course I'll drink
with you, and jolly grateful.
I'm afraid you must have
thc:,ght me beastly funk today.
said Marmaduke, his tongue was-
ging with wine.
"Oh, nonsense. You merely had u
touch of the nerves., said the boy
Wynne was still sober enough to
grasp greedily at this merciful theo-
ry.
'sThat was all, he said thickly;
that was all. - And he took another
pull at the bottle.
Dashed heady tizz this of yours.
yawned the adjutant. It's making
me sleepy .
'Winc doesn't have that effect on
me- declared Wynne tercely. 1T
e0cites me; it sends the blood rush
ing through my veins, through and
through; it braces my nerves; it
wires my muscles; it-it''-