The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-01-07


paused to let them come on. For
moment the two paused, evidently
to talk the matter over; then, real
ising that there was only one man
opposed 70 them, they spurred on
theiY horses 10 the charge.
Puff, ping, ping The foremost
Afrfii ewayed and made desperate
efforts to recover his balance, but
Babys rife pufred once more, and
he fell, and the horse, mad with
fright and pain, turned and galloped
back out of the pass.
Then there was q 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 they up to now3 What would
/ their next move be2
What was that' A cloud of dust
coming through the defilel There
was no wind. What could it be2
Suddenly it dawned upon him that
some of tho Afridis were crawling
upon him on their stomaohs, wrig-
Cling along like cells, thrashing the
dust about them in front TO obscure
his nim.
But he caught sight of body
hero and there, and whenever he
did his rifle 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 a numbness in
his left shoulder and n fearful pain
when he tried to turn his head. He
| wanted 10 brush the blood away
from his eyes. There were a scram-
bic and scuffle. The Afridis were
preparing to jump up and make a
rush. The final act was now be-
gun. GE
He tried 10 load his rife, but some
how filings were getting muddled
and mixed, and he could not lift his
gun.
Suddenly there was yell, and
he was conscious that the Afridis
wero closing tn upon him. The end
was coming. He hoped they would
not mutflate him, and, if they did,
that the OLD general would not tell
his mother and the girls.
With struggle he was on his
feet. HIS vision was almost obliter-
ated now, and he knew it was with
his own blood. He threw his empty
revolver fun at them. He had still
foxr Efots left IN the other one,
wlneh ne changed into his right
hand, for his left hand somehow
cs~fa not Fun ehe trigger.
BlsHdsy he pf~sged in the four
sAoss, sraHpfag his weapon hard.
He wsR4ea 10 pat up his right arm
10 wAsd of something and defend
his hasd. but he could not move it.
He staggered. Something seemed to
explode inside his brain, and he fell
down ever tho horse, but there was
the victor's smile ON his face. He
had won, for he had saved Dora.
HE would have had the V. G. for
this had he lived" said the old gen.
eral as he stopped down and gazed
into Baby's face, with its bcyish
smile, beautiful in spite of all the
Disagreement of dust and blood
upon it. He was stern man, but
the tears fell thickly as he scruti-
nized the form of the young sub
altern to see If there were q chance
of life.
Ear away in England, in a cottage
nestIiAg away half buried among
the esks and elms of quiet little
viliusc N Yorkshire, mother
weeY,s for her boy. who died like a
soldier, as hts father before him.
In fhe rame village lives an elder
ly spinster, who fights with the rec
tor and the curate. She has been
called sour old maid, though she
Is not so old as she looks, but she
has altered very much since the day
of the picnic in India. People won
der Mt her devotion to the widow
lady whose son was killed in India.
The vicar knows, for he went
through the whole of Baby IS private
papers-Baby was an old pupil of
his-but he keeps his own counsel
and is always patient with Miss
| Dor.o,a aocraptp;rit;ag a,,,,o,c