The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-04


talking Ike that to your superior officer"
shot or hanged, ! don't care" said
Green h0uy. What right has any man
in this regiment to speak 10 me in that
way"
I've the right TO do It," said the ser
geant-major when a duffer shows the
white feather, it's the duty of the men Of
his troop, for the sake of the honor they
all love, TO stop him. an fetch him to
his senses before he brings EN- into dis
grace. That's what / want to do with you;
/ don't want you to turn an hook it from
a parcel Of Egyptians, an m goin' 10 soc
you don't do il. BAH They aren't worth
powder. What can they do? Now, young
ster, you're ali right. ! can feel that your
hands are as steady as a rock. That shows
you've got the pluck of a soldier in you.
You've me to thank for gettin you 10 re-
collect yourself an the honor Of the troop.
Here, take a pull O that"
The scrgeant-major slung his water-bot-
tie round and placed ii in Green's hand.
Its a drop of the finest mountain dew
I've kept for such q case as this. Just have
a sip, an don't jump out o your skin at
the whistle o the bullets over you. They re
rather pleasant music an as for dan
ger, they're not much worse than peas
from a Dea-shoOter."
BY this time the Kings Own had been
discovered by a party of the enemy, VINO
had opened a smart fire Not a shot was
fired IN return, for the colonel had deter
mined that the whole of his work should be
done with cold Steel The bullets whistled
overhead ana pumped into the Hill in the
rear of the regiment. There was no longer
any reason for concealment; their pres
cnce was known and the severity of the
order which had been given as 10 rigid 81
lence was relaxed Men began to speak
ouder tones, and there were at times
Wild laughs from youthful troopers whose
excitement was too great to be suppressed.
Green laughed The widest of all. He
suatched the water-bottle which the ser
geant-major offered and put 1t TO his>lips.
As he raised il the sergeant-major tum-
bled heavily against him. The trooper
heard a groan, and the sergeant-maJor
fell from the saddle TO the ground, shot
through the head.
Green shuddered and moved as far from
the empty saddle at his side as he could
get.
Keep your place" said Kelly. land
catch the bride of the majors horse. or
he'll bolt, and scare the regiment to he'll.
Keep sim" he added, giving a vicious
tug at his own bride, cor IN dig the
spurs so deep into your ribs that you'll
think you're propp2d up by bayonets."
So that he might blot from his mind the
casualty to the sergeant mai r, Green NOV
ed his own horse a little nearer to Kelly.
As he moved the animal tired on some
yielding substance. Green shuddered again
and whispered to his comrade. Il wish 10
God they'd give us something to do instead
of keeping us here 10 be ported at like
targets. NV horse has trodden on the ser
geant-major."
"ItH be better for him If he's dead
then" said Kelly. Especially when we
begin to move. / hope, if I'm bowled over
that ] shah be done for in the saddle
STRAIGHT off / dopft want Il n he half and
half, a BAH in the leg or body, and then a
few score of iron shoes scattering my
brains all over the show. The sergeant
majors lucky man If he only knew 1t.
He's out of harms way now, and that's
more than either YOU or me can say"
IF I go down" whispered Green falter-
lngly. win you do me a favor, Kelly?"
"What Is itY' asked his comrade.
stick your sword into me so that it'll
soon he over" said Green.
Kelly laughed The sooner tbs over the
sooner to sleep" he quoted But there II
be no sticking by me, at any rate-eXcept
Of the Egyptians. You may go down. but
hang IT, man. you may come up again.
I've been down in a charge before now
but Two come out of the business all right,
and 1 believe / should do the same again,
even here"
but It wasn't a charge on a battle
| field" said Green.
e.
for we'd such thick skuNed lot of men
in the regiment then. and they We're so
much better fitted TO ride a gateway than
a horse, that ! think l shall fare better
here than I did at home"
Green was unconV inced. He was an I'M
| nervod man, ana an unnerved man is a
domoralized creature who is better off the
| field of battle than ON 1t. He Was In every
day life IA very temperate man. unused TO
alcoholic Idrink of any sort. and as a con-
] sequence the special Scottish whisky from
| The water-bottle OF The sergeant-major was
| acting powerfully and Dutch courage was
forming rapidly within him.
Hang il, Kelly" he said suddenly, after
! a somewhat tong pause. II believe I've got
the making of a brave man in me after all.
| He thrust his chest out as he spoke and
! sat erect ana firm in his saddle.
Kelly was surprised, but as he would
! rather have bold man by his side than a
coward, he did not show his astonshment;
/ on the contrary, he encouraged Green IN
| the belief that he was a very bold man in
deed Il should certainly say" he said,
that after this nights work you'R have