The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-24


of hell. Shout and curse and dying
yell, continuous crack of rifle and re-
volver. screech of squaw. bark of dog
and crash of falling tepee as some
headlong trooper charged madly into
it. Over it all, round it all. the deadly
wind shrieked and the snow fell I'M
ceasingly.
In the midst OF it, right in the GEN.
ter of the camp. two men came crash
ing together. and in that instant rec
ogniZed each other. In neither S mind
was even that charge the uppermost
thing. With a sudden mutual curse
their rage was let loose. Healy eX-
tended his arm and fired, not two
yards from his old comrade. Old Fin,
the farrier. gave q terrible scream. and
Healy saw him drop. But even in fall
ing the veteran sought revenge, and
his pistol was discharged. The corporal
felt the sting in his side; the noise all
suddenly ceased. and he also dropped
inanimate from his horse
".
In little separate room in the post
hospital the old campaigner came out
of the fever. out of the delirium. weeks
after the fight on the Snake river. The
doctor was with him. and a stiffiy up
right and martial attendant.
You've the constitution of horse,
Healy," said the doctor. You ought
TO have died you know. Take this and
go to sleep. and don't bother about the
widow you've been raving over for two
weeks. A man of your age ought to
know better. Never mind. if you'll keep
quiet, you can go over to see her, who
ever she IS. before very long"
They left the veteran alone in semi
4 hue tI,aC r-ir, he doctor
him did not send him to sleep. He lay
thinking, thinking. thinking. until at
last. with shuddering horror he had
the facts clear in his mind. The widow
He shrank from the thought of her.
She was but a woman he had known
for a little while, whom he had gone
crazy over like any young fool. and
and for love of her he had become a
murderer. A murderer Poor old FIN
Good old Fin, Fin had nursed him at
ter the fever in the Bad Lands; could
any widow have done it more care
fully? Fin and he had held off a band
of Ogallalas all one afternoon in rifle
pit until hel pcame, and Fin had risked
his scalp twice that day to get water.
Would any widow have stuck to pal
like that? Fin Strait-the best friend,
the warmest- hearted. closest comrade,
a soldier ever had-he had killed him.
Homicide, 1t was worse than that
fratricide Had they not always been
nicknamed the brethren" What was
the widow to a brother?
When TIE attendant came in again.
old Healy was very silent. For many
days longer he lay, feverish but still,
asking no questions. He knew that no
man could have seen the deed in that
whirl of snow and blackness; that
Fins death would be credited to the
Indians. But that thought gave MIN no
ease With the honest simplicity OF a
child. he telt it would be some relief to
confess, to go to the major and be
ccurtmartialed. tried. hung. Hour after
hour he spent in recalling every in
cident OF his 20 years friendshfp-the
war. the fierce Indian fighting after
the war, the comparative ease that mad
come 10 them when they were privi-
legged characters with the officers OF
the regiment. because of their long and
faithful service. He felt a Scornful nor
ror of himself. and a terrible loathlns
, for the laughing woman who would
kiss two men on the same day. and
send them out. frenzied, to kill each
otEer.
Yet he got we'll pretty quickly, for, as
the doctor said, he had the constitu-
ton OF a horse. One warm day he was
perempcorily ordered out, much against
his will. to take the air on the broad
verandah which ran round the hospital
He got himself comfortable in low
chair in a quiet corner and began fol
the huEdredth time to go over all the
murdered man had done for him II
those long, active years of fun ano
fighting His head dropped on his
breas,, and he dumbly thought of sui
| eide. Round, the corner of the houSs
came the unmistakable thump, thumf
of a man on crutches. Healy's eyes
sought the corner vacantly. In an In
slant they opened wide with fear ano
he rose to his feet, spreading out his
hands 20 lend of something horrible
! The man on CT utches stopped. He was
pa1e with long sickness when he turn
ed the corner. but now his face colorec
and his eyes lit up with sudden IN
speakabie relief and joy.
"Howly mother, dennd me-! crleC
Healy. '-Aw. fur me sins, it's thrue
I killed him, but I'm near crazy fur the
sorro wv 1t. III confess it all, Fin, an
be hanged IKE a man. Ye can have the
/ WILDLY, d. her. if she's any good tc
yez now, but so back TO your grave an
| lave me be. lur the sake NV oulc
/ toimes!'
-Healy. Hea.y!" gasped the man OF
I crutches. hopL. ng toward him. I've
been feared 10 ask. 1 thought l killed
you. aeaiy. you d old chump.
! Healy! o. Lord! I'm thankful for this.
Fin" SAID healy. slowly, ceasing e
tremble is it rale fish an blood yez
I are? Me God, but can't believe H.
/ But tou h Of familiar hands reassurec
/ the veteran. and in another minute the
two sat side by side. and-there were No
recruits to see-their hands were clasp
| ed in each others. and their eyes S}ert
wet. They did not refer. save briefly, U
| their nearly fatal quarrel, understand
! ing that each, in a moments madness
] had fired on the other, and each, wneI
| convalescent had been afraid 10 ash
! for news of his friend. For a long tins
/ they were silent. until old Fin looked
/ slyly at the corporal.
shes married." he said, abruptly
"Chuhu' said Healy.
! ITO the school master, Graves, sale
E:r
THE divil," said Healy, and sudden
I " laughed loudly.
..Healy." said the farrier, solemnly
''weemin is frauds
~Ye're right. so We are, Fin. said tn'
corporal. and hitched up his chair mor'
! closely to Straits, with sigh of con
| te=t.
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