Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-04-08
After awhile Grammel too lay down

moon on the horizon seemed very close
to his eyes, and he called out, wildly:
"Grammel! Grammel! Curse you,
Grammel, you're dead!"
And from the other side of the fire
Grammel answered him, his dry lips
bleeding as they parted:
"Dead? OF course I'm not!"
"What's death?" began Lee-Carson
again. Don't let that moon dance and
CLEAN in my eyes, it gets into my brain!
Grammel, what's death?"
ga sleep and forgetting,'" quoted
Grammel, at his wits end.
''No, it's not that!" said the sick man
more calmly. 'Gramrnel, come here!
Where are you?" he CROPPED about for
the friendly hand that met his. "Lool1!
look!-the other side of the fire!"
When Grammel could get his heavy
eyes open, he looked across and saw
nothing, only the snally tongues of the
flame leaping at intervals into the
moonstruck gloom.
"Therc's nothing" he said, shortly.
Grammel had no imagination, hence he
was at Il loss, not knowing what he was
expected to see.
"Nothing?' repeated Lee-Carson,
peering anxiously forward. mo, I see
nothing now-perhaps dreamed.
think I'm going out. Most people die
about the dawn"
"Rot!" said Gram1nel, lamely.
Lee-Carson's lips pa Ed in thckold
'I'vc seen things, Gra,nlns1, and I'd like
to tell you what I saw
Grammel was sitting close by, his
hands clasped round his knees. Being
the main he was, he said nothing, only
waited to hear.
Through the night I've seen them
galloping past, squadrons and squad
rons OF mounted men-our fellows, you
know
Grammel shook his head impercepti-
bly,.
Il shouted to ther1-1 shouted who
we were, but they were riding fast east
wards.'
mo man rides east" said Grammel,
looking up.
"You don't understand said the sick
man gently; you don't know who they
are. They're the Frontier Men of Eng
land! and their recruiting sergeant's
Death. Don't you remember:
They ride for ever up and down
To guard the land they won.'
Don't you see them-don't you see
them-now? They're calling me, and l
can't go! Oh, the morning of life is
sweet, but this is better! The end is
coming, Grammel; it's coming fast!"
He lay down again moaning, and
Grammel mixed much brandy with a lit
tie mud and water and gave it to him.
In little while Lee-Carson moved,
his face distorted in the torchlight OF
the fire, as he shouted husl>ily:
'Fordison, Chester, stop! I'm COM
ing! 1 shan't be long, and then We'll
ride together. Grammel will come
too-some day. He'll never die between
sheets, good old Grammel! l wonder
ii he'll ride 16 stone as Il ghost"'
He laughed out suddenly, and Gram
mel muttered III his beard:
Hes got it bad-very BAD
We'll ride PAST our graves together
and scare the beasts! Well gallop into
the sunset! Who's with you. Oak
wood and Tommy Brown, all of the1n!"
and il his delirious transport he tore
the blankets from him. Il have known
many good things in life-sea-dawns,
and ships rushing through the arteries
Of the world, but this is better than
all!''
Granlmel had started up and was lis
tening intently. Still the voice, strained
to breaking pitch. rang Oh:
'Ihey. start with us on our eNpedi-
tons, they head our armies. The
Frontier Men of England! Reinforced
by the st;;b--by the swamp-fever. You
at home, you needn't weep!-" He
ceased to peer anNiously out into the
gloom of the swamp. Are you there,
you fellows? l can't see you. That's
all right. No one dies alone in the
waste or the desert, you're always there
to see him die. l wish I'd told Gram
mel, he'd tell the rest. At every ad
vance they're with us, and when we
die, no man is left to die alone. They
are always there-waitiny.' 1t almost
seemed to Gramnel that he could hear
the trampling hoofs OF that shadowy
squadron.
\ chill wind stirred the vapors Of
the marsh.
81 smell the dawn Lee-Carson
raised his head. I'm coming with the
dawn. l know how it will rise, like
the wet glistening side of white bull
over the sodCen rim of the marshes.
Oh, the glory of it!'' he shrieked. ''All
the men who have passed away into the
unknown and died on the edge OF the
flood. All of them!
"'For ever riding up and down
To guard the land they won.'
And when Armageddon comes, they'll
be there, the glory of the ages! The
men who were planted with stone on
their chests to mark the frontiers of
the world"
With an unexpected strength he
sprang up and tottered forward, his
voice still calling, as he ran with a
wild shambling run into the dimness
If the 6.lybreak