The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-20

his hands and an cbuusive Chinese Ian
tern very thoughtfuly went out
viii. tell me-tell me once more
before We so in" and her voice was
nothing but a whisper. Tell me-OnCe
more
The rest Of the sentence was stihed-
by one, or the ether, or both. But Billy
heard it,
vi, darling! Vi, darling. I will
remember tonight as long as / live.
Never never Will l forget this fearful
little face, dear one! 1t viii stay be-
fore my eyes, never fear little lady, I'M
til 1 come back 10 you again, and viii
keep ne from all harm, Wherever l
am. My own, own VIZ
SO they entered the ballroom, and
all traces of tears had vanished from
her lace; but the fair neck was bent,
as though it refused to bear the
weight & 50 much baGty. And they
danced the last waltz together-but the
flowers had some from ner breast.
Nothing looks so bad IL a ballroom as
crushed flowers.
Four months later the little British
force in the SOudan was forming
square. tor the enemy was about 10
change. On every side turbaned forms
Were gesticulatins and bowling OUT
their war cries. Allah "AIlah'
"Mahdi, Mahdi" The gibbering Max
ims in the corners Of the square kept
pounding away merrIly, splitting out
death ike the snakes they We're, when
ever The blacks showed Signs OF coming
too near; and at every Volley dEsky
forms leaped into the air, and with
last yell, fell headiong ana poured their
life-blOGd into the thirsty sand while
their souls fled swiftly away to Para
disc In the middle Of the square rose
the old colonel, watching every sign
and every movement, giving mis- orders
clearly and quietly orders which We're
obeyed as quietly as they We're given.
and so the handful Of her majesty )
troops moved slowly across the desert
/ forward to the group Of palms in the
/ distance. where alone they could hope
/ for rest after the burning day and for
/ fresh water not rendered stale and tep-
/ id by the suns rays.
Two days ago Billy had received a
/ letter from England which contained
scme shriveled flowers. What the let
/ ter said is not my business, or yours;
/ but the poor brown dead things were
most undoubtedly yiolets.
1t was Sunday in England Out here
it didn't matter-in fact the men had
/ forgotten what day Of the week it was.
| All except Billy. and he carefully licked
| of each day on a calendar he always
! carried with him, in close proximity to
the rather soiled photograph Of q wom-
an-a woman with a beautiful face, but
| men said it was the face of a fiirt
And as no man is master of his own
thoughts, and the mind will wander OF
its own sweet will into the remOtest
corners Of the earth even when deadly
/ danger is at hand, so Billy found him
/ self peacefully thinking not so much Of
the battle that was going on as Of Miss
Cheriton. He did not feel the glaring
sun that shot down upon them-0nly to
/ be merciesSIy reflected up from the
shining sand. He did not remember
that his revolver lay fully charged in
his belt The square, the Dervishes,
the upright cid colonel, all seemed to
/ him like dream people. 1t was only q
dream, this African business. He him
| self was in a quiet country church in
| England, kneeling by her side. The
congregation were all kneeling and her
head was bent very low. He peered
surreptitiously into her face-surely
surely that was not a tear that tried TO
escape the custody of the long lashes?
He heard the clear voice Of the clergy
man-dear old Bennett it was-in the
Litany:
From lightning and tempest, from
plague, pestilence and famine, from bat
tie and murder, and from sudden death,
good Lord, deliver US"
And earnestly, breakingly, she re-
sponded:
Good Lord, deliver US"
Mechanically Billy felt in his pocket,
( The calendar was there-and the pho
tograph.
Halt! Face about! Prepare to repel
charge"
At once the little square made ready.
Billy was back in the Soudan.
Now, on every side, as far as the eye
could reach came on the Arabs, dane
ing, shTieking, bowling. This was their
one great endeaVor TO wipe out the ac-
cursed infdels. To every man that fell
the Mhadi-great is his name!-had
promised eternal Paradise. Allah him
self had assured them of victory.
What. then, mattered death when the
reward would be great and eternal?
On they came The MaXims spoke out,
and a lane appeared through the rush
ing horde. On they came in any order,
= in no OrdeT-Cn they came to devOur
the little force that was daring to stand
up for the White Queen against the di-
vine viii Of the Ahadi. Tens dropped.
: Hundreds fell. The rush continued, and
now the bright, maddened. eyes were
clearly visible to the British band.
Fire"
On all four sides the rifles rang out,
: For moment dead silence ensued
! Then on once more charged the fanat-
les, trampling down their dying, tramp
ling on their dead, straight on to vic
tory or to Paradise!
Another YOlley at forty PAGES and the
black forms seemed to have vanished
from off the face Of the earth in q
, cloud of smoke. Then what was left OF
them appeared right up to the bayC-
: net points, cursng, yelling; fresh forms
- / rushed up behind them. Now, weary
! sun-stricken soldiers, look to it-iooE
wen TO tin the name Of queen ant
- country.
Bayonet, sword. spaar-scarlet white
and black-all seemed blended together
B in one fearful hurly-burly The square
: stood firm; the fanatics poured them.
Z selves upon the hedge Of bayOnets II
Z no time Billy's revolver had emptied
Z once il brought to earth huge AraE
5 whose sword was Whirlng over
wounded private's head. The square
2 stood firm-Soudanes negroes anC
I whites side by side in the name Of heI
4 Most Gracious Majesty the Queen.
) Suddenly one Of the MaXimS became
: jammed Before it was again IN orde
Z the saVagos had swarmed round the
weakened corner, Speared the gunners
D and cut their way into the square. The
} officers hurried TO the spot; the rea
q rank of the men faced about; for
Z sort time it was touch and-go. a spea
I WhiZZed past Billy's head; brothe
, officer behind him fell, pierced through
. the neck. Billy's sword came down in
slanting direction upon the head OF ;