The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-04-06


upon relentless pursuers. In his eyes
there was agreat appeal. Leave me
be, can'tyeh2 Leave me be fer a min
nit
The youth recoiled why, JIM" he
said, in dazed way. whats the mat
ter with yon2'
The tall soldier turned and, lurching
dangerously, went on. The youth and
the tattered soldier followed. sneakinp
as If whipped, feeling unable to face
the stricken man if he should again
confront them. They began to have
thoughts Of a solemn ceremony. There
was something rite-like in these move
ments Of the doomed soldier. And there
was resemblance in him to a devotee
OF a mad religion, blood-sncking, mus
cle-wrenching, bone-crushing. They
could not understands; they were awed
and afraid. They hung back, lest he
have at command dreadful weapon.
At last, they saw him stop and stand
motionless fastening up, they per
ceived that his face wore an expression
telling that he had at last found the
place for which he had struggled. His
spare figure was erect; his bloody
hands were quietly at his sides. He
was waiting with patience for some
thing that he had come to meet. He
was at the rendezvous. They paused,
and stood expectant.
There was silence.
Finally the chest of the doomed SOL
der began to heave with a strained
motion. 1t increased in violence until
1t was as If an animal was within and
was kicking and tumbling furiously to
be free
This spectacle of gradual strangula~
ton made the youth writhe, and once.
as his friend rolled his eyes, he saw
something in them that made him sink
wailing to the ground. He raised his
voice in last supreme call:
Jim! Jim! Jim!''
The tall soldier opened his lips and
spoke. Re made a gesture. leave
me be-don't tech me-leave me be"
There was another silence, while he
waited
Suddenly his form stiffened and;
Strengthened. Then it was shaken by
prolonged 'ague. He stared into,
space To the two watchers there was
curious and profound dignity in the
firm lines Of his awful face.
he was invaded by creeping strange
ness that slowly enveloped him. For q
moment the tremor of his legs caused.
him to dance a sort of hideous horn
pipe. His arms beat wildly about his
head in expression of imp-like enthu-
siasm.
His tall figure stretched itself to it's
full height. There wasa slight rending
sound. Then it began to swing for
ward, slow and straight, in the manner
OF falling tree. A swift muscular
contortion made the left shoulder strike
the ground first.
The body seemed to bounce a little
way from the earth. "God," said the
tattered soldier
The youth had watched spell-bound,
this ceremony at the place of meeting.
His face had been twisted into an ex-
preston of every agony he had
imagined for his friend.
He now sprang to his feet and, going
closer, gazed upon the paste-like face.
The mouth was open and the teeth
showed in a laugh.
AS the flap of the blue jacket fel
away from the body he could see that
the side looked as if it had been chewed
by wolves.
The youth turned, with sudden, livid
rage, toward the battlefield. He shook
his fist. He seemed about to deliver
philippe.
"Hell-'
The red sun was pasted in the sky
like a fierce wafer
The tattered man stood musing.
"Well, he was regular jim-dandy for
nerve, want he," said he finally in q
little awe-struck voice. A regular jim
dandy" He thoughtfully poked one
of the docile hands with his foot. ssL
wonner where he got is stren'th from?
never seen man do like that before.
It was a funny thing. Well. he was
regular jim-dandy."
The youth desired to screech out his
grief. He was stabbed. But his
tongue lay dead in the tomb of his
mouth. He threw himself again upon
the ground and began to brood.
The battered man stood musing.
Look here, pardner," he said,
after time. He regarded the corpse
as he spoke. He's up an gone, amt
e, an we might as we'll begin t look
out fer OIL number one
The youth, awakened by the tat
tered soldiers tone, looked quickly up.
He saw that he was swinging uncer-
tainly on his legs and that his face had
turned to shade of blue
Good Lord" he cried, in fear, you
amt going to-not you too"
The tattered man waved his hand.
Mary die" he said. "All I want Is
some pea-soup an a good bed. Some
pea-soup," he repeated dreamfully.
The youth arose from the ground
II wonder where he came from. left
him over there!'' He pointed. 'And
now I find i'm here. And he was CON-
ing from over there, too" He indi-
Gated a new direction. They both
turned toward the body as if to in
terrogate it.
"Well," at length spoke the tattered