The Somerset reporter., 1899-03-16
IN THE TREE.
The man in the tree was thinking

[ i ne man III IUe tree WIS lulHhlhE
Way off under sunny sky was a
squaid hut on hillside. There were
| orange trees around the hut and in the
distance were long stretches Of vine
yards, where men and women once sang
as they worked
Now the women were working alone
save for the presence of few hall
grown youths and crippled old men.
And the women did not sing as they
worked. They wept sometimes, but
more often they looked silently and
wonderingly off into the west where
the sky line was broken by the cIum-
bling bastions of a ruined castle.
Off beyond the castle was the sea and
beyond the sea was-they knew not
what Strange lands where men and
youths went to come back no more.
This was the picture that came to the
mind of the man in the tree.
But one cannot sit with cramped
leg and dream of distant things for
long. So the man in the tree moved and
the picture under the sunny sky gave
place to another, which was more i'm
mediate and more distinct
Spreading ont before him and under
meath was "A wooded valley with hill
beyond. Down into this valley hun-
dred yards to the right dipped trail
Yesterday it had been mere mule
path half closed by underbrush but
now it was clearly defined. The bushes
had been broken off, bent over aud
pushed aside. while the tramp Of many
feet had ground to powder the weeds
and grass
At distance of perhaps half mile
beyond and below him the trail tlav-
ersed an open space As he hooked at
this opening in the screen of green he
saw figures crossing it. They stood out
sharp and distinct in the bright sun
light They were men with guns Few
of them wore coats Many Of them were
bare FROM the waist up. Thor faces
were dark, almost black at that dis
tance. hut their chests were white.
What fine targets they made, those
white chestsl
The man in the tree picked up the
slim barreled rife which had been rest
ing across his bent knees. He raised the
sight slide and squinted through ii I'M
til he could see the steel pick on the
end of the barrel outlined against the
white flesh of figure in the sunlighted
gap of the trail.
A little tongue of fame darted from
the muzzle of the ride One of the fig
nres in the green frame stumbled and
fell
The man in the tree laughed softly
and pattcd the stock of his rifle.
Stil the men with guns streamed
along the trail Ahal They are run
ming They will soon begin to run the
other way Just wait until the trenches
get the range. A white back makes as
fine target as white chest.
But hour after hour passed and the
human current did not ebb
Were they hours or only minutesf
What was happening up on the hillside2
The man in the tree turned to see.
Far up behind him on the crest was
square hut. with matched roof. 1t
looked like dovecot, but it was not.
1t was a blockhouse What was taking
place there he could only guess. He
saw an irregular line of dark figures
scramhlng mp the hill. some Of them
falling to rise no more. Why did not
the rest go back? Now they swarmed
about the building. How their guns
smoked
''Caraiol" The red and yellow flag is
down
Then the man in the tree looked int
the heart of things and saw his fate.
These half naked pigs who fought like
devils they would not be driven back.
He was cut off To the right to the
left. in front. behind they were there,
these men with guns who fred and ran
forward and fred and ran forward
again.
The picture of the PARKWAY hut on
the hillside. the women and the vine
yards came once more, and the man IN
the tree bowed his head and wept,
1t passed He looked again down the
hillside Not alone en- the trail but IN
many other places the figures moved
now
The man in the tree frightened the
strap which passed Under his arms and
around the tree. He fitted the rifle
stock to his shoulder and peered out
under the leaves There was a big fel-
low with something red sewed to his
shirt sleeve. Probably an officer. S-r-r-r !
That must have gone too high. S-r-r-rl
just little to the left. Sr-r-r. That
went true He's down. Very busy was
| the man in the tree
Not too busy, however, to note the
approach of little squad of men whit
stopped and looked mp into the trees
and now and then fired into the dense
/ foliage Of the branches.
Co., Ill.," R,