The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-09-30
s elett Storp.
WARRINGTON, Y. c.
CHAPTER /.

recurring at intervals, followed by sharp
little cracks, showed where the late skir-
mish and retreat was fighting Itself out
around about the camp.
Where one of the inHmerable broken
ridges that scanned the valley made a darker
wall across the darkness two figures were
dimly discernible( when you knew where 10
look for them), the one semi -recnmbeui,
proppcd against bowlder, the other tail
and straight beside him.
Clear ont. Warrington please 20,
sir, the voice came family from the re-
eumbent figure ''You can get back to
camp and send EN- for me
Not likely, young un, observed the
other. What says the great Il. k:
.'whem you're wounded aud left on Afghan
| istan plains,
| Aud the women come Quito cut up what re-
mains.
just
don r said the wounded man, and
almost succeeded in stopping groan be-
tween his cliuehed teeth
Poor old Weary, said Warrington,
bending over him. let me undo your
belt. Now grab yourself with both
hands
Fellows in books, said the weak voice,
drowsily, never get hit in the tummy.
Always-head in a bandage-or-
arm in sling Those Johnnies that
write books-ought TO come out with US.
There was silence for time; the far off
flashes grew more rare. The wounded man
shifted himselfa little and spoke again.
You re brick, Warrington! said
he
Slightly different from Piccadilly and
the Strand, this-eh, Nicg
II wish the mater could see US now,
said Weary; shes going to by-by just
about now She stick you pretty high
up in her prayers if she knew. =
The next time you start talking non-
sense, said Warrington, II shall consider
YOU delirious aud past hope; and | shall
turn tail and make tracks for camp
\ long silence.
/ .Its getting beastly cold. said Weary.
with a shiyer, i shall never pub through
tonight.
Cheer up, lad, said Warrington, and
pulled At his mustache and giared at the
darkness; only few hours till daybreak
i Pits your SIX feet four in your
boots aud solid in proportion. TN net
equal to two miles with you on my back,
my dainty midget
Can't -ee how you got me this far.
| Why don yoa sheer of now aud
get back. and--Oh, God No War
ring IS . You re not gong
Another word like that, my en, aud
| leave you for Mr. aud Mrs. Paihou aud
all the h.tle Pathons TO play with.
| An right-aIi right, won t. g.
Let me hold your boot eau hardly see
you. oh, Wary, what funk am; all
the bi. Of pluck had run out of the
leak in nv tunic-and | am beastiy cJlj
Warrington knelt beside him aud cursed
beneath his brrath aud felt hrs head and
hands. The former was very eold and
damp, the latter were very wet aud warm,
Il must let them know they re wanted,
Vic he mutiered
The latter did not bear him.
"Ttn be in tomorrow 5 dispatches,
be murnare,l Missing Lieutenant
Beverley Warrington aud Second Lieu
tenant Weary, Of the----. What 5
up. Wary
His companion had touched his forehead
lightly with his lips, risen 10 his feet, and,
with his arm raised above his head, had
emptied his revolver into the silence Of the
night.
They Il know there British officer
where that revolver is, he said cheerily.
But-but, you fool--you dear old sll-
" fool--so will those brown devils.
Can help that said Warrington,
with httle laugh, its too chilly TO stop
ont late tonight Then in lower tone
For the sake Of Aud Lang Syne, Vic,
ms boy.
He reloaded his revolver When the
echoes had ratified away into deeper silence
they heard the distant shots suddenly
reoommence, and distant shouts and howls
came to them hike whispers. From the
! AtNAs4kaC asANAt- AANA4t NAAaAN '-tA -htAN
confused scuffiing and seraping sounds as Of
eats scrambling down rocks. 4 moving
white blur appeared somewhere in the thick
dark ness, then another, aud another; and s
suggestion of low toned cultural conversa-
tion reached Warrington straining ears,
He shifted his revolver TO his left hand
and gently drew his sword. Then froln
over there where he knew the camp lay six
revolver shots came in quick succession.
That's Welby : he said to himself
Vicary's hand had been grasping the
heel of his foot tightly. Now he felt the
grip relax; and in moment more the
wounded subaltern slipped little with a
slight tinkle of steel on rock and groaned
In another moment dozen howling hill
men were blazing away at random toward
the spot whence the groan seemed to have
come. They aimed low and erratically
and Warrington held his fire for few in
termediate seconds.
Then they closed in, and one stumbled
over Weary outstretehed legs before they
could realize that two British officers were
within ward of them Warrington felt
the man grab him as he fell, and fired with
the barrel OF his revolver touching bare
skin. After that lie fired aud slashed very
much at random, and the darkness around
him shrieked and spit fire, and long, graceful
knives suggested themselves to the imag-
ination of the man who had seen them ut
work before x x x For ten long minutes
Warrington was busy--wondering all the
time what Weary was doing there between
his legs, and how he liked it, and which
of them would die first.
Then suddenly in lull he heard family
a sound that sent the blood to his head
with rush-the scraping of many boots
over rocks hundreds of yards away, and
the the dim echo OF word OF command.
He shouted and fired his last cartridge above
his head that they might see the flash,
and flung the empty weapon at white
eyebal that was too near to be pleasant,
and cut and pointed and slashed away with
renewed vigor. Down the valley and over
the rocks came hoarse, breathless cheer
and pith helmets cleaned family in the
near distance He answered the cheer
with croak, and went on carving and