Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-02-20
THE COWARD.

THE COWARD.
I, John Redruth, color sergeant in her
majesty's til regiment of foot, wish to
rid my mind of a heavy shadow which op-
presses it.
In the commemorative which went
before concerns nobody-I wa known to
q very small world as Private Redruth of
the above regiment, chiefly remarkable for
uncommon muscular strength and chances
of promotion. The principal grounds for
this were good conduct and hard study,
and neither red steel nor singing bullet
ever entered my thoughts, for such things
are IN at Aldershot, except in the
course of drill and musketry practice.
Yet I now have a little iron cross, mark
ed ''For Valor," which l dare not wear,
for the sight of it drives the hot blood to
my face for shame, and I keep it slowed
away in a remote corner of my belongings.
Back in the old days I would sit ON a
bench in the park and think upon the
great gift Of inbred bravery that I felt was
born in me and how study and pluck at
the front combined should bring ii to the
fore. And then the big flashing eyes and
chestnut hair Of Mile %Stornoway would
loom up through the background of smoky
skirmishing line or silent exam. room that
I pictured. Mile and I had known each
other for 10 years, though she was only 18
and l %. When my leave was in force, 1
always walked with Mile under the shade
of tho pI,nat aims o11 10 tho bv,,,or ct,,,oI,
me we would talk of my prospective move
in the scale as lance corporal, and after it
fully f1edged sergeant, to say nothing of
the ultimate commission which should be
mine. Millie, above all things, worshiped
bodily pluck, and it's little chance a brand
ed coward would have stood with her.
We were to be married when my corporal's
stripes came along.
But presently came the order for India
and the frontier. We were a seasoned
corps, and I tried to feel that the real
game of war would be the very thing I
should like best, but somehow there was a
cold doubt at the back of it all. Millie
was fearful at the news and yet very
proud that l should have the great chance
l needed. She was a soldier daughter as
well as a private's betrothed and knew
what possibilities there were in action.
II know you'll do something splendid,
jack" she said, and her face was like a
June rainbow between smiles and tears,
land it won't be only for yourself, but for
another, shot or cut down and helpless"
"Of course, Millie," l agreed, "but sup
pose I'm the man who's shot or cut down.
You won't throw INT W for the fellow
that makes a show by saving me, eh?"
"Ill like you better for being a real live
martyr, " said she.
Well, the day came, and we marched
down to the docks through lines of enthu-
siasts who cheered vastly either because
they were glad to see the last Of us or be-
cause they were about to get something for
their money at length. l had no doubt at
the time but that they were struck with
our obvious pluck. We filed across the
gangway, slowed ourselves aboard the
trooper, and it wasn't long before the old
tub had hustled out of docks and was
sousing eastward through Long Reach.
The voyage out was like other voyages.
We landed eventually at Bombay and
were not impressed greatly by the soft
eastern luxury of the place. Still, white
dust and shouting have their good points
when one is young enough not to mind
them, and we slept uneasily in the dry
heat that night. There was to be no rest,
for we were needed at the front, and two
days only were spent in preparation. Pa
rade was not all 1t might have been SO far,
as enjoyment went, for the gravelly bar
rack yard and thirsty air were unlovely.
On the third day we marched. On the
fourth day we marched farther, and so on.
The old hands knew where we were going
and what would happen, and they talked
of it increasingly, while the raw hands like
myself listened with infinite eagerness.
The ADMINISTRATIONS, we called them
would not come and be killed, but relied
on long range fire at all periods. Before
the big fight 1 communed with my inner
self many times and was forced to decide
that I was not enjoying it as much as I
ought. The promotion seemed a little
thing in comparison with a whole skin,
and the slug stricken ceases that long
range picketing involved u~nsteadied me.
I felt, too, that I was alone, and that the
others were untroubled by these first
patches of red. So l sat tight and tried
not to turn all colors when o ragged piece
Of lead Hacked through the tent cloth after
dark or a stricken mule dashed and squeal-
ed without. ! did not sleep that night,
and when the morning came I dressed un-
happily. The starch was out Of my sys-
tenn, and I felt but half a man and not
one-flfth a soldier.
By and by it was Fall in!'' and after the
usual manner we-the left 1ank-tramped
out In close order and at last saw the en-
envy positioned like a rookery in a sort of
vast pulpit of rock, suffering with jets Of
rifle smoke and drawing a fence of flying
lead across the broad path.
The subaltern On my side-a slim boy
of 28-looked genuinely happy and also a
little impatient. The entire events of my
life did not pass In array before me-, as I
suppose they should have done, but my
thoughts and eyes centered on the white
Jets that spurted from those hillmen up
the slope. We lay now in open order and
waited. Presently some volleys were fired,
at first o little ragged and afterward very
even indeed. At length an unexpected
body of Pathans whirled out like a cloud
Of leaves from a Granny in the cliffs-big,
bearded, and holding CHASTITY knives. The
order came for volleys, and the standing
corps poured wall after wall Of lead into
the thick Of the n 1t did not stop
them, though quite half a hundred rolled
over like shot rabbits, and the remnant
closed up with us.
And then-how 1t happened I do not
know-we divided, and there was a yell
ing, flashing scufle among the rocky teeth
that jagged the ground. There were drop
ping men and standing men, q few flying
Pathans, and more that would never move
again. For all hurt l had a slight cut on
the back Of the handmade by a comrade,
most nkely-and was hiding-heaven for
give mel-hiding like a scorched kitten