Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-04-05
IN THE TREE.

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 half
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 crum-
bling bastions of a ruined castle.
Of 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 as 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 out before him and under.
meath was wooded valley with hill
beyond. Down into this valley hun
bred yards to the right dipped trail.
Yesterday it had been a mere mule
path half closed by underbrush. but
now it WAS clearly defined. The bushes
had been broken Oft. bent over and
pushed aside. while the tramp Of many
feet had ground to powder the weeds
and grass.
At distance of perhaps half a mile
beyond and below him the trail trav'
ersed an open space As he looked 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 Their faces
were dark. almost black at that dis
lance. but their chests were white.
What fine targets they made. those
white chests!
The man in the tree picked up the
slim barreled rifle which had been rest
ing across his bent knees. He raised the
sight slide and squinted through it I'M
til he could see the steel pick on the
end of the barrel outlined againstA the
white flesh of a figure in the sunlighted
gap of the trail.
A little tongue of fame darted from
the muzzle of the rife. One Of the fig
ures in the green frame stumbled and
fell.
The man in the tree laughed softly
and patted the stock of his rife
Still the men with guns streamed
along the trail Ahai 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 a white chest.
But hour after hour passed and the
human current did not ebb.
Were they hours or only minutes
What was happening mp on the hillside
The man in the tree turned to see.
Far mp behind him on the crest was
a square hut. with a thatched roof. 1t
looked like dovecot, but it was not.
It was blockhouse. What was taking
place there he could only guess He
saw an irregular line Of dark figures
scramhlng up the hill. some of them
falling to rise no more. Why did not
the rest 20 back1 Now they swarmed
about the building. How their guns
smoked!
"Caraio!" The red and yellow flag il
down.
Then the man in the tree looked into
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 rar
forward, and fred and ran forward
again.
The picture Of the faraway hut or
the hillside. the women and the vine
wards came once more. and the man II
the tree bowed his head and wept
1t passed He looked again down the
hillside. Not alone on the trail. but il
many other places the figures moved
now.
The man in the tree frightened th'
strap which passed under his arms ane
around the tree. He fitted the riff
stock to his shoulder and peered on
under the leaves. There was big fel
low with something red sewed to hi
shirt sleeve. Probably an officer. S-r.r-r
That must have gone too high. S-r-r-r
Just a little to the left. S-r.r-rl Thu
went true He's down. Very busy wa
the man in the tree.
/ Not too busy. however. to note tn
approach Of a little squad Of men VIII
stopped and looked up into the tree
and now and then fred into the deue
foliage Of the branches
The man In the tree laid bis rid
carefully scross bis knees and reaches
into the leaves above him. he hough
down u gourd water bottle. held it t.
bis ear and shook It, From the poke
OF his blue aud white cotton blouse b
fshed out Il piece Of dry black bread
His meal ended. he threw the empt.
gourd from him and began to count th
cartridge clips still remaining in b
hut.
"Uuo. dos. tres. quatro Christi"
Only 20 more shots. and tben--vh.
then the war would be at an end Il
the man in the tree II remained b.
to die. Think you. good st. Jose. VT
watches over the vineyard folk at hon
heard that prayer or did the guns NAL
too much noise2
On came the squad. The leader vi
tall and fair. He wore blue shirt vii
chevrons on the sleeve and a stril