Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-08-02


the Spartan boy of old, he Rugged
his trouble to himself, slipping tho
little cheap engagement ring with
which be had sealed his troth into
his pocket without sign beyond
the twitching Of his white lips.
Then he lit his pipe with the letter,
not out OF contempt, but because.
there is little privacy accorded in
the correspondence that comes to
the barrack room, and a private
soldier is not provided with q desk
wherein to keep his faded flowers
aud other sentimental tokens Of
the past.
The blow was q heavy one, for
White Feather was without the
worldly knowledge that should have
told him long since that he had
fixed his affections upon vulgar,
selfish and brainless flirt, and he
still believed in her.
For her sake he had learned to
overcome his physical covardice.
He had dreamed Of possible COM
mission in the dim future, and had
reiolced in the recently acquired
promotion IS q step toward her.
For her sake, too, he received the
news eheeriully when the word
passed through the barracks that
the regiment was ordered to South
Africa to meet the Boers. lie knew
that he was by nature q coward,
but for the memory Of her he swore
an oath to himself to do his duty,
without sparing himselfin the COM
ing fight.
"Look 'ers, old chap, we amt
going TO call you White Feather no
more !" said Trumpeter Pipes, as
they lay together under the shelter
Of large bowlder, against the face
Of which tho Boer bullets we're pat
tering like rain.
In full sight Of tho whole army
their squadron had crossed the Boer
front anil a hail OF bullets which
had brought twenty men to earth.
White Feathers horse had been
shot under him, aud, 1t the risk OF
his life, he had carried Ehe wound
cd trumpeter into the shelter OF the
powders. lie was unhnrt, but
trembled in every limb from fear
and great exertion.
From between two powders he
peepcd out aud saw, amid the bod.
lee Of men and horses that Uttered
the plain, wounded man crawling
on his hands and knees amid 9
spatter of bullets that were kick.
ing puffs Of dust from the dry
earth all around him.
II was his captain.
White Feather watched him for
q moment; then he saw him stop
and lie down on his side despair
ingly. Ho could crawl no more.
al will, for her sake 70 he muir
INJURED between his clenched teeth,
aud, rising from the shelter Of the
rock, he faced the hail Of death that
battered to the earth around him.
AS he walked into the open a
faint cheer reached his ears from
the British troops half a mile be-
hind him. The royal artillery
backed him with a shrieking fight
Of shrapnel, which whistlod for a
moment overhead, then burst over
the Boer lines quarter OF q mile
away in a shower OF bullets that for
a moment quelled the storm around
him.
He reached the wounded man,
lifted him on his back and returned
step by step to where Trumpeter
Pipes lay hidden.
The trumpeter gave him q faint
"Bravoi" as he staggered and fell
with his burden into the kindly
shelter Of the rock.
That was White Fathers reward.
On distant hill the British COM
mander shut his fieldglasses with a
snap.
"Tell the general to keep down
the fire on the right there and to
get those men in from behind those
bowlers," he said to his aid, "and
bring me that mans name. IL he
is alive, tell him that | saw it all
and am going to recommend him
for the cross.
"Neyer saw q finer show of fire
discipline in my life p added the
commander to himself as his aid
galloped of.