The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-27


ECIFic COMPANY, ATLANTA, ca.
other mules, drove them forward tn.
Americans cheered, but the sharn e,a5
Spaniahds also saw the Newcomers
at once realized en- what errand they 9 ms
The fire of three guns on the hill was d.
rected instantaneously upon the muies
VINO were at once crazed by the shell ana
shrapnel which screamed at Them WI
every rifle in the trench seemed 10 be aim
ed at the devoted mule whackers
one OF. the muleteers, a gray-bearded
round-shouldered man, was white Win
the agony of fear, but the other. a dark
cannon-ball-headed young fellow of ~
bulldog type, was aroused by his dam
ger to passionate wrath and utterly nm
thinking recklessness. As the tornado
OF iron and lead broke upon him he YELLED
70 his comrade with a clatter of crowded
oaths to come on.
You white-faced dummyp' cried he
What are you shaking about? Round
up that mule--get a move on you-than,
cartridges have got 10 get to the Mato~
see! They've got to. Ram your heels
ihto that brute of yours and follow me-
or by the saints, I'll plug you so fuu
OF holes folks III take you for an omen
door! Come on!'
The towards weaker part was nearly
NAAS NSiAA0SAOA' Livery nerve IN his BODY
every instinct, prompted him to turn and
run to shelter. He was in exactly The
same deplorable physical condition as he
was when years agone, he slipped away
from the ranks, unnerved b. the roar
of guns. His face was wet with cold
perspiration; his hands were shaking; his
knees gripped his MOUNTS TANKS corvuI-
sively. In another moment he would
have abandoned his trust and added
greater disgrace TO his name, when a good
angel whispered to him. He saw. bv the
light of one clear flash of memory bis
village street. He saw himself nassi.-
through more than thirty years dis
honored NE. He felt again the slow for
ture OF shame. He heard the mockin-
voices of the children: ming
Abel went to war one dav
Dropped his gun and ran awavp'
Abel Tut cried out aloud:
| Anything but that! Sooner daa.b,
Give me strength, oh, Lord! Give ma
| courage!' '"0
The incident passed in less than min.
ute. Then the two muleteers lasbed an
the pack mules. The distance 70 tbs ha 0'i
talon was but few hundred wards bnt
| these yards were each black viii ~
| shadow of grinning death. The nacII
mules also We're mad with the poiss
! and the clouds of earth shot IN bv sheus
| tnat lhey ran mere and there and made
| the distance twice as long The Iorrgar
muleteer was afiame with rage and ex-
element. He rode like horsebreaker He
| clrcied ike an Indian He kept his pack
| mule pretty straight, shouting, cursipg
cheering with every breath. Abel follow
| ed silently, but he was no expert His
| charge broke hither and thither and every
moment the bullets seemed to fall faster
! At last the young man rose in his stirrups
hta
nat at the Spanish with a gesture of con-
tempt. Too soon he crowed. He was but
seventy or eighty yards from bluff which
would shelter him, where the soldiers were
eagerly waiting and cheering him on. The
pack mule was Immediately in front of
MIN, and Abel many yards behind The
ordained shell arrived. 1t crashed fairly
into the boxes of ammunition packed on
the mule. rock-rending explosion foi-
lowed. When the earth cloud vanished the
mule and the muleteer lay In a ghastly
heap and The ammunition was scattered
lar, and most of it had taken part in the
explosion. Then the major and the men
were aghast with horror and disappoint-
ment, and moan of sorrow swept the
ranks. They turned their eyes to Abel
their only hope. The coward had seen add
his pulses almost ceased to beat. Round
him the missels were falling thick. In
another minute he would be like that un-
lated. He turned faint and his impulse
was to drop from his saddle and creep
away in the long grass and hide, and shell
ter his poor coward flesh. Roaring noises
were in his ears; things swan before his
eyes. With mighty effort he broke away
and cried again with a martyrs cry:
Give me strength, oh, Lord! Give me
courage!'
He received it. He spurred his mule; he
guided the stampedng pack mule. He
! charged through the hell in front of him
he saw the cheering soldiers in front Of
him and very near. Then something
shrieked in the air, fell and burst, and, as
the pack mule was caught by the soldiers
and the all needful cartridges were torn
from Its back, Abel sank, grievously torn
by piece of the bursting SHE'LL into the
arms of the major
THANK you, thank you, my manw cried
the jubilant officer. you've saved the po-
sltlon. That last dash was grand mag
nihcent. You're a hero, and the folks at
nome snail know of it, promise you
Abel tried to speak
Please sir" he gasped "Will you-wil
you tell the children?"
He lived awhile and was sent home and
IN the village which had Knocked him died
OF his wound. There was no mocking them
put much honor was paid the Coward LOT
the major made good his word, and the
newspapers spoke much of the obscure
muleteer's timely bravery.
Decoration day came after Abel was laid
In his grave. For long, long lonely years
the day had been the unhappiest day 10
him of all. Now the veterans Of the Civl
War and the returned volunteers of the
Spanish war stopped remorsefully at ms
headstone and sorrowed that they had
Jeered at him. And the children came IN
little crowds, silent and fearful, and the
scornful rhyme was forever banished from
their lips, and Abel TUFTS mound was
hidden by very many best loved flowers.
Thus he, too was permitted at last 10
take part in the solemn celebration.
There are divers sorts of bravery, put
he who is bravest of all is the coward VINO
oonquers his cowardice.