Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-10-31
CHAPTER XvIII.-(Continued)

hound 10 go: but can I bear 10 tnink OF
,our running this risk for me. when ev.
.ry donga may be full Of those fellows,
every bit Of bush swarming with them"
There's not a soul on the veldt but
.nrselyes. Ted" returned the other, bold.
": don't you be uneasy about it. The
ambulance ought to be here in an hour
and a half. and we will have you in camp
In less than no time. You must not talk
Ike this"
But must-I have 30 little time. Say
good by 10 all the fellows for me. and to
F.rrar my chum: he took my duty to-
day. Well, I'll never pay him now
What could Miles say? A horrible
chill conviction that what Teddy said was
true was creeping over him. His fail
INK. struggling breath. his feeble voice,
ali pointed to something more morta
than a severe wound.
Don't talk. Teddy, my dear boy" he
implored; Its the worst thing you cap
do"
Let me go on" with a faint gesture;
81 have so little time. l know I'm go-
Ing" he gasped. land l won't say I'm
not sorry. for l am. She will never know
now A pause Of some seconds, and
then he spoke again. Give my iOve tO
Gus and Flo and Aunt Jane-yes, and
with a visible effort, Mrs. Brabazon-
why should l bear her i'll will now! !-and
Esme-this will be hard on her," catching
his breath: but she will marry you,
Miles, know it-tell her l said SO. And
you will take Kitty-poor kitty-and bt
kind TO her, for my sake. Kitty" rails
ing his failing voice, come here; put
down your head, old girl, and say good
by"
INV ha On a hssa rh
his weIl-known call, and she came at once
and gently pushed her soft. brown nose
into his hand.
You will send everything l have-it's
not much-to Esme, and let me be buried
as | AMIN my uniform. i did not wear
IL long
"Oh, Teddy exclaimed his compan-
Ion. in a broken voice, you cannot give
yourself up like this. What can l do
for you? Heaven knows how gladly
would give my life for yours. How could
! go home without you? What could
say to Esme? 1 dare not face her alone"
wiping his damp forehead, chatting his
hands as he spoke, and pouring the last
few drops Of spirits down his comrades
throat. Keep up; the ambulance and
the doctor have surely left camp by this
time. We ought to have them with US in
less tnan an nOur.
Yes, but l won't be here-when they
come e-they-will be-tOo late. I'm glad
you are with me, Miles-you who have
been q brother to me-it's not 30 very
hard to die, after all. Where is your
hand? Let me hold ir-for I'm going to
Sc, out on a long. long jOurney-lOnger
than We thought when l left camp this
morning. pause, then a faint pressure
of the hand. and still father, almost
inaudible whisper, saying: Miles. are
you there? Tell Esme-it will be all
right" and this was the last word.
Vainly Miles spoke. vainly he bent his
ear to his cousins lips. There was no
sound now-only a vast, irresponsive ST.
lence. Thick, black darkness had sudden
ly set in: the night was cold, the moments
leaden Miles himself was weak from
loss of blood. Vainly he chafed Teddy's
hands; vainly he told himself, He had
only tainted" He strained his ears anx-
Iously for coming hoofs and welcome
voices. There was NO trampling OF horse
men, but his practiced sportsman's Keen
sense of hearing caught another less re-
assuring sound, the sound OF many foot
steps-stealthy. bare footsteps-stealln
through the high grass close BY. Ihere
were great numbers. probably q portion
for the stealthy march lasted for long
time. The huge bowlder sheltered him
efectually, and they passed in the dark
ness. The last tread at length died away.
and that moment Of throbbing suspense
was tided over in safety
When the end came Miles never knew;
gradually, gradually. the hand in his hand
relaxed its hold, had become first cool.
then cold. then icy He was dead. Teddy
was dead. How strange, how impossible
IL sounded to say, Teddy is dead How
was this to be told to EsmeF Esme'
whose whole heart was given to this n.
vorite brother! How dark and silent and
bitterly cold it was.
The black sky above. the hard vsldt be-
meath him, were whirling and reeling In
one giddy circle. and he remembered NO
more.
Long afterward, when a strong party
arrived, with lights and rugs and restor-
atives, and an ambulance, party COM
prisng one or two officers, including Gap
tain Gee, that little gentleman, for once
In his life, became livid when his quick
eyes rested, as he first believed, on the
two dead Brabazons, with the faithful
brown charger keeping guard over them.
On closer examination it was discovered
that Miles was only insensible from ex-
posure and loss of blood; but with the
knitted cardigan coat, Of which he mao
deprived himself hours previously, the!
covered corpse.
Next morning. at daybreak, there was
q military funeral, and Teddy was buried
within short distance of.the camp his
cousin. pale as death itself. with his arm
in a sling. walked alone behind the rude
coffin as chief mourner, and Kitty follow
ed her mas'a- fn- the last time. Inc
coffin was covered by a Union JACK, ano
carried by the men Of Teddy's regiment
not a few rough troopers felt q very uh-
usual tightness in the throat when the!
heard the hard, yellow earth rattie Oh
the coffin of Gentleman Brown. Inc
dead trooper was buried beside him. Inc!
lie on the spur Of a hill, around them
there stretches wide sea OF waS'hs
grass; above their heads are two ruue
wooden crosses No foot is likely to como
that way; no voice, no sound, dis.ufp'
their repose: only q vast plain. only al
awful silence. only two soldiers graseH
And Miles was as one who m0urneo ~
his brother; he was stunned. HOW PAN
full was the gap in his life! How ne n,ss
ed the bright face, the CHEEKY voice, tn..
half dozen times day had been thrus. '.
INTO his tent; the face he had known ou,
SO recently, and yet had liked so weA'
How blank were rides and foragins ~.
lies now. when he was forced 10 soy "
himself, Last time we came here IL va"
with Teddy!'