The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-06-30
KILLING HIS MAN.
BY M. QUAD.
Copyright, 1900, by c. B. Lewis.


"Have | ever killed MANI"
OF a sudden, as lie lay doing on his
bed in camp one day, Private Hollins
asked this question of himself. He
had been In battle ana Skirmsh. He
had fired away his 40 rounds and fired
to kill, but as lie began to recall all
his battles he could not remember that
he had ever had an enemy so near and
so fairly before him that his bullet had
surely done the work. There were few
soldiers who boasted Of taking life.
There were sharpshooters who had
brought down a dozen men, but they
never talked about it. Men were pro-
NOTED for desperate fighting, which
sometimes meant killing single handed,
but they were proud only of the pro
motion. 1t was a curious question
Private Hollins asked of himself, and
it led to strange results. He was not
bloodthirsty man, and yet as he lay
thinking the idea came to him that he
had not done himself justice as a sol
der He had not killed man. When
the war was over and he had returned
home. he would be asked the question.
His friends and neighbors wouldn't be
satisfied with his record of battles, but
would sweep it aside and say:
YES; we know you were in five or
six battles and that you fired hundreds
of bullets at the enemy, but can you
truthfully say you ever brought man
DOWN.
He couldn't say it, and he felt that
he would lose caste. This feeling
brought sudden resolve. 1t was Il
resolve that startled him at first, but
the more he thought of it the more de-
termined he was to carry it out. He
would kill a man; he would do it next
time he went on picket. There We're
no orders against firing. 1t was by
tacit agreement among the pickets that
they refrained If he brought one of
the enemy down, he would not be re-
proved even if not praised. He would
not boast of the kill to his comrades,
but when he reached home and farm
ers and their wives and sons sat lis
tening to his stories of war he could
answer the question they would be
sure to put, and answer in the affirm
ative. 1t was fortnight before Pri-
vate Hollins was detailed for picket
duty. He was not impatient. He was
willing that time should pass, but
when the opportunity came he would
kill man. He never wavered in this
resolution.
This is your post, HOllins," said the
corporal as he left him one afternoon
at the edge of a wood under a large
oak 1--WE don't know exactly where
the enemy's picket is, but it's some
where around that log house. How
ever, if you don't get too fresh and go
to walking around in the open he won't
bother you. There hasn't been a shot
fired along here for two weeks. If you
go in for roasted acorns, don't make
much of fire."
To-day | shall kill a man." said
Private Hollins as he was left alone,
and he began his preparations at once
At long rifle shot, away across an old
cottonfield, was a log house with n
few fruit trees standing about it, One
might be sure the farmer was off to
war and that wife and children, if they
had not abandoned the place, We're
having a miserable existence. Holllns
crept down to the fringe of bushes on
his side of the field and peered and
watched and waited like an Apache in
ambush. For an hour he saw nothing
Then gaunt i'll used dog came among
the trees and trotted about in the open
In a sneaking, furtive way. If the dog
was there, the house must be inhabit
ed. He had just come to this conclu-
sion when he caught sight of figure
among the trees. 1t was between the
house and the bushes, where he be-
lieved the enemy's picket was lying.
1t must be the picket on his way to
and from the well. Perhaps he had
gone to the house to light his pipe or
boil his coffee. There was a glimpse
and it was gone. Another glimpse, an
other hiding, and then the figure was
fair to view. 1t was long shot, but
a pretty fair target, and without an
| instant's hesitation he drew up his gun
and fired. When he looked over the
smoke, the figure was gone.
But | know | hit him, and he's ly-
| ing dead on the grass" said the soldier
as he reloaded his gun. 'Now | can
tell them at home that l killed man.
Mighty long shot, but | dropped him
for sure"
The dog was still in the open. AS
/ the shot rang out he looked back
among the trees. AS the echoes died