The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-06-06

yond the twitching of his white lips.
Thel he lit his pipe with the letter. not
out of contempt, but because there is
little privacy accorded in the CORE
spondence that comes to the barrack
room, and private soldier Is not pro
Nided with Il desk wherein to keep his
faded flowers and other sentimental to-
kens OF the past
The blow was very heavy one for
White Feather was without the world
ly knowledge that should have told
him long since that he had flxed his af-
fections upon vulgar, selfish and
brainless hirt. and he still believed in
her.
For her sake he had learned to over
come his physical cowardlce. He had
dreamed of a possible commission In
the dim future and had reJolced in the
recently acquired promotion as n step
toward her
For her sake, too he received the
news cheerfully when the word passed
through the barracks that the regiment
was ordered TO South Africa to meet
the Beers, He knew that he was by
nature n coward, but for the memory
OF her he swore an oath TO himself 10
do his duty without sparlng himself in
the coming fight.
Look ere. old chap, we amt going
to call you White Feather no morew
said Trumpeter Pipes rs they lay to-
gether behind the shelter OF large
howlder, against the face of which the
Boer bullets We're pattering like
heavy rain.
In full sight of the whole army their
squadron had crossed the Boer front
amid hail OF bullets which had
brought % men to earth.
White Feathers horse had been shot
under him, md at the risk of his life,
he Ind carried the wounded trumpeter
into the shelter Of the powders. He
WAS unhurt but trembled IN every
limb from fear and great exertion.
From between two powders he peep
ed out and saw, amid the bodies of men
and horses that Uttered tho plain, a
wounded man crawling ON his hands
and knees amid n spatter of bullets
that We're kicking pufIs OF dust from
the dry earth all around him.
1t was his captain.
White Feather watched him for Il
moment; then he saw him stop and lie
down on his side despairngly. Ho
could crawl no more.
81 Will. for her sake!' he murmured
between his clinched teeth, and, 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 faint
cheer reached his ears from the Brit
ish troops half a mile behind him. The
Royal artillery backed him with
shrieklng flight of shrapnel, which
whistled for IA moment overhead. then
burst over the Boer lines II quarter of
a mile away In Il shower of bullets that
for Il moment quelled the storm around
him.
He reached the wounded man, lifted
him on his back aud returned step by
step to where Trumpeter Pipes lay hid
den.
Tne rrumperer gave him faint
"Bravow us he staggered and fell with
his burden into the kindly shelter of
the rock.
That was White Feathers reward.
On distant hill the British com
mander shut his feldglasses with n
snap.
Tell the general to keep down the
fire on the right there and to get those
men IN from behind those powders"
he said to his aid, and bring me that
mans name. If he Is alive, tell him
that saw It all and that I'm going to
recommend him for the cross.
"Never saw finer show of fire discl-
pline In my life" added the command
err to himself as his aid galloped off.
White Feathers eyes glIstened as he
received the message and heard the
cheer that swept along the lines as he
was carried In.
Perhaps | shall get that commission
after ALL" he said to himself; then
she Will think more of me-
Perhaps II WAS Just MS well that he
died five minutes later-this faithful
worshiper of goddess Of clay.-Penny
Pictorial Magazine.