The times., 1900-04-01
THE DUTY SOLDIER.

! rs AFRAID OF God, ana Man. and for his Own
I skin "
Her teeth closed on her tongue as she
I said the last word for Colonel Jrmmcjt
! arose and shook himself Il see that my
3 call has been an intrusion on you: shall
I not repeat the indiscretiou GOod-by''
Good-byt she repeated mechanically.
/ and touched the bell She felt powerless
! to detain him. but looked wistfuliy al the
/ door when 10 had closed behind him.
Ten DAYS later she had letter from
Z aim bearing the Southampton pcstmark L
am leaving for the Tirah.' he said to
. command a brigade n ] had done what
you wished IN the Black Mountains
should have risked the lives Of 5c00 men.
women aud children ! was afraid to 10
this Perhaps iu this new business / may
be able 20 present the Duty Soldier IN a
better light-at least in one watch you
can see
+ After all be can be ironical" the
{ widow said. and wondered n he could es-
/ cape retirement. She thought she might
I write to him.
/ Colonel dosal Maior-GeneraD Jem-
NETT received the widows letter the morn
ing OF the day his brigade was TO attack
3 the snemy's position II was the first bat
/ tie IN which be found himself his own
/ commander. and such "a time is not the
/ best for reading woman particularly a
/ beloved woman SETTER. He was a duty
soldier. and though the touch OF it burned
ms fingers. he put it in his left breast
! pocket unopened
/ II was good he thought. to have her
writing next his heart but he almost re-
preached himself for thinking about il at
{ all Things were not going 50 well in this
I campaign that any man could afford con-
sideration Of his private affairs One. by
name Winter. he who commanded the bri-
: gade at the other side Of the big NIL
yonder by thinking Of his chances Of win
ming G. b. had sacrificed the better part
I Of battery Of ill pared artillery. II
! Jemmett were to follow his example the
welfare Of a thriving district would be
teopardzed AS it was. be would have
TO make head against a very superior force
II winters disaster were to be retrieved.
His second in command had observed to
him that Winters imprudence was good.
inasmuch as he Jemmett would be sure
Of C. b. now II he could cOunteraet the
effects Of IT,
In reply Jemmett did what he seldom
did; he snubbed the second in command.
who went away and laughed at him. and
then damned an aide -de-camp up hill and
down dale for doing the same.
The enemy had brought TWO Of the four
captured guns into action against Jem-
NETT. and the second in command was for
opening the fight in the orthodox way by
knocking these off their carriages with a
round or two but Jemmett would not hear
Of il. No no, said he: we must have
these back intact Tell Captain Maxwell
to burst his shells behind and around them.
so as TO clear away the supporting in
fantry; but We must take our chance OF a
bit OF a basting from them until We get
near enough 70 pot the gunners. They're
firing very slowly. they're ranging badly.
they're hot setting the fuses properly. and
they have only one limber's supply
The second In command was a linesman,
and when one Of the hostile shells the
first which did happen 10 burst properly,
carried OF a bugler and six men a gr0Wl
escaped him about waste Of life
Jemmett, who saw with half an eye that
things were going as he wished them,
leaned from his saddle to pat his subOr-
dinate on the shoulder. My friend said
he, 1T may be inhumane but / should
not call it waste OF life, though twenty
more and myself were to 90. if Ne win
the day and get back those guns while
man as good as you remains TO take my
place
Il beg your pardon. general said the
second in command: but I wish you'd get
off your horse. for I'm not big enough to
do your work, however pleased l should
be to try"
And just then another fragment OF shell
the last the enemy fired that day
pumped against Jemmetts knee and
brought his charger down with broken
back. Jemmett fell heavily on his head.
You know what to do said Jemmett TO
the second in command. as he recovered an -
hour later from the stunning effect Of his
fall
1t has been done answered the second
in q aIe
ridge. we've got the guns safe and sound
and the guides are chivvying the begga-s
down the valley"
That's Al. declared he Colonel "Aud
bow long have I to live2' he asked
Bless nv soul, How should I know
returned the other Twenty years. twen-
ty-five anything UP to a hundred and fifty
Long enough 70 bury the brigade. any
how"
What has happened to me? thought
I felt my leg GO.
Yes chunk of it went. I'm
afraid you'H limp e bit Old chap
You mean it must come OFF,
No. it's not so bad rs that-it only
wants absolute rest-aud there's the e.. B.,
don't you know
I'm too old TO care about that bat
suppose they'll hardly retire me now
Make you a field marshal more likely
said the second in command
Then Jemmett dictated a teu-liue Jc-
count OF The action 10 the second in com
maud. and when the latter had departed
TO send it off and 10 attend to his proper
work bethought himself Of the widows
letter.
Il was very long. for the widow. and g.
made Jemmett forget the limp on one side
and the G. p. on the other II ended with
the words. Give me q definition OF "a duty
soldier TO take the place Of he stupid
eyHicism be taught me-"
Jemmett put the letter into trc en-
yelope and the envelope back into his
pocket and. his heart full OF pFile tried
20 think out the desired definition
His cogitations were broken by ne re-
Of the second in command just
a rifle ilurried. That ass Winter has
been 81 It dgaiu, he said He hello
graphs down that he's in the deuce ~
mess. and can YOU ger him our OF itz"
What does he waut2' asked JeMmet1
aheu aback.
He says he's surrounded. and ,Ia-t .ut
3 way through without big loss
Jemmett was a wee bit angry -It'-
shame said he My men must 5s do.
ired hardly know what to do
II know What I should do snapped he
second in command
What would you do" the general en-
luired.
Let MIN en- 10 the devil his own way
You forget Yourself. said I.mmelr
That's not business. We must DO what
Sc can 20 help him"
IF Won send one man YOU must send
he lOr said the second in Command
And you lose the fruits OF your virtD--.'
Better -hat returned Jemmett tnau
suffer d defeat.
Better for Winter perhsus -ro5.rad