St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-11-10

in farma. ana ne wondered what she
would say when she heard he was dead
so soon, and how he died. He wished
with the first feeling of pride he had
ever known, that she could see him
now.
Then his thoughts stopped suddenly,
for he had pushed aside the first
branches of the jungle. and-the muz-
z.e of Private LOTIONS rife was point
ing at his chest! The PADRES very
breath stopped, and no stone figure
could have been more motionless. Pri-
yate LoNton opened the proceedings
with foul-mouthed oath. He had
been drinking to excess. and his blood.
shot eyes had a wild-beast light in
them.
Pray away. you bsggar," he said
'Tve been covering your little body
for ten minutes. and I'm getting tired
Of it"
81 was afraid you'd have shot me be-
fore l got here" said the padre, sim.
ply.
Private Loxton stared at him.
"What the deuce did you come for,
them" he said.
The padre saw his opportunity, and
took it.
''I'il tell you why / came" he said,
''if you'll give me five minutes more.
I'll swear to you / won't move hand or
foot. and after that I'll stand up for
you to shoot me how you like. Five
minutes isn't much for a man to ask
when he's got to die"
'Done!" cried Private Loxton,
grimly, bringing the rifle butt thud-
ding to the ground.
And the padre began 20 speak. No
one will ever know what he said in
those five minutes. or what Private
Loxton said; / don't think they quite
end, the padre held out his hand, Pri-
vate Loxton took il, and gripped it
hard.
you're a first-rate little beggar.
after ALL" he said. land you're good
plucked 'un. too. Curse me il I'll hurt
you. Get off home"
He took up the rifle resting against
the tree. and, with the touch, the mad
light, which had partially died out
from his eyes. came into them again.
And still the padre stood there. His
ear had caught the far-off sound Of
wheels. and he knew that Private Lox-
tons prey was drawing near. Private
Loxton heard it, too.
"Will you go?" he cried, his whole
body trembling with rage.
Not unless you come with me" said
the padre, quietly.
The muzzle of the rifle touched his
breast. and quivering finger was on
the trigger. The sound of the wheels
was coming very near.
II don't want to hurt you." snarled
Private Loxton. evil you go?"
NO." said the padre.
Then he fell back at full length into
the underground, clutching at a
singed hole in his coat, while the re-
port still rang in the air, and thin
puff of smoke curled up among the
bamboo branches.
The padre opened his eyes, and
vaguely and painfully wondered where
he was. Gradually. he began to hear,
and understand.
I'VE must get his deposition some.
how, doctor. We've nothing like proof
enough against Private Loxton yet, K
he swears it was an accident"
Then another voice: "When I got
there, sir. Loxton was knseling beside
him, crying. He said he'd shot the
only man who cared a straw for him.
And since then he's been dumb"
The padre lay still, and thought. in
a feeble sort of way, for what seemed
hours, while the hushed voices spoke
beside him. Then he said, faintlyi
"Am I going to die?"
The doctors voice was very low and
kind, and strove to be very reassur-
ing, but the PADRES brain was clear
enough now to understand that death
might be very near indeed.
81 think I'm strong enough to tell
you all about it." he murmured. And
they took down his deposition. There
was a long silence when he had fin
ished, and then a whispered conversa-
ton. At last grave voice said: ''It's
my duty to tell you. sir. that if things
60 wrong. the odds are you may die.
knowing that, will you still swear 1t
was an accident?"
"Yes." said the padre, firmly.
And then he tainted.
Private Loxton marched into the or
derly-room, a prisoner, with head
erect, and lips compressed, and the
sullen, scornful look Of a man who
has done his worst. and defies every
thing and everybody.
When the commanding officer had
finished speaking, Private Loxton
out, a free man, his head still
erect. but with a curious lump in his
throat, and an unaccustomed mist be-
fore his eyes. He was man enough
to know what a lie, told on his DEATH
bed. must have meant to the padre.
and he swore a solemn oath that the
sacrifice should not be unavailing.
He had hard part to play in the
days that followed. Day by day he
went to the hospital to ask anxious
" for the news; day by day he came
dejectedly away, knowing that the
PADRES life was hanging on a very
slender thread. Then, one day, the
padre asked to see him. There was not
much said at the meeting. Private
Loxton threw himself upon his knees
and sobbed convulsively into the bed
clothes. while the padres thin, weak
hand rested caressingly on the rough,
shaking head.
But, from that day forth, Private
Loxton was installed as the padres
orderly. No man could have tried
harder to make amends for his sin;
no woman could have been mere ten
der than the big, clumsy man.
And the padre was dragged slowly
back again to life, and. at last, a shad-
ow even of his former puny self. was
carried to the river steamer on his
way to England, and the regiment
knew him no more. And Private Lox-
ton, With one year still to serve, re-