The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-01
THE DUTY SOLDIER.

her words. and he defined 1t as one who
is afraid of God. and Man. and for his Own
| Skin"
Her teeth closed on her tongue as she
said the last word for Colonel Jemmett
arose and shook himself II see that my
call has been an Intrusion on you: | shall
| not repeat the indisoretou Good-by.''
! Good-by she repeated mechanically,
| and touched the beii. She felt powerless
! TO detain him but looked wistfully at the
door when it had closed behind him.
| Ten days later she had letter from
I him bearing the Southampton postmark Il
am leaving for the Tirah.' he said. Ito
/. command a brigade II had done what
! you wishe,, in the Black Mountains I
/ should have risked the lives of 5000 men.
/ women and chilGren, | Wa afraid TO do
! this. Perhaps in this new Business l may
be able TO present the Duty Soldier in a
/ better light-at least in one which you
. can see"
! After all. he can be roncal." the
| widow said, and wondered II he could es-
cape retirement. She thought she might
| write to him.
Colonel (loeal Maior-Generan Jem-
| NETT received the widows letter the ,uorn-
ing OF the day his brigade was TO attack
/ the enemy's position. II was the first bat
/ tie in which he fnurd h:::-.zz,siiII MS own
| commander, and such time is MOI the
/ best for reading a woman s-particularly a
/ beloved woman SETTER He was a duty
I soldier and though the touch o. it burned
MS myers, he put it in his eft breast
I pocket unopened.
II was good. he thought t. have her
writing next his heart; but he almost re-
preached himself for thinking about il nj
( all Things were not going so well in this
! campaign that any man could afford con-
( sideration of his private affairs On,s. by
name Winter. he who commanded the bril-
! gade at the other side OF the big hill
I yonder by thinking OF his chances of win
. ming G. b. had sacrificed the better part
| of battery Of i'll spared artillery. IL
! Jemmett were 10 follow his example the
welfare Of thriving district would be
F.! ieopardized. As i; was he would have
! to make head against a very superior force
I II Winters disaster were to be retrieved
! HIS second in command had observed to
I him that Winters impruderce was good,
| inasmuch as he. Jemmett, would he sure
of c. B. now If he could Counterfeit the
effects of it,
In reply. Jemmett did what he .eIdom
did; he snubbed the second in command
who went away and laughed at him. and
then damned an aidede-eamp up hill and
| down dale for doing the same.
The enemy had brought two of the four
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 it, No. no, said he; I'VE 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
bit OF basting from them until we get
.
firing very slowly, they're ranging badly
they're not setting the fuses properly and
they have only one limbers supply.
The second in command was linesnan,
and when one of the hostile shells. the
first which did happen TO burst properly.
carried of bugler and six men, growI-
escaped him about waste of life.
Jemmett, who saw with half an eye that
things were going he wished them,
leaned from his saddle to pat his subor-
dinate on the shoulder. My friend said
he, lit may be inhumane. but / should
not call it waste of life, though twenty
more and myself were to go. if We 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 | wish you'd ge,
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 Jemmett's 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 command. The Rifles have cleared the
ridge. We've got the guns safe and sound
and the guides are chivvying the beggars
down the valley''
That's Al, declared the Colonel "Aad
how long have 10 live?'' he asked
BLESS my soul. How should l know -
returned the other Twenty years. TWEEN
ty-five, anything up to a hundred and fifty
Long enough to bury the brigade airy
how"
What has happened to me? l thought
felt my leg go.
Yes a chunk Of it went I'm
afraid you'll limp Bit old chap
You mean 1t must come off,
NO, it's not SO bad as that-it only
wants absolute rest-aud there's the c. B.,
don't you know
I'm too old TO care about that, but I
suppose they'll hardly retire me now
Make you a field marshal more likely
said the second in command.
Then Jemmett dictated a ten-line dc
count OF the action TO 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.
1t was very long for the widow and it
made Jemmett forget the limp on one side
and the c. B. on the other. 1t ended with
the words: Give me definition Of duty
soldier to take the place OF the stupid
cyBicism he taught me-"
Jemmett put the letter into the en-
velope and the envelope back into his
pocket. and. his heart full OF pride tried
to think out the desired definition.
His cogitations were broken by the re-
Of the second in command. just
a tritle Hurried. That ass Winter has
been at It again, he said He hello
graphs down that he's in she deuce Of
mess. and can YOU get him OH of it?''
What does he WANT" asked Jemmett.
aiken aback.
He says he's surrounded. and can't cut
I way through without a big loss
Jemmett was wee bit angry. Its a
shame said he. Ny men must Dc dog
tired. I hardly know what to do.
Il know what | should do. - snapped The
,econd in command
What would you do?" the general en-
iured.
Let him go to the devil his own way"
You forget yourself. said Jemmett
That's not business We must do what
sc can to help him"
III you send one man you must send
he lOt. said the second in command
And you lose the fruits OF your victory"
Better that" returned Jemmett than
'uffer defeat"