Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-08-31

eyes End taken such chances that he
WIS called q devil on one hand and n
iool on the other.
Men who watched him closely denied
that be was looking for promotion or a
record. He was seeking to end II oil
On the battlefield. There was nothing
more In life for him. AMI II would be
better 10 die with saber In hand than
70 snur out his W life like n coward.
Our respect for the man Increased, but
yet he was still outlawed and we still
carried a feeling Of resentment against
him.
Quo day. In the depths OF the forest.
while winter SIN held It's grip on the
land, ! came arross him lying NJ full
length On the ground lie was. n
Ing aud weeping. For ten minutes he
sobhud rs n uian doas only when some
great sorrow hcs wasted bis strcngth.
Turned back bis years and taken him
back 10 childhood. Awed and fright
med and wondering. / crept silently
away aud left him with his grief. Two
hours later ! lapt him to ind that he
had conquered himself, II seemed as
II there was a new Inc OF care In his
face and that there was n nov touch OF
silver 10 his hair. but hc was not 10 be-
tray his secret lie did not know that
his struggle had been witnessed, and I
was dumb as to what I had seen.
A week later Troop G was sent out
on a scout and rode into n tight place.
II was reported that nil OF VS. did our
duty 10 the half hours hot lighting. Int
there was only one hero Even with
the pistols flashing aud the sabcrs
whiting / watched Private ilassins rs
he waved his sabcr on h.ElI and thun.
derod Into thr thick OF the melee. lie
fought 10 Ri aud be Killed. but death
passed him by.
We whispered to each Other tint he
was n hero. deserving OF Il medal OF
gold. and we esteemed and exalted
him. but the circle dIl not open TO let
him ia He was moi Of us he had not
been for n year and no oct Of his 10
hattie COULD make him 50 lie know II
as wen as Gc did. and nc made 10 nd
Z lie had cur respect and admil-
ration IN the fullest, hut lie did not
have and diI not wish FOR our rom
radcship auJ sympathy. We knew That
there are things which must lie buried
in tie human bosom forever aud ever,
matter what the coSt. but yet we re-
II wLcu our sympathy was re-
fusc,l
II Was two weeks after our Gght
WHEN I was detailed on vcdctte duty
with Private iIaSkins, We were 30
the pest together. In tho winter
behind Us there wa the hum or
preparation FOR the spring campaign.
In the quarters Cf the enemy. a dozen
miles away. there was the same excite.
mCnt. We rode 80 a post on tho high
way and dlsinountcd under q tree. |
remember that tho sin shone warm.
the buls We're starting, md hcre and
there II roliu was ~ralsia: his gind song.
Little was said between VS.. and 10y
and by Private Iiaskius fell into one
Of his moods.
From the corncr Of my eye | watched
his Pipe pun NJ longer intervals until 1t
finally died out. he looked straight
ahead OF him across the field or The
wall as his ears drank in the notes OF
the birds. lie forgot that ! was near.
Ills thoughts went back to the old
grief. and ! saw the changes In his soul
written on hts face, There were Joy
and glndness: there were grief and
pain; there were %wavnrlng and deter
minntiOn. At lie end Of a quarter Ct
IN hour he suddenly sobbcd In his
throat. Then he rose up and started
across the field toward the wall.
What IS il. Hasklns? What do you
seer EIo'l on" | called to him. but he
never halted or turned his head.
Gone back" | called. "a sharp
shooter may he hiding hclind the wal.
Come hackg"
! heard him gasp!nE and sobbing as
he pushed forward. ! would have ruu
him and caught him, as oLe might
a somnomhuliSt who was approaching
the edge Of a preclpicc. hut just then
horses reared aud Snoried ana re-
CURED my strongest efforts TO prevent
them from breaking away. When |
could look around. tic maj was nearly
the wall ! was about To shout nj
him again. when he stopped. threw up
his arms ard sank down, and he was
lying on his hack on the frostbltten
grass before | heard the report VI the
rife which had slain him. Then o
squad OF cavalry dashed out and tried
TO capture me. ana ! went laundering
up the road toward the reserve picket
with bullets singing louder than the
robins.
Half an hour later | was back with n
squadron. We charged past the dead
man on the grass and up TO the stone
wall. hut no was in sight. All that
we saw was the peaceful farmhouse
beyond; all that we heard were the
voices of the-birls.
The enemy had been to view The man
they had slain. From one of bis peck.
cts. In searching for what might be
worth carrying away, they had taken
IN old letter-H letter dated years be-
fore aud In n woman's hand. They had
read Il. or al least n few lines OF II.
Then they had spread II out on his
breast and left him with body III
searched. perhaps lifting their hats In
reverence aa they turned 10 ride away
We saw the letter and lifted II up
anl anffv.f thnf Nh.H,tu a eHa Nro,,