The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-02-14
'Weeds."

I =
and assaulting the police"
ANY previous convictions?' asked hi.
worship, with sour look at the two
youths.
Ripper thrust his hands deep into his
| pockets; SIMPLIFY, somewhat older, watch
ed the do9rkeeper with an anxious eye
There were previous convictions.
THAT win DOR said his worship Sc
verely. You are evidently incorrigf5le
Such fellows are the weeds Of society
It's a pity you cannot be-er-plucked
out You viii be removed TO the houss
Of correction"
A raw footed and broken detachment
OF British infantry regiment was stun
Ding gamely along a dreary ravine in
the interior Of China The regiment
helped make up a relief force which was
| hurrying 10 the rescue Of a missionary
station. Two smart companies had must
cred in the gray light Of early morning
and had set out to reconnoiter in the
hills. Through a childlike faith in the
| efficiency OF the information supplied by
a so-called intelligence department the
major commanding the detachment hal
got hopelessly out of his reckoning. The
! intelli gence department OF the Chimes
had not misled them, and by the late az
! ternoon the British had fallen into an
! ambush. From the rocky ridges flank
1 ing the ravine the Chinese showed now
and then the CLEAN of a scimitar to
] their prey. Little puffs of smoke ap-
/ peared more frequently still. and were
/ sometimes followed by sickening little
/ ''plops," when the bullet met flesh and
! bone in the valley. Z Il Il L
/ The end Of their endurance came when
/ the shadows Of the rapidly approaching
night closed in upon them The word
/ to halt was given and obeyed, although
( its mellow note killed all hope
1.-TWO hours passed; then the command
ing officer was startled from a doze BY
| a hoarse whisper:
''Majeri maieri"
'HaHor he snapped. ''who the dew
iPs that?"
'AIe, majer-Privit 'Arrison. I've been
a-talkin' the persition over with a mate
friend. begin yer pard'n, sir-o' mine.
an we thinks theers a charnce o. savin'
the detachment"
Who told the privates the detachment
wanted any saving?"
Then there was a sound Hike suppress
ed chuclnle, and the whisper reasserted
itself
Ten minutes after there slipped into the
silence Of the rustic OF gently moving
men
"snipey. ole MANI
"Kipperr'
inky night until they found each other
few answering cracks from the hills
were followed by the hum of wasted am
munition.
'Majer said as it was a ive-ter-one
charnce." replied Snipey. Importance
creeping into his tone
''Wot else did Sc say, mate, when yer
axed 'im?"
H"say? Why, few bloonin' 'air-rfters
at fust, as It's is nature to. Then. says
l. me an my pal, mater, reckons as
these pietails wun't want ter tackle IN
the darkness. accuse they might get cut
up a bit; so they'll wait an pot US COM
ferable in the mornin'.' Right ware. ole
chap says e. Then I says But IL We
tried to do a guy, majer, ole pal, they'd
smell a rat. an be down on us like a lot
O. winter sparrers on a hidden Con
siderable powers o. penetration e saws.
Then, says 7, mater. here's our plan
Let one or two stop behind an keen
affirm from different places, an they'll
think we're all ERE; then the rest o. the
detachment can creep off foxy The ma
5er swears, an says it was 1ve-t0-one
chance. Then e thinks a hit Then q
says ell try It. Then I volunteers for
YOU an me to stop, a-cause II wos Us i
wot formulated the invention. Couple Of
damn scamps afore you Joined, EN-? e
says. 'Cerm'y, maier,' I says, soothn-
like Then 7 feels summat a-fooIin'
about me in the darkness an when 7
grabbed 1t I found It wos the majer's
hand"
"Sntpey," said Ripper. reproachfully,
you're a blisterin' liar"
Crack, crack Increasingly the piti1ess
rifles told the lurking Chinese that their
British pigeons were safe IN the nest be- |
low.
KipDeri'
cole pair
I'VE gorrer remember one thing. There
must be no bloomin' surrenderin'''
Not a bit o. surrenderin'." There was /
a decided quaver in the tone now.
There wun't be no talcn' prisonersi |
The regiment. There's a lot O. cigars
about the Regiment. Kip an we amt
a-goin' to disgrace it. see?"
"Sniuev,"
Crack, crack
Cure this rife" said snipey. "How
she bumps"
It was nearly o'clock when Ripper
poke again. The blackness was diluted
4 little over the eastern ridge
"Snipey," he said with a weary little
sob. I'm a-eettin' illt' Then after a
laus: "Snipey, dyer remember what
hat crucified chap said when got tired
when = wos weary, O. waitin',
nAan?"
Don't give yer neck, mattel"
Him wot the mish'nary It'd us about
when We wos kids" went on Ripper
"Wot was to-
Snipey sighed.
ng Of # meself. ''Ow Ions. O Lord,
Ow loru2'
That's IT," said Ripper. through his
hatt.ering teeth 'ow long, o Lord"
The eastern sky vas a golden sea The
ockv ridges and hills beneath seemed
facker than ever. and from that black
nudge on the glory of the dawn came
.alf dozen little pufTs OF fame. AM
Ipper's rifle clattered down upon the
ocks. Snipey groped about IN The gloom
nd found his comrade on his knees.
aspiug and splitting mouthfuIs Il warm
Qnid
'ewot yer doin'. KIP" he said sn1lous-
he stood for a minute. sim - re {
ocks around. then stumbled foruard
With s0hbing CRY Of rage ard ufze-y
a the dim Nrhc he saw Ripper lying On
Is eide, irving IN vain 70 raise himself
ron his elbow.
'Eipper" he whispered softly. failing b
r his knees beside his chum.
Ki0Der Froaned. and pressed his hand &
p his rieht breast C
-Tllrough-the lungsr' he said. fl an
we3 whisper, between the FITS q cough .
II that vTanched hsm- sniper pressed /,
is hand with q sob
'To- the regiment. Suioeyf~ ne ~afen7
iruself OF his elbow. and his churn f1n-
p arm arouud lis neck % support him
here's biz O. cIarzs abeut-t1e-rez-
A fresh f- q ceuEhsnE brought intense
g1nv. after K was ever bis head Pr