Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-06

Meantime, soldier subordination must never
be forgotten for an instant.
And as they Crouched there listening
and with beating hearts, again the weird
cry of the screech owl arose on the still
air. Again was 1t answered well over to
the right. and from somewhere along the
opposite bank, but to the east OF the bridge
there came the impatient neigh Of horse.
Then again all was still. Five, ten minutes
they waited, and not a sound was heard.
IF | might crawl over there" whispered
Connolly, II could see or hear better.
Whoever they are they keep away from the
front of this foot bridge. They must know
it's guarded"
II was thinking OF that" answered NAL
10y, in muttered tone. Connolly was
company favorite, man to be considered
not bluntly ordered about. 81 should like
to know whether they are lining up in
those woods yonder, just as they did at
Shiloh, when they jumped into the Army OF
the Tennessee. Do you think-could you
crawl out there 100 or 200 yards-may be-
whatever you say, sir" was the prompt
answer of the Irish lad. He never yet had
shrunk at dare" 1t was Holt who would
have opposed-Holt who strove to speak,
but was silenced by the instant answer:
"Then try it, corporal. tn be feather
in the Emmets' cap II we can discover and
balk their move. Keep sharp lookout, SEN
try Be ready to back him II he needs
help I'll slip back and bring up some
men,"
With that Malloy backed cautiously to-
ward the shrubbery behind them, whil"
Connolly, croucbing low, stole out upon the
narrow foot bridge and was speedily lost to
sight in the shadows Of the opposite shore.
! .N.l nlas, w n
few minutes before rejoiced in the new life
and energy the coffee had given him-Nor-
man. who now found 1t ebbing, oozing away,
and some strange languorous spell stealing
| over his senses-Norman, who with keen
anxiety and disapprobation had heard the
words that sent his gallant comrade upon
a perilous, probably a useless errand' yet
who found himself powerless to remon-
strate or to act. Malloy had Vanlsheh'
Holt was utterly alone-alone with thls
strange stupor that dulled the flow or the
| life-bIood In his veins, numbed his nerves.
darkened his sight, deadened his hearing.
What did it mean? What could 1t mean
He rose to his feet in determined effort TO
shake off the deadly drowsiness fast over
coming him. He stumbled blindly down the
dark bank, knelt at the brink and dashed
the cool water over head and face, shook
| nlflStH hiNh'' NhN W." wv
leg. then the other, thrashed with his arms
in air-all to no purpose He remembered
he had left his rife on the grassy slope by
the bridge abutment, a dozen feet away
now. He must not quit his rife He must
not quit his post. Yet that post-that
bridge seemed slowly turning, revolving
about some hidden axis; so were the trees
beyond and the black shadows underneath;
so was the ground under his feet, and he
was growing dizzy and weak, and his knees
seemed bending beneath him. This
wouldn't dol This would never do Back
| to the abutment! Back to the bridge!
| Back to that abandoned rife! The bank
was steep and he stumbled, and 1t seemed
to fly up, violently hitting his forehead. IL
did not sting or hurt. That was strange.
It was hardly felt. All his senses were
dying. He must have helpl Connolly!
Connolly" he feebly cried. but the sound
seemed ftihed, proloned to a low, long
moaning appeal, an hour between each syl-
liable. Good God Connolly was away out
at the front and the picket-Brennan and
Darcy-away back 100 yards or more in the
woods. He couldn't cry out. lie couldn
make them hear. but Malloy-Malloy sait
he was coming back at once with more o
tho boys. Thank God! That would say,
him That would make tall right. The!
would lift him up. He couldn't lift him
self The world was going round anC
round, His head fell again on the blue
sleeved arm, his senses were reeling. Oi
the bank above voices low but intense anC
, hurrying FOOTBALLS smote on his dulled ear
like the muffied beat Of the big bass drum
r He strove TO say. who goes there?" bu
the tongue refused its office. There cam
consc ioasness only when rough hands lai'
. hold, dragged him up the slope and stroy