The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-03-14
Weeds Of Society,""
The Story Of Snipey and Ripper.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

u N1IE1 ana hlpper SUOOQ IN Une
y dock, with a don't-care-a-fig-for
anybody air.
whats the charge against these
fellows?" inquired the magistrate.
Drunk and disorderly, your wor-
ship, and assaulting the police"
There was no defense.
"Any previous convictions?" asked
his worship, with a sour look at the
two youths of promise.
Ripper thrust his hands deep into
his pockets; Snipey, somewhat older,
watched the dockkeeper with an
anxious eye. There were previous
convictions.
THAT will dol" said his worship
severely. you are evidently in
r0rrigible. Such fellows are the
weeds of society. It's pity you can
not be-er-plucked out. You will be
removed to the house of correction
for three months"
A raw-footed and broken detach-
ment of a British infantry regiment
was stumbling gamely along dreary
rarine in the interior of China. The
regiment helped make up a relief
force which was hurrying to the res
cue of a missionary station. Two
smart companies had mustered into
the gray light of early morning and
had set out to reconnoiter in the
bells. Through a childlike faith in the
efficiency of the information supplied
by a so-called intelligence department,
the major commanding the detach-
1r1ent had got hopelessly out of his
reckoning. The intelligence depart
Tment of the Chinese had misled
them, and by the late afternoon the
British had fallen into an ambush.
From the rocky ridges thanking the
ravine the Chinese showed now and
then the CLEAN of a scimitar to their
prey. Little puffs of smoke appeared
more frequently still, and were some
times followed by sickening little
"plops," when the bullet met flesh
.end bone in the valley. The dead
lay sprinkled in the wake of the
British in dabs of scarlet, as if they
were playing weird game of hare
.and-hounds with death.
The end of their endurance came
when the shadows of the rapidly ap-
preaching night closed upon them
The word to halt was given and
-obeyed, although its mellow note
killed all hope. Rations of flour and
water were passed round, and, with
the sentries posted, the little body of
British soldiers sat or lay at ease,
rifle in hand, waiting for night and
death.
Two hours passed; then the com
Irianding officer was startled from
Goze by hoarse whisper:
"Majer! majer!"
s-Hallo!" he snapped. "Who the
devil is that?"
@Me, majer-Privit 'Arrison. I've
bin atall<in' the persition over with
1r1ate-friend, beggin' yer pard'n, sir
o mine, an we thinks theers
charnce O savin' the detachment"
There were a few expletives in the
darkness.
who told the privates the detach-
nzent wanted any saving?"
Then there was sound like sup
pressed chuckle, and the whisper re-
asserted itself. BY and by the ex-
pIetives melted into answering whis-
pers, then followed silence.
Ten minutes after there slipped in
TO the silence the rustic of gently
moving men.
Snipey, ole mani"
<Kipper!"
Two hands CROPPED ridiculously in
the fnky night until they found each
other. few answering cracks from
the hills were followed by the hum of
wasted ammunition.
Majer said as it was a five-ter-one
Ncharnce,' replied Snipey, with some
thing of Importance creeping into his
tone.
t<Wot else did e say, mate. when
yer aaed imp"
Say? Why, bloomin' 'air-lifters
at fust, as it's is nature to. Then
says |, ME an my pal, maier, reckons
asthese pigtails wun't want ter tackle
in the darkness, a-cause they might
get cut up a bit; so they'll wait an
pot Us comfortable in the mornin','