Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1901-03-08
"Weeds Of Society"
The Story Of Snipey and Ripper.

CNIPEY and Ripper stood in the
y dock, with a don't-care-a-fig-for-
anybody air.
whats the charge against these
fellows?" inquired the magistrate.
Drunk and d~isorderly, your wor-
ship, and assaulting the police"
There was no defense.
"Any previous convictionsP" asked
his worship, with a sou 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
corrigible. Such fellows are the
weeds of society. It's a pity you can
not be-er-plucked out. You will be
removed to the house of correction
for three months" n y y
A raw-footed and broken detach-
ment of a British infantry regiment
was stumbling gamely along a dreary
,ravine in the interior of China. The
regiment helped make up a relief
force which was hurrying to the res
cue of n missionary station. Two
smart companies had mustered into
the gray light of early morning and
had set out to reconnoiter in the
hSls. Through a childlike faith in the
efficiency of the information supplied
by a so-called intelligence department,
the major commanding the detach-
ment had got hopelessly out of his
reckoning. The intelligence depart
ment 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
and bone in the valley. The dead
lay sprinllled in the wake of the
British in dabs Of scarlet, as if they
were playing a 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 it's mellow note
killed all hope. Rations of -four and
water We're 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
manding officer was startled from
doze by a hoarse whispers:
"Majer! majer!"
"Hallo!" he snapped. "Who tn,
devil is that?"
"Me, majer-Privit 'Arrison. w,
bin a-talkin' the persition over with
mate-friend, beggin' yer pard'n, sir
o. mine, an we thinks theers
charnce o. savin' the detachment"
There were a few explosives in tn
darkness.
"Who told the privates the detach
ment wanted any saving?"
Then there was a sound like a sup
pressed chuckle, and the whisper re
asserted itself. BY and by the ex
pletives melted into answering wills
pers, then followed silence.
Ten minutes after there slipped in
to the silence the rustic of gentl
moving men.
"Snipey, ole mani"
"Kipper!"
Two hands CROPPED ridiculousIy 4
the inky night until they found eac-
Other. A few answering cracks fror
the Hills were followed by the hum O
wasted ammunition.
"Majer said as it was a f~iYe-ter-on
charnce," replied Snipey, with some
thing of Importance creeping into hi
tone.
"Wot else did e say, mate, whe
yer aRed imp"
"Say? Why, a bloomin' 'air-lifter
at fust, as it's is nature to. The
says /, Me an my pal, majer, reckon
asthese pigtails wun't want ter tackl
in the darkness, a-cause they Nigh
get cut up a bit; so they'll wait al
pot us comfortable in the mornin'