The Iola register., 1901-08-23

nus given ih1 ipNidNiNN pihNAP w hOb
let you talk much. | am going to obey
orders implicitly, and ] am going to
make you obey me- Do you hear that,
Mr.. NedP Here, now, it is time for you to
take your medicine There! BE CAREFUL
Don't spill it all over your chin. You
careless fellow You are the most awlS-
ward patient ever had"
Thus she went on in mock reproof.
The happy tones of her voice and the
arch, loving smile which accompanied |
her words did him more good than |
could any medicine in the post dis |
pensary.
But, Alice, must talk cannot lie
here and"
mo, you must not talk, you rebellious |
darling" Then glancing around to see
that no one was near she implanted a
kiss on his pale lips and continued
"There now, see If that will seal your
lips. You must just lie there and let
me do all the talking. Papa says | am
little nuisance of chatterbox any
how, so guess can talk enough for
both of us
"Then tell me all that has happened
since l lost consciousness behind the
rocks, and l will lie as quiet as mouse
and listen," he said, taking her hand in
his and pressing it warmly.
IAN right, and don't you forget your
promise or I may punish you again by
sealing your lips. You see, the people
at the fort heard the firing when the
Indians came upon us, and just after
you tainted away a troop of cavalry
came dashing up with papa at its head.
He sprang from his horse with great
big tears in his eyes, the very first
ever saw there in all my life, and |
thought he would hug me TO death.
lie asked me if the Indians had harmed
me and | told him they had not, but
feared you were killed. He stopped
down over you and looked at your pale
face and the blood all over your breast,
and then, o, Ned. he raved like a mad
man. never saw him in such n pas
sion before. He stamped the ground
and struck the rocks with his sword
and swore, oh! just awfully! lie called
you 10y name. and (now, you mustn't
mind, Ned, for it was only papa's
bluster and he didn't mean it he called
you villain and told you get up and
not lie there making fool of yourself,
and said if you attempted to die he
would have you drummed out of the
| service. He called you brave. noble
rascal, and said he'd rather lose every
man in the garrison than you. Then
he turned on Capt. Colby and asked
him what in the-bad man, you know
he was standing there for like gaping
idiot while the Indians were escap-
ing, and ordered him to follow and
kill every one of them. The troop
dashed ahead and overlook the Indians
in the sand hills across the river and
had an awful fight with them, for
more Indians had come after the band
that chased us. Papa sent his orderly
flying back to the fort after the sur
geon and an ambulance, and then he
fused around and hugged me and
called you good and bad names until
the surgeon came. Then you were
lifted in the ambulance, papa scolding
the soldiers and telling them he would
annihilate them if they hurt you. On
the way in you recovered consciousness
but were delirious. You kept begging
me to fly to the fort and save myself
and leave you to your fate, and papa
asked if you had talked that way when
you was lighting the Indians, and when
! told him those were your very words
his lips trembled, and he turned his
back and began to abuse the poor
driver for running over stones. Anc
that's the whole story, dear, from q
to lizard"
"God bless him, his heart is in the
right place, if his tongue does fly tn,
track occasionally. Oh, my darling
l."
Her plump little hand was gently
pressed over his mouth, and with 1
warning shake of the head she said;
There, there, therel Did | not for
bid you talking? You will find me
hard master, old fellow, for l will en-
force obedience TO my orders. Listenl
hear papa's voice in the surgeons of
fee"
Game to his senses. eh? Coneludet
he'd made an internal fool of himsel
long enough That's right. That
right. That's sensible, and now yol
want to get him onto his feet again ant
do it quick, or, damme, III shut Vi
your drug shop and drum you out O
the garrison. How would you lilI
that, you old pill mixer? Eth, Doc?"
ut would all depend on the tune
marched to, colonel. If the band won 4
play: See the corn-curing her
comes" or some other air laudatory O
: my profession, don't think | woul
mind It much. Brown has certainl
safely passed the crisis. and if nothing
unforeseen occurs win rapidly recover
But it was close call, colonel. Tha
8 shot would prove fatal in ninety-nin
cases out of hundred. | can't sc
: where his heart could have been for tina
! ball to miss it,"
. "In his mouth, no doubt, Or We'll
i, no matter. think it was not in hi
! possession at the time But, pshaw! 70
! can't kill an internal rascal like him
/, Doc, a-a-a-a lion that masquerade
I in the skin of dunn iaclIass. III MAX
, him shed that donkey skin when h
2 gets on his feet again. Yes, dammC
I'll make him wear his own colors. T.
!, trO i'm aud tolra "a look at him