The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-02-16
opment which had been sadly retard-

nerves acquired t0Ee, ana no learned 70
take Il tumble now and then as n mat
ter Of course. and to fire his carb.nc
without shutting his eyes and blancn-
ing at the explosion of the cartridge,
/ BLOW me, if he isn't going to shape
into a man at last" uuoth the ser
geantinstructor.
| Then II great blow fell upon him.
He received one morning a letter from
| the girl to tell him that she had given
him up In favor of Il shop walker who
had expectations Of being set ,lp in
business By his falner. She admitted
that she had adored soldiers ana that
she had caused him TO enter the army
for her sake. But she had omitted to
state that the soldiers she adored were
soldiers who possessed the Queen s
| commission, and who Wore stars iu-
stead OF Il wOrstcd stripe.
| II poor White Feather" was 4 phy-
steal coward he was a moral hero.
There is 10 chance Of display of feel
| ing in q barrack room, 80. like the
| Spartan boy Of old. he hugged his
trouble to him, slipping the cheap lit
tie engagement ring with which he
had sealed his troth into his pocket
| without 4 sign beyond the twitching
Of his white lips. Then he lit his pipe
With the letter, not out Of contempt
but because there is little privacy ac-
corded in the correspondence that
comes to the barrack room.
The blow was Il very heavy one. for
white Feather" was without the
told him long since that he had fixed
his affections upon vulgar, selfish,
and brainless fiiTt, and he still believed
In her.
For her sake he had learned to over
come his physical cowardice. He had
tn: dim future. and had rcjoced In the
recently acquired promotion as n step
toward her.
For her sake. too, he received the
news cheerfully when the word passed
through the barracks that the regi
meet the Beers. He knew that he was
by nature coward, but, for the mem
DRY Of her, he sWore an oath to him
self to do his duty without sparing
himself in the coming fight.
Look ere, old chap-we amt going
to call YOU White Feather no more"
said Trumpetcr Pipes, as they lay to
sether behind the shelter of large
boulder, against the face of which the
Hoer bullets were pattering like
heavy rain.
In full sight OF the whole army, their
squadron had crossed the Boer front
amidst hail of bullets which had
brought twenty men to earth.
White Feathers" horse had been
shot under him, and, at the risk OF his
life, he had carried the wonnded
trumpeter into the shelter of the bould-
ers. He was unhurt. but tremblcd in
every limb from fear and great exer-
tion.
From between two boulders he
pccped out and saw. amid the bodies
of men and horses that Uttered the
plain. wounded man crawling on his
hands and knees. amid spatter OF
bullets that We're kicking puffS of dust
from the dry earth all around him.
1t was his captain.
white Feather watched him for a
moment; then he saw him stop and lie
down on his side despairingly. He
could crawl no more.
Il will, for her sake" he murmured
between his clanched teeth. and rising
from the shelter of the rock he faced
the hail of death that battered to the
earth around him.
AS he walked into the open n faint
cheer reached his ears from the British
troops half mile behind him. The
Royal Artillery backed him with a
shreking flight of shrapncl, which
whistled for moment overhead. then
burst over the Boer lines quarter Of
a mile away in a shower of bullets
that for moment quelled the storm
around him.
He reached the wounded man, lifted /
him on his back, and returned step by
step to where Trumpeter Pipes lay
hidden.
The trumpcter gave him faint
Bravo. as he staggered and fell with
his burden into the kindly shelter OF
the rock.
That was White Feather's' reward
On distant hill the British COM
mander shut his field glasses with i
snap.
Tell the general to keep down the
fire on the right there. and to get those
men in from behind those bouiderS,
he said to his aide land bring me
that mans name If he is alive. tell
him that | saw it all. and that nj go
ing to recommend him for tie Cross.
Never saw a finer show Of tire dis
cipline in my life.' added the com
mander to himself, as his aide galloped
off.
White Feathers eyes gl!stened as
he received the message. and heard the |
cheer that swept along the lines as he
was carried in.
Perhaps shall get that commis-
sion after ALL" he said to himself:
then she will think more Of me-