The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-08-14

He took the bowl from her hands.
and emptying little of it into the
wooden cup that hung to her belt. kept
that for himself. and, stretching his
arm across the straw. gave the bowl to
Zackrist, who had watched it with
the longing, raTenous eyes of a starv-
ing wolf. and seized it with rabid
ayidity.
A smile passed over Cecirs face.
amused despite the pain he suffered.
THAT is one Of my sensational
tricks. as NJ. de Chateauroy calls
them. Poor Zackristl Did you see his
eyes?''
Cigarette shrugged her shoulders in
silence: then, posing herself on the
wheel, she sprang from thence on to-
the back of her little mare which she
had brought up, having the reins in
one Of her hands and the wine bowl in
the other, and which was fresh ana
bright after the nights repose.
ST will ride with you, with my spa.
his" she said as a young queen mighs.
have promised protection from her es-.
cort. He thanked her and sank back
among the straw. exhausted and worm
out with pain and with languor The
weight thatsseemed to Cypress his chest
was almost as hard to bear as when the
actual pressure of his dead chargers.
body had been on him.
Four other troopers were placed on
the straw beside him, and the mule
carts, with their mournful loads, rolleG
slowly out Of camp eastward toward
the quarters of the main army. Gnata
and mosquitoes and all the winged
things of the African air tormented
them, and, tossing on the dry, hot
straw, they grew delirious, some fall
ing asleep and murmuring incoherent-
ly, others lying with vide open eyes OF
half senseless, straining misery. olga,
rette came to the side of the tempora-
ry ambulance in which Cecil was plac-
ed. He was asleep-sleeping for once
peacefully, with little trace Of pain
upon his features, as he had slept the
previous night. She saw that his face
and chest had not been touched by the
singing insect swarm. He was dou-
bly, screened by shirt hung above him
dexterously on some bent sticks.
"Who has done that?" thought Ciga~
rette AS she glanced round she saw
without any linen to cover him Fac
krist had reared himself up and leaned.
slightly forward over against his cons
rade. The shirt that protected Cecil
was his, and on his own bare shoul,
ders and mighty chest the tiny armies
of the flies and gnats were fastened.
doing their will uninterrupted.
AS he caught her glance sudde1R
ruddy glow Of shame shone through
| the black, hard skin of his sunburned
| visage-s shame to which he had never
been touched when discovered in any
one of his guilty and barbarous actions
''Ughn' he growled savagely. "He
/ gave me his wine. One must do some
thing in return; not that l feel the fn.-
sects-not 1; my skin is leather, see:
you; they can't get through it, but his.
| is white and soft-bah-like tissue pa
| per-" es,s5es. sas ssi.at - q
I! q see, Zackrist You are right. a.
/ French soldier can never take a kind
ness from an English fellow without
outrunning hisl in generosity. Look,
here is some drink for you.
She knew too well the strange ma
/ ture with which she had to deal to say
a syllable of praise to him for his self
| devotion or to appear to see that. de-
! spite his boast of his leather skin, the
stings of the cruel winged tribes were.
/ drawing his blood and causing him
| alike pain and irritation which, under
/ that sun and added to the torment of
/ his gunshot wound. were a martyrdom
as great as the noblest saint ever en-
1 dured.
And all through the march she gave
Zackrist a double portion of her water
/ dashed with red wine, that was so wei
| come and SO precious to the parched and.
/ aching Threats, and all through the.