Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-07-11

1cllOWS udU UccA AuuS ICA Gu AAeo SSA v
ice less than a week before, and they
were said to be the most gorgeously
uniformed military troop ever organ
lied. They wore scarlet Turkish
trousers, bike jackets embroidered
with gold bullion braid, and purple
fezes with long, pendant tassels. Be-
ing just from the outfitters, all this
fine regalia was perfectly fresh and
new, and somehow or other it added
to the ghastliness of the spectacle on
the hillside. The'corpses were in all
sorts of strange pastures, and their
fantastic costumes gave them an air
of horrible grotesqueness that !
couldn't begin to describe in words.
However, to come to my point, !
had picked up fez to carry away as
a relic, and was about to leave the
spot, when happened to notice a
much handsomer specimen on the head
of little zouave stretched out, stiff
and stark, few roas away. with
handkerchief over his face. stepped
up to make swap but had barely
touched the tassel when low, sweet
toned voice under the handkerchief
said: please don't!'
"For . moment" continued the vet.
eran, "that unpleasant protest, com.
ing from what I had supposed to be
corpse, made my hair bristle on my
head. Then I lifted the handkerchief
and was shocked to see the delicate,
refined features of boy not over Is.
He was pale as death and evidently
desperately wounded, but he looked at
me calmly. My God!' I exclaimed,
what lad you are to be here!' Pm
afraid I'm dying unless I have help
he replied. DO you think the surgeons
will be around pretty soon" The
Lord knows groaned, for the boys
courage touched me to the heart.
Your surgeons have all run away, and
we only have few, with more wound
ed than they can attend to- Then l
guess all / can do is to lie here quietly
and de- he said, in the same gentle
voice. Can you get me little water
before you go?
II took his canteen and hurried down
to branch at the foot of the hill.
where the first thing saw, by the way,
was the corpse of zouave floating in
pool. 1 went up the stream far
enough to get out of the horrible
death zone, filled the canteen With
pure water and was soon back at the
boys side. 1 gave him drink and he
thanked me. is there nothing else l
can do?' asked, awkwardly, because
I knew our company was under early
marching orders that morning and
that it would be impossible for me to
linger much longer. Nothing at all,
thank you,' he replied. No message
to anybody 'No-nothing, thanks
II turned away most reluctantly,
and had gone only few yards when I
heard his thin voice calling me back.
Excuse me- he said, but want you
to accept this as present. and he
handed me his fine purple fez. No!
no!' I exclaimed, greatly embar-
raised; 4 couldn't think of taking it.
When started to, little while ago.
1 thought you-you-' You thought 1
was dead, of course he interrupted.
well, soon will be, and that other fez
will do me just as well. Please put it
on my head and take mine / saw that
he would be hurt unless did as he de-
sired, so I took the fez and went away.
In less than half an hour our company
was on the march, and, needless to
say, never heard anything more OF
| the little child zouave. He was badly
Wounded and undoubtedly died where
I1eft him. I kept it for long time,
added thesyeteran, "but it was finally
! lost, with other odds and ends, in the
general confusion following the war.
I'd give some mNney for it to-day"