New Ulm review., 1901-07-24

picture framed against the rough logs,
which were upholstered and not even
smoothly hewn. I trusted that she
would sleep the night through, and as
the fire sank lower and lower and the
| darkness erept up to the hearthstone,
almost hiding her figure, the stiffness
of midnight came, and could hear her
regular breathing in the dead silence.
went back to the window. The fire
Of the British faced it, and I could see
that three Of the men had lain down
and gone to sleep The other two were
sitting up, weapons at hand, and infer
red that they had been detailed as senti.
nels, though their lazy attitudes showed
we'll enough that it was a job they did
not like. For all could tell at the dis
tance, these men, too, might be asleep
sitting.
watched them for a half hour or
more and grew very tired Of the bust
ness. The brightness Of the moonlight
had eliminated, and the earth lost its
silver tint, shading into a dark, dull
gray. The figures Of our besiegers grew
shadowy and shapeless. It was time
for sleep, and felt it in all my bones.
A trooper doesn It ask much. If could
have taken my blanket and put myself
down on a reasonably smooth piece Of
turf under the shade of a tree, with the
certainty that no enemy would waken
me, 1t would have been sufficient for
me. would have slept the sleep of the
just or the tired unjust. which is often
as good.
I drew the old pine box up to the
window and sat on it, resolved to listen,
now that I was tired of looking. won
dered what had become of Old Put, the
man slayer, and tried to discover why
had been such fool as to distrust him
even for a moment
Thus musing, I discovered that the
| fire had gone out; that could see moth
| ing-in fact, that the room was pitchy
dark. opened my eyes, remembering
! that all things must be dark to man
/ with his eyes shut, and saw again the
Pickering fire and the figure of the girl
| half reclining in the chimney corner.
This would never do. was the whole
army horse, foot, artillery and baggage
/ wagons, commander in chief, colonel,
captains and priyates and we could
| never go to sleep all at once I under
| took to walk briskly around the room in
order to stir my sluggish blood into
| watchfulness, but that would wake the
| girl, and I did not want to do such a
cruel thing. I stopped in front of her
and looked at her face attentiYely.
Asleep she did not look at all the spit
fire she was awake Mingled with her
beauty now was certain wanness, a
something that was pathetic, look
that appealed to man for protection
and strength. After all, she was but q
| girl, and why should I care for the Bit
| ter things she said when probably half
| the time she said them she was sorry?
| / went back to the window and looked
out once more. The besieging army was
taking its comfort The part which had
stretched itself on the ground remained
| stretched, and the part which watched
/ sagged more than ever toward the hori-
zontal. It was a lazy army. that was
| evident, and resolved that would set
! it an example of superiority.
i idfllS mnuS tASS0 DIds6 I6SuublOuS,
| sat down en- the stool and leaned my
head once more against the wall, not be-
cause was tired and sleepy, but merely
| that / might reserve my strength for a
crisis, the most necessary thing in the
world for a soldier, every man of ex-
| perience knowing that an army fights
better if it goes into battle well fed,
well clothed and we'll rested. It was q
good argument, that bore extension, and