The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-03-23
A Shot That Failed.

miration for moment. Then he turn
| ed to Wears.
Sir make sister GOMEZ he cried. in
cholxed, husky voice: "The regiment
was cut to pieces in the Pyrkah Pass
last evening. There is no time to lose.
| was sent off at eight O'Clock. and
should have. been here hours ago had
not lost my way in the darkness.''
And the field hospital?" the girl ask
ed, quietly.
| Doctor Kennedy, the new surgeon
who was sent up to us five weeks ago,
said he should fall back on you with the
handful of men who escaped the ia
guras as soon as he had got the wound
ed into the ambulances.'
| "Kennedy?" whispered the girl.
| "He Joined about week before you
came up" explained Wears. IT never
met him, but some of the fellows told
me that he was bit of a swell in his
| own department, and that the staff
were jolly glad to get him.
The name was a mere coincidence. of
course; still, Hesper wished that she
had CHANGED on it's owner if only to
| give her stupid thoughts the lie.
However, she had. other things to
think about now, and, turning to vi
cars, she looked straight into his eyes.
MY work is here,'' she said. 1--WE
| will wait for the. Others" And, Wav-
ing a farewell, she disappeared within
her tent.
"You must push on alone, my man."
said Wears, hoarsely. sisters made
up her mind, bless her, and I shall do
what can to protect her."
He held out his hand. and the honest
grip it received put heart into them
! both.
How much longer will the beggars
give us?" Wears asked himself, as he
watched the mans figure rapidly dis
appearing down the hillside. Then
his face flushed holly. II wish she had
gone," he added, looking to the prim-
ing of his revolver, 1.-The Jaguras are
such out and out beasts.
ASK any AnglO-Indian. and he will
tell you that Government never made
a bigger mistake than when it des-
patched the S5th WarWiclzshire under
Colonel Bertram up to the hills, alone
and unsupported, with instruction to
holds.
For six weeks they played hide and
seek with the enemy among their ma
tive haunts. Never a chance did the
willy hillmen offer of brush, but pick
ed off our soldiers from behind conven-
lent covers above and below, until, our
losses becoming serious, Colonel Bert
ram saw that his only hope of salvation
lay in forcing an engagement.
Therefore he pushed forward beyond
Rawee, though at considerable loss,
and was entrapped in the Pyrkah Pass.
Hemmed in in front and behind, pot
ted at above and below, many times
outnumbered as they were, our men
sold their lives as dearly as they could ;
and when, with it's Wonted sWiftness,
tropical night drew a merciful veil over
the scene, a forlorn band of some TWEEN
Fly leaderless survivors had hacked their
way back to the field hospital, whence
an orderly was despatched post haste
to cover the nurses retreat, and sum-
mon help from Lodopore.
Meantime, under DR.. Kennedy, the
wounded, including another surgeon,
DR.. Magee, were quickly transferred
into the ambulance wagons, and the
survivors of the Pyrkah Pass, sharing
such ammunition as Kennedy had at
his command, prepared to fall back
with their helpless companions on the
first station.
They started at midnight, for in CON-
mon with the majority of savage tribes
the Jaguras were tolerably certain tC
, postpone their attack till dawn, and
with the reinforcement they hoped tc
find under Wears it would be possible
to make a sort Of stand, or, what was
perhaps more, polite, organize a speed
, Ter retreat.
1t was but nine mile march, but the
, difficulties of darkness, transit, and the
, number of wounded they carried, made
it seem twenty. Daylight had come
when the dozen bell-tents showed then
:, selves half way up the next mountain
peak Then a soldier with much
stained bandage round, his forehead
touched the doctors arm.
"They've passed the hospital already
sir" he said, pointing significantly tt
a ring of dusky figures on the horizon
= '"They haven't taken long to loot the
camp"
Kennedy's dark handsome face grew
stern.
We've got to reach the station first,
he said in a quietly determined voice
1T can be done. Put your best foo
l forward, men,"
Everyone responded to the appea
, with characteristic good will. Soo1
they were at the foot of the hill.
Wagons were pushed horses encou
l ragged, dashed, or aided over the rough.
e. est parts of the ground; wounded men
} whenever possible, walked to lessen thu
weight, and with the help of comrade:
; drew up at last on the narrow pathway
before the station.
. Wears received them alone, although
Kennedy caught the CLINT of gre,
I skirt vanishing within the second tent
; I'VE are fever-stricken," he explain
l ed, cor we should have come to YOU
n aid. Twenty men are perfectly help
less, and one nurse and thirty dead
i Sister Hesper refuses to leave u.s.
: And you have allowed her to stay!
cried the DOCTOR his mind divided be