News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-07-16
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man whom you know is ready to take
your life on sufficient provocation. We
exchanged remarks occasionally with
one another, but they weren't at all
hilarious. l was just dropping asleep
still sitting on the bench, when Brain.
ard whispered:
ANY water in your canteen, Jack"
| hadn't thought before of the cap
tain's canteen of whisky. Would it be
safe to tell Charley in the hearing OF
the guard that the canteen across my
shoulder was full of whisky? Suppose
the Johnnes should learn of it, drink
it and get fighting mad and kill us?
answered Brainard, No"
Then, remembering some jar inscrip.
lions that he and had spelled out to.
gether in our village drug store and
persuaded the druggist to translate,
continued, trusting the sergeant did
not understand Latin, "Spiritus fru.
menti."
The surprise that cleaned through
Brainard's eyes would have startled
the sergeant had he seen it. Before |
dropped asleep again the guard was
changed by the sergeant rousing the
man of the three who seemed to
amount to least. He was a thin, rath.
er feeble looking fellow, with a stupid
face, the lower half of which had been
left unfinished soon after it was be.
gun. He threw fresh wood on the fire
so as to keep the room alght, then he
sat down with the gun and yawned so
fearfully that | feared he might fall
asleep with his hand on the trigger and
rouse the house, perhaps to our serious
injury. Finally, however, he got en-
tirely awake, and then he seemed to
feel dismal amid so much silence, so he
tried to chat with us. He was a poor
talker but Brainard helped him along
to the best of his ability. They drawn
ed along for an hour, and under the
soothing influence of their monotOnes,
the snoring of the sergeant and the
wheeling Of the other Johnny | began
to drop asleep again just as the guard
was explaining a lot of bad feelings he
had from time to time.
81 could cure you, think, if you
wouldn't get me into trouble" said
Brainard.
EFF you've got any medicine of any
kind, stranger" said the guard, 40
the Lawd's sake, gimme some. l don't
keer what it is. l know it'll do me
good some way"
wouldn't whisky be the very best
medicine you could have?" Brainard
asked,
The mans face looked like a beatified
saint in fourteenth century picture
as he placed a hand on his waist and
murmured "Ohw
"If | find you some right here with
out stirring, will you promise to leave
me little of it?' asked Brainard.
"Of co'se WILL" said the guard soft
ly. But how Sho! Quit your fool
in"
"I'm not fooling," said Brainard.
"You promise, too, not to wake your
friends to help drink it all? don't be-
lieve in whisky except for sickness,
and your friends don't look or act as
If they had any bad feelings"
stranger" said the guard hoarsely
ard promise anything. excep to be a
Yank or to let you git out, TO one drink
of whisky"
"All right" said Brainard, taking the
captains canteen from my neck draw
ing the cork and holding it out TO the
guard.
What Brainard was up to I could
not imagine, and | closed my eyes as
the guard stepped toward him. l fear
ed Charley had some desperate idea of
Selling the mans gun as he passed
the canteen. In such case discretion
would be the better part of valor-for
the rest of us. But there was no scene.
The guard quickly resumed his seat,
and out of a mere slit of my eye l
could see he had his gun ready for US
with one hand while he raised the can
teen to his mouth with the other.
"All | want, you said?" be whisper.
ed after he had ascertained that It
really was whisky.
"All you want" was the reply, $50
you leave me a little in case Of sick
ness"
How that canteen did gurgle for a
full minute! When the drinker was
compelled to stop for breath, he held
the canteen in front of him with a
-you have saved my life" expression of
countenance that was really touching.
Then he began again and drank for a
full minute lenger it seemed to me.
AS he breathed a long sigh of content
he placed the danteen at his feet and
said: '--..-
"Str9 1ger, your. a gentleman. No
body ever done Lie so much good be-
TO-"
"Tm glad to have been of service"
said Brainard. MY friend here helped
your friend there to a good drink of
coffee about three months ago, and I'm
glad to be about even with him.
you're a gentleman. i say it again,
an I'll say it always"
Evidently whisky really was the
medicine he needed, for he began TO be
quite happy, though quiet. Then he
fixed his eye on something on the floor.
He appeared to go into brown study.
Finally he closed his eyes and loosened
his grasp on his gun, which fell softly
ocrocs his knonS I hnOl,pd toword