Okolona messenger., 1902-07-09

ed it a mile away in front, and the
yellow sides and red roofs Of an
officers house to the west. But
here McQuhirr used to sit and
watch the smoke being whirled
from the long row Of officers
chimneys like white plumes float
ing on the wind. About 8 o'clock
would come the sunset turning
the sky and prairie into flame.
Then the bugles sounded "retreat'
and the detail Of the guard fired
the shutdown salute and lowered
the flag. Out on the long piazzas
the companies lined up and stood
at "attention" until the flag
reached the ground. Then the
men again went to their cards and
papers, and Private MeQuhiTr to
his lonely seat on the edge of his
bunk beside the window. McQu-
hirr would again fill his pipe and
this time, knowing that the men
never came upstairs at this hour,
he would set the picture Of the
girl up before him on the window
sill. She was a pretty girl, and
although McQuhirr had probably
never seen her enter a ball room
in a gown o. yellow satin with
overdress of white Paris muslin,
he no doubt considered her the
most beautiful girl in the world.
Here he would sit and smoke in
silence, while outside the sun
turned things red and gold. Then
someone would come to the steps
and shout;
"Dinner; fall in for dinner"
McQuhirr would then 60 down
to the big dining room and eat his
dinner. But you could have found
him again one hour later at the
upstairs window with his pipe.
One day he was arrested for
some slight Offense and put in the
guardhOuse. The next day he
was sent out to work in the hay
fields with a squad OF prisoners
who we're serving long terms, and
who we're, perhaps, some OF the
most desperate men who ever saw
the inside of a military prison.
There was only one guard and he
sat under a tree and rested his
rifle across his knees. The cut
teIs worked gradually Orer to
ward the river bank. Then, while
the eyes of the guard we're still up
on them, two of them dashed for
the shelte- of the willows and cot.
tonwOOd that grew along the bank.
The other four prisoners scattered
and laid down in the long grass.
M'Quhirr stood perfectly still.
He was too old a soldier to do
anything rash and besides he had
no wish to escape. The two men
had entirely disappeared when
the guard jumped to his feet and
fired his rife. Three times he
fred and when the smoke cleared
away there was nothing before his
eyes but a high field of yellow
grass.
When the officer of the day and
a detail Of the guard reached the
spot they found the four men
crOuching in the grass. They also
found M'Quhirr. He was laying
on his face with a bullet hole in
his chest and the opening between
his shoulders, where it had come
out. They carried him to the
guard house for some reason in
stead OF to the hospital and he was
still unconscious when the surgeon
arrived.
II "There's nothing I can do for
him." said the doctor. "He can't
live an hour"
"COuldn't we get him out Of
herei" asked the Lieutenant Win
slow, who had come over as sOOR
as he found out it was one of his
! men. cit seems a shame to let
the old fellow die in a place like
this"
) "Oh," said the surgeon a little
: impatiently, "is that your rea-
} sonI" Then he added quite i'm
3 passively. "I think we will Just
E let him remain where he is.'
e WinslOw was young and i'm
a pulsive; the surgeon had seen
t thirty years of service.
g A few minutes later, MQUhirI
? opened his eyes and tried to speak.
/ ''What is it, M'Quhirrf" asked
: WinslOw, bending over him.
( HCOuld you raise my head a bit,
D sirin he asked.
} The officer raised his head and
4. M'Quhirr ran his hand into his
I breast pocket and took out the
picture IN the leather case.
! 0The face was completely de.