Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-07-30

your life on sufficient provocation. w
exchanged remarks occasionally witt
one another, but they weren't at al
hilarious. 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 can
ta!lts canteen of whisky. Would 1t b,
safe to tell Charley in the hearing O.
the guard that the canteen across my
shoulder was full of whisky? Suppos,
the Johnnies should learn of it, drinl
it and get fighting mad and kill us?
answered Brainard, NO"
Then, remembering some jar inscrip
tions that he and had spelled out to
gether in our village drug store ant
persuaded the druggist to translate,
continued, trusting the sergeant die
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 tic
amount to least. lie was a thin, rath
err feeble looking fellow with n 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 alight. then he
sat down with the gun and yawned Sc
| q
fearfully that l 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 drawl-
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 lot of bad feelings he
had from time to time.
Il could cure you, l think, If you
wouldn't get me into trouble" said
Brainard.
"Ef you've got any medicine of any
kind, stranger" said the guard, 10
the Lawd's sake, gimme some. 1 don't
keer what it is. know it'll do me
good some way"
Wouldn't whisky be the very best
medicine you could havey Brainard
asked
The mans face looked like a beatified
saint in fourteenth century picture
as he placed 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 hoarselys
"Pd promise anything. eHcep' 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 l could
not imagine, and l closed my eyes as
the guard stepped toward him. 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 mere slit of my eye 1
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 l want, you said?' he whisper
ed after he had ascertained that 1t
really was whisky.
"All you want" was the reply, $50
you leave me 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
full minute longer, it seemed to me.
AS he breathed u long sigh of content
he placed the canteen at his feet and
said:
Stranger, you're a gentleman. No.
body ever done me so much good be-
for
I'm glad to have been of SERVICE"
said Brainard. my friend here helped
your friend there to good drink of
coffee about three months ago, and Pm
glad to be about even with him."
you're gentleman. l 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 so into n brown study.
Finally he closed his eyes and loosened
his grasp on his gun, which fell softly
across his knees. looked toward
Brainard to wink, but to my horror 1
saw him loosening the strap at his feet
and motioning me to do likewise. Then
he rose softly, took the guards gun,
handed it to me and proceeded to tie
the fellows feet.
Then understood what Charley was
up to, and, although l was so frighten-
ed that l was afraid would drop the
gun, l covered the sergeant and my
rebel friend with it. l wasn't going to
be outdone in appearance of bravery
by any five foot eX-student of theology
alive, even if he happened to be my
particular friend. Nevertheless as I