Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-08-14

done for you boys"
Not for me, sir, that ! know Of"
said Brainard quickly.
"Eh? Well, so much the more to
your credit. Nevertheless it's true.
You're both commissioned to the Forty
third. 1t seems from a letter accOmpa-
nying your commissions that the Forty
third is in a bad way-good men, bad
oficers--sO bad that the command can't
be trusted to take the field. a lot OF
the officers have been wccdcd out, and
the governor wished to replace them
with men from regiments that are in
good shape and have seen hard service.
The senator from your district strongly
recommended you, Frost, and called
your father up to Albany, and it seems
that your father took with him a hand.
some young woman who told an cX
traordnary story of your bravery and
produced a letter in evidence. l can't
understand how l, your colonel, failed
to have learned the facts, but
your cousin Maym exclaimed Brain
ard. Then he sprang to his feet and
hit me between the shoulders with
force which l could not have believed
was In his tiny frame. The colonel
looked surprised, and Bralnard MUIR
INJURED 81 beg pardon" and collapsed in
confusion.
ut seems, further" continued the
colonel, that the governor said he
wis bn or
of equal courage and ability, upon
which the young lady said she could
name one and straightway praised you,
Brainard, without stint and declared
that if you two could be sent together
you could end the war. I can't imagine
where the young lady obtained her
knowledge of the special requirements
Of the service or how she came to know
so much about the soldierly qualities of
two Of my corporals, but these commits
sions are the result"
eve can't accept them, sir" said
Brainard, 'if they've been granted on
such hearsay and misappreLension."
didn't approve of Brainard's eve"
He had the right to decline for himself,
should he insist on being so foolish, but
wanted my own commission, no mat
ter through what mistake it was issu-
ed. The colonel, too, was Of my way
Of thinking, for he replied:
Nonsense! Never lose a chance to
reach higher rank, especially to move
your insignia of rank from your sleeve
to your shoulder"
"But, sir, there are other men more
deserving of It," said Brainard. I'D
feel ashamed to wear shoulder straps
If McTwyny must go on with only Il
sergeant's stripes. You ought to see
him fight"
"Eh? McTwyny? That frecklcd
Irish tiger that's a sergeant in your
troop? Oh, he couldn't help fighting if
he triedY'
"But there's brains behind his fight
ing, sir. If you'd seen and heard
There's brains bchind all real fight
ing, corporal-cr-Iieutenant. Don't
ever forget it, or your enemy will get
the better of you"
But there's such a lot behind Nc
Twynys, sir" persisted Branard.
"Thnk of the odds that were against
him. He had only IS men with whom
to fight what looked like brig&dc-ccr
tainly thousand-and he talked and
acted like u general instead Of a mere
sergeant"
"When? Where? How do you know"
asked the colonel, with quiZZical
smile apparently at Brainard's assum-
ing to know how a general would act
"Thls afternoon. Way off to the
right Of the road our regiment took.
We saw him. We were in the fight
with him and were proud Of it and of
him"
"Blcss me! heard such wild stories
Of that skrmish that I've already ask
ed your captain for a written report.
Tell me all about it,"
Brainard told him without n word Of
eXaggeration yet as he talked the colo
mel arose and paced his tent like an cX
cited lion in a cage. He clinchcd his
hands, and his eyes flashed, and he
sputtered small groups Of Scriptural
words that were not prayers. Brain
ard stopped abruptly after telling how
Mick felcd the skirmisherS' captain.
"The tigerw exclaimed the colonel.
81 wish there were more of his kind in
the regiment"
"But isn't he man, too" asked
Brainard. And shouldn't he he re-
warded"-
ut shan't he my fault if he isn't
man from this day FORTH" interrupted
the colonel Come with me. l sup
pose he is IN the hospital"
cor dead" suggested.
'Nonscnsew growlcd the colonel.
Loss Of n fore paw never kills tiger.
Lieutenant Baslow of our regiment has
shot them in India. He was in the
British service and has told me all
about It."
Instead OF going direct to the hos
pitaI the colonel stopped at a captains
tent and asked for one of the occu-
pants jackets-an old one. The cap
tain looked surprised, but complied
Hh the request The colonel strode
rapidly to the hospital tents, followed
by Bralnard and me. Entering the
surgical ward, ne asked:
"Is McTwyny here"
''Prisint, sorr," came from a red face
on cot, and n big frccklcd hand came
to the side Of the face In the position Of
salute.
'Tm sorry to hear of your loss" said
the colonel, "and Pve brought you the
best consolation l could think of. This
is the jacket you shall wear when you
get up again, Captain McTwyny."
"WhooroOw exclaimed Mick. He
closed his eyes an instant, then opened
them and said, CAV Norah cud only see
itr'
"She shall see it, with you inside Of
1t, as soon as you're fit to go north on
leave of absence. Is there anything
else l can do for you"
Mick pushed aside his sheet, display
ed his severed arm lying on his breast
Il