Middletown transcript., 1902-10-04

of deadly peril or full of the trials an
sufferings 50 many expeditions are en-
tirely made up of. There was the usua
amount of trouble, work and enduranc
to put up with, the fatiguing being tn
most active part of it, and l felt almos
sorry for our juniors who expected s.
much-most sorry not knowing wha
was to come, for young Cousins.
Our wounded were few, our dead fewer
the most terrible part being that man.
fell victims to a dread disease, losinl
their lives, if not in actual conflict witt
| the enemy, nevertheless while obeyini
the call Of duty.
However, it is of one battle / wish t
write, no other event haYing any bearinI
on my story.
It was a Saturday, the 18th of Sep
tember, and we were reused from sleel
at 8 A. NJ. We had laid down on th
sand and among the halfa grass, too tiret
and worn out to think of enemies othe
than human, of yipers, scorpions anC
such like. Four o'clock found us creep
ing along in the dark, uncertain of wha
we might come upon, but when the ray
of the early sun came to our aid disap
pointment was in store for us. We dis
cerned K-to our right, but not all th'
noise of the cavalry, nor the rumbling o
horse batteries awoke the apparentl!
sleeping Dervish camp.
We were unopposed.
The reason was soon forthcoming. Wat
Bishara had taken his men to Hafr il
the dead of night.
No rest was given us, no break in thu
long march; our orders we're to advance
two miles further, and then we faced Ha
fir. 1t was nearly o'clock before W.
opened fire on the Dervishes, but it wal
not till later in the day, till the lead came
splashing at regular intervals, rattlinl
like hail against the gunboats, and bui
let's came flying through the air, that
chancsd to come upon the ''Inseparables. :
1 saw them standing side by side, theil
faces turned to the enemy. Suddenly
as I looked, young Cousins sprang for
ward and threw his senior on the ground
with the force which he hurled himself
upon him, and then-the most tragic
event of the day-Reggie Cousins rolled
over mortally wounded at our feet!
Quick as lightning I turned. Just in
the nick of time.
The Dervish soldier who had crept un'
aware upon us, half hidden in the long
grass, had turned his weapon upon me.
But I was before him.
1 take sort of grim satisfaction in
chronicling the event in those few words.
Had / stayed moment longer nothing
could have prevented me from cutting
the dead body of Cousins murderer to q
thousand pieces.
With Blount's help l got the young
fellow to the rear, and, once in safety,
stopped to see what could be done for
him. The Captain knelt with his face
buried in both his hands, down which
the blood was trickling. He had re-
ceived wound as we lifted the boy
to carry him away. did not realize
how bad and serious one it was.
Cousins opened his eyes and his lips
moved.
"You are hurt" he said, looking at
his chum. "I-I wanted-to save-your
life. Have-I-failed?"
His voice was terribly weak.
Blount was sobbing in heart
broken fashion.
"Steady yourself, old man." l whis-
pered, "and speak to him"
"It-was Maudie," Cousins continued.
"I-I fancied Monica was-much the
best-and-you-would love her-like
l did-and I tried-to help you by-oh,
you know-but you wouldn't take
the best-always left the best-for
me-"
'Oh, Reggie, Reggie, don'tP'
Cousins eyes fixed themselves on
me.
cts all up" he said. ''Tell-Mau-
rice -not-to-be-long.
With great sob of unutterable mis-
cry Blount fell across the body of his
friend.
y
Every spare moment l had 1 spent
by Blount's bedside after that, But
life was despaired of for him, and
-he did not care to stay. Reggie's
dying words seemed to haunt us for
nights after, for we knew Maurice was
obeying his chum's last request.
But from the lips of the captain a
very little while before the end
learned the answer to the riddle that
had puzzled us for so long.
1t was only wonderful piece Of self
sacrifice on both their parts. Each
had loved Monica in the depths Of his
heart and each had tried to leave her
peerless as they knew her to be-for
the other
1--WE blinded each other SO completely
to the true state Of affairs" Blount said
with sad smile, "that l think if we
had gone home we should both have
asked Monica to marry us, believing
the other to be really in love with
Maudie."
\
Then one day found myself telling
of the tragedy of Hafr to Monica, and
/ told her of the love of the 'Insepar-
ables."
Maudie was engaged to be married
to the rector of the place
at will not hurt you to know it?' I
asked.
was anxious, for she wore SO strangely
sad look.
1T never hurts a woman to know she
has been loved" she said, 'eyen though
it comes too late."
/ knew then she had loved as well
But which of the two, to this day, no