Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-03-20

NOT MAN OF Us HAD THE SLIGHTEST
HOPE.
take it that / come from a good FAM
lily, have had all the advantages Of
wealth and education, and that it's my
fault that / am today a family out
cast. I'm not blaming motherhood
bless her-and I'm not blaming poor
old dad. It's all my fault. They can't
know whether I'm living or dead, but
/ hope they have done grieving for me.
was a fool and worse. Now it's too
late to talk of reconciliation. Camp
life has brought on consumption, and
my days are numbered. 1t would only
be going home to die, and I'd sooner
do that here. 1 came over here for
reckless adventure, and I'm going to
Is that shall be laid up the last three
or four weeks of my life and die like
a dog in his kennel instead Of putting
up decent finish"
1 asked Chips no impertinent ques-
tions, lsut 1 thought 1t out for myself
rich mans son, Yale or Harvard,
debts, reproofs, dishonorable affairs,
disgrace and expulsion. That was
probably the worst and only what has
befallen many young man. Chips
might have done foolish things, mad
things, dishonorable things, but he was
not q criminal. He was above that.
didn't even try to deceive him az to his
state Of health. He was a doomed
man and fully realized it. Words Of
cheer or sympathy would have been
useless. Had he told me nothing
could have known from his reckless
scouting that day that he wanted to
die the death of soldier instead of an
\ invalid.
Another week passed. and twenty
Ave Of us were sent to break through
the Spanish lines and bring up more
ammunition. Chips was looking gaunt
and feeble, but he responded with alac-
rity. He realized the danger and per-
haps intended to make it his last fight.
1t was entirely the fault Of the
Cuban colonel who commanded the de-
| tachment that we were led into trap
/, and the entire command made prison
ers without having a chance to fire a
| gun. 1t was a neat stroke of business
on the part of the Spa nish, and they re-
joiced over it for half an hour and then
| prepared to reap the fruits-that is, we
were brought before a general who had
40 more feeling of mercy toward a
febel than for a rat in the gutter, and
he proceeded to try us by court mar
| tial. He called in no other officer.
There was standing order on both
sides to take no prisoners, and it was
disobeyed only by accident. A court
martial was merely the preface to be-
both sides.
| 1t was a beautiful morning as we
were drawn up In line before an old
| sugar house which had been turned
into headquarters, and the Spanish
general began business. We were dis
armed, but not bound. The enemy
were ten to one and hemmed us in on
three sides. The first man on the right
Of our line was the first one called be-
fore the court" Inside of thirty Sec
onds he had been charged, tried, con-
victed, sentenced and led away to be
! shot. He was hardly out of our sight
before he was a dead man. The gen.
eral was no man to daily. He went
through with it as he would drill
and it was not long before our line had
shortened up to ten men. The five
Americans Of us were on the left, ell
bows touching, and not man of us
had the slightest hope in his breast
when Chips uttered his first word.
Boys" said he In low voice, but
plainly audible to every one of us, "the
general is sending souls to kingdom
come by express, but / am going to In
terrupt his little game. Now, pay
strict attention to what say and make
no comments or suggestions. AS the
last Cuban is called in am going tC
make a dash for the captain directly
In front of me. I'll reach him in three
jumps, and before he can straighteI
up I'll have his sword and drive II
through him. Then I'll put my back
against that tree and die as l have
been hoping to. I won't last long, oi
cpurse, but I'll get two or three more
! Of tfemn