Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-07-24

you are whenever you like, or sit up,
but keep to that side of the room. Wen
keep to this side. If you even pat your
hands to your feet you'll be shot, so
don't do it,"
said something to the effect that
| we weren't fools. Meanwhile my
friend and the third man dropped upon
the floor, with their guns and our car
bines, while the sergeant sat down
upon a box in front of the fire, cooked
Il double harrelcd shotgun and kept his
eyes upon us Conversation anguish
ed after that. 1t is hard to talk to Il
man whom you know is ready to take
your life on sufficient provocation. We
exchanged remarks occasionally with
! one another. but they weren't at all
hilarious. | was just dropping asleep,
still sitting on the bench when Brain
ard whispered:
| ANY water in your Cantecn. JackT'
hadn't thought before of the cap
tain's cantccn Of whisky. Would it be
safe to tell Charley in the hearing OF
the guard that the cantccn across my
shoulder was full Of whisky? Suppose
the Johnnics should learn of it, drink
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 and
persuaded the druggist to translate, |
| continued, trusting the sergeant did
not understand Latin, "Spiritus fru-
ment."
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 to
amount to least He was a thin, rath-
er feeble looking fellow, with a 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 yaWnCd 50
fearfully that | feared he might fail
asleep with his hand OH the trigger and
rouse the house, perhaps to our serious
injury. Finally, however, he got en-
tircly awake, and then he seemed to
feel dismal amid so much silence, 50 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
INF ,r hot ,t
the snoring of the sergeant and the
wheeling of the other Johnny began
to drop asleep again just as the guard
was explaining a lot of bad feelings he
had from time to time.
II could cure you, think, if you
wouldn't get me into trouble" said
Brainard.
"Ef you've got any medicine of any
kind, stranger" said the guard, 40
the Lawd's sake, gimme some. | don't
keer what it is. | know it'll do me
good some way"
"Wouldn't whisky be the very best
medicine you could haYe?" Brainard
asked.
The mans face looked like n beatified
saint in a fourteenth century picture
as he placed hand on his waist and
murmured "Ohm
'If | find you some right here with
out stirring, will you promise to leave
me a 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 hoarsely,
I'D promise anything, eXcep' to be
Yank or to let you git out, fo one drink
of whisky"
"AIl right" said Brainard, taking the
captains canteen from my neck, draw
| Ing the cork and holding it out to the
glIapl-
What Brainard was up to | could
not imagine, and / closed my eyes as
| the guard stepped toward him. | fear
ed Charley had some desperate idea of
| seiZing the mans gun as he passed
| the cantccn. 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 a mere slit of my eye !
| 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 saidW he whisper
| ed after he had ascertained that it
really was whisky.
"Al you want" was the reply, $50
| you leave me little in case of sick
| ness"
How that cantecn did gurgle for a
| full minute! When the drnkCr was
| compelled to stop for breath, he held
| the cantccn 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 a
full minute longer, 1t seemed to me-
AS he breathed long sigh Of content
he placed the canteen at his feet and
| said:
Stranger, you're n gentleman. No
body ever done me so much good be
| fo."
"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 I'm