Arizona republican., 1902-06-15
 Willie Jones, Trooper By WALTER T. GREGORY.


+.@:<s (: .%: 3<:<s%: .S: .: 43 9s813s-3. .4&>3 almost roughly spoke to Blinkie when the latter requested him to sit down in the shade. In . few more minutes they joined the firing line and from an officer learned that their troop MAS to the left of the line, and thither they posted. On the way they round their captain sitting on the ground with shattered leg and prOclaiming against the luck that prevented him from be-
 ing with his troop. Willie stopped and reported to the captain the result Of the mission which he had been sent on. but not mentioning the episode with Morris. The captain, however, noticed the blood which was still trickling down his face, and told him that if i.e was wounded he need not rejoin his troop but to report to the field hospital and get his injury dressed. Willie re- piled that the wound was nothing and that he felt as though he was needed on the line. The captain told him 10 go ahead, then, but to be careful, as he did not want to lose one Of the hest men he had in the troop. Willie salut- ed and continued with Blinkie 10 where the troop was situated.
 Without reporting to the troop com nander, the chums took their place on the firing line and in the keen joy ex- Derienced in being able to get action against the enemy, Willie forgot lIor- ris, his wound and everything.
 The enemy was hidden by the dense undersrowth but there was no mis- taking their presence from the great number Of bullets. On the lett of Will ] lie w2s young blue-eyed lad, who ] had been firing with persistent regu- ! larity. He stopped at last to take q ] drink of water and as he was raising 1 the canteen to his lips, he dropped it i with %TO&n, . bullet having passed i through his neck. cutting short his 1 career Willie examined the boy and seeing that he was dead. took nossc.;- sion of the canteen. for his own was exhausted, and the fever of his wound accentuated his thirst Blinkie was also overcome with d powerful tili,.st as the result of his debauch at Sib- i ony the night before, and when he saw ! Willie taking a drink he asked him ro save him a drop, as his tongue was twice it's usual thickness on account of it's parched condition. Willie gener- ously held out the canteen to BIinkia and as the latter held out his hand to grasp it Willie jerked it back with an ejaculation and examined it curiously. for q bullet had passed through it. He again handed it to Biinkie, and the latter had no sooner got hold of it
 when he. too, dropped it with an oatf3. Another bullet had passed through the tin, grazing Blinkie's thumb The printer looked woefully at the water ! rum gazed responsibility in the direction ot
 the enemy as though he felt injured
 that they would not let him quencn
 his thirst when a drop of water was prized so highly
 Standing behind the line near the po- sition held by Willie was a war core spondent, who had noticed the episode of the canteen, and had been Io0ilfn4
 through pair Of field glasses at q
 sugar house in a glade below anC
 which was partially hidden by grow
 of mango trees. The correspond e1lt addressed Willie saving that he was ot the opinion that on the roof of IT..
 building q party of sharpshooters were
 located and that they were responsibI,
 for the death of she boy and had beer
 shooting at them also, as was evi- denced when Willie had stood ID |, : hand the canteen to BlinIlie He ten
 dered Willie the glasses and the latte.
 focusing them soon handed them baol
 with a grim smile, saying:
 "Yes. there air some greasers on th
 roof c thet shack, as l ken see tfe
 heads when they raise up to shoot. T
 onless I'm mistook l think I'll try th
 shcotin' qualities O this gun If I ha
 . Winchester I think I could pUt
 step to tn shootin' from tllet quarter
 Willie stretched out on the sIotl,,
 and took q long. careful aim. Now
 shcuteds sthe correspondent excitediv
 He had been looking at the :-oo
 through his glasses and had seen .;
 head raised cautiously above the sIln
 If the roof. Willie pulled the trl;gga
 and form was distinctly seen to iGmI
 ID and roll down the side of the 100
 facing the Americans ''vou hit a.in
 You hit him" shouted the correspond
 ent in q transport Of joy.
 At this moment 3 triumphant s!iou
 ,vas heard ircrccdin9 from the i,:.;i of the line. The order came Ia cha, . = the enemy The colonel had s,rr ina : unless th" SIHuiards could be dl.,i",jse - it would fare hard with the small h.in !, of Americans who had been fiShtin : fer two hours against a greatly su peIior force. and that they would ''o . be able to hold their position unless rc Q Inducements arrived Already tn i Rough Riders had lost heavily, as the Q were d@htiu-~ without shelter aud <, Q Si'9 uI5rda had the advantage of posi- v ton and the protection uf trenches. . Nlth z shout ut ia.- that rolled b4c ? and forth dowu the line. the rne 2 dashed forward inpetuously. Give 2 to them men Give them anoth1r In '. dian yell, shouted the senior maio' ,. taking the lead in advance of eh
 troops. He had not proceeded nor