Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-17
DAILY SHORT STORY
Man Who Talked of Death.
IOriginal.1


table. with his back to- us. turned and
faced us. / shall never forget his face
or the expression it wore. 1t was the
oldest face l ever saw and looked a
terrible reproof ut our levity on such
a solemn subject.
Gentlemen" he said, rising and
coming toward us, ."how different
would be your conduct should | an
nounce to you that before the clock
strikes II tonight one of your number
would pass to another existence"
Had he really announced the fact
the effect could scarcely have been
greater. A cold chill passed over ev-
cry one of us
Let me tell you of an incident" the
stranger continued. seating himself,
that happened just before the battle
OF Buena Vista. We were expecting to
meet the enemy
Were you there?" interrupted one
OF our party.
WAS | there?' The stranger laugh
ed, low. singular laugh. unlike any 1
had ever heard before, u laugh that
had / given way to my feelings would
have set my teeth to chattering. Yes;
L WIS Oh ndIu, lie went OIL L WAS
standing near party of young officers
who were talking upon the very sub
ject you have been discussing. They
were all boys. nothing but boys, to
whom death looked farther off than
the starry armament. They were
Lieutenant Brice of the cavalry, Pierce
OF the artillery and Skidmore of the
staff. They were making a pool to be
divided between the survivors or sur
vivor after the battle. The fools didn't
believe any of them would lie killed.
Were there not old generals and colo
nelS in the service who had fought
battles unScathed? They forgot the
many who had fallen; they forgot that
under the doctrine of probabilities one
or more OF them would be killed or at
least wounded; they forgot that Death
is on every battlefield and does not like
to be laughed at.
"a shot, followed by Il volley, roar,
shouts. opened the fight. The three Of
ficers dashed away to their respective
posts. In ten minutes Pierce. who was
in command of a couple of field guns,
was shot in the breast. 1 was stand
ing by him at the time. The bullet
struck him on the left side and turned
him round. The last image he saw
waS-mySelf.
IAN order was sent to the cavalry to
charge. Seeing them making ready, |
Joined them and rode directly behind
Brice. We were met by terrific fire
of what in those days they called
grape and canister but we rode on
right over them our sal ers glistening
in the air and coming down on the
skulls of such MeXicans as were not
trampled under our horses feet. 1 tell
you it was splendid.
Il was following Brice and, seeing
him waver under bayonet thrust,
rode up behind him and called to him.
He turned his head, and at that mo-
ment Mexican officer ran him
through the heart with his sword.
Here were two of these young gam
blers with death who were already |
worsted. The third. Skidmore, re-
ceived an order to ride from left to
right of the line of battle to carry an |
order. Disdaining to go behind, he
went between the opposing forces. 1t
was Il hot fire he was riding through, |
but he seemed to care little for it. Men |
|
fore. and so would he. His horse, wild !
ly frightened, was plunging, and, STUN |
bling, it fell. Skidmore was thrown, |
but rising. pulled the horse TO its feet |
by the bride reins. mounted and was |
about to ride on when l touched him |
on the shoulder. A cannon ball shrek |
ed by and took him with it, a mutilated |
mass. Well, 1 laughed"
stricken man.
Eyes, gentlemen. Why not? Had not |
these foolish fellows laughed at Death? |
Had they not sported with the all pow
erful specter, and that on the very |
verge of one of his carnivals?"
There was something so terrible in
the speakers wrath that every one of
us-every one except Baxter, the old
man of our party-shrank back.
"Who is this Death" said Baxter
contemptuously, ''of whom we must all
speak so gingerly? The very certainty
Of his coming takes away from our ter
rOr of him, and if we do fear him we
surely do not respect him. He comes
into families and separates husband
and wife, parents and children. If he
does not come early, he will surely
come late, when we have exhausted |
ife's pleasures, comforts, attachments,
hopes. Then we must live on waiting
for him. A fig for your Death, l say"
The stranger, who had been so flip
pant, suddenly quoted. He cast look
at Baxter, VINO returned his glance
calmly. and. rising from his seat, said:
Pardon me, gentlemen. for interrupt
ing your amusement. Death loves to
get his clutches on those who fear him.
When he seizes upon such as you"
looking at Baxter, lit is like hunts
man shooting a stag in its Sleep"
The old man who had met his match
IN an old man turned and strobe out of
The restaurant. While his going was
1 relief. it was not possible for us soon
fi.aI1, the inaIlence he had