The courier., 1903-02-28

that-chained them to reality. Eight
was the water never coming? Occas-
ionally a plodder slipped softly to the
earth, his face showing an ugly, pasty
white through the red and CRIME. Mine
and endurance, long tried, famed up in
mad protest. An Ominous rafting of
unshouldered arms, q grating crunch of
the sand, not noticeable when they
stepped before-the grind of decision
and the whole body moved as one man
upon the water-tank. No man spoke:
nor was 1t necessary. Their staring
faces spoke for them. The stock little
Lieutenant, with the Durham-bull head
and small blue eyes, set his teeth. He
knew the grip was coming. The horses
were stopped and men swarmed up on
the tank-only to find the lids closed and
padlocked. The guard fixed bayonets,
and. gently as might be, thrust them
down. the iron jaw Of Lieutenant Dick
working as he expostulated with them.
crying that the guards had not had, nor
should they have. any more than the
regular ration, and that himself would
march the whole distance without touch
ing a drop-that their only hope Of saw
ing their lives lay in outstanding their
little supply.
A glistening hedge of bayonets sur
rounded the tank-more precious than
all the riches of earth. The click Of
breechlocks, as some of the maddened
men forced home the cartridges. punctu-
ated the Lieutenant's speech. He, with
barred head and m-f1ecked lips, faced
the main body of mutineers-no longer
the reckless care-free, kindly testers of
the day before. ready to toss up with
death in another form and let the result
go as it might, but rather creatures who
had gone back to primitive instincts;
those instincts which had animated their
far forefathers in the gloomy forests of
Europe ages before. when they fought
the wolf and the cave-bear breast to
breast.
And still, so ingrained was discipline
80 much was 1t a part Of themselves
that even now there was a sort Of sys-
tenn in their actions, albeit they were Of
nature that tended toward the doing
away with all systems whatsoever.
Twenty rifles leaped to as many shoul-
ders. the officer staring fixedly into the
black muzzles, with one hand raised i'm
protest which was not wholly lost even
upon that mob.
In the instant of hesitation he spoke
again: and i'm the great stiffness which
had fallen upon them ii seemed that his
voice might be heard for miles. In
hOarse tones, which had yet that certain
ring which no man ever hears unstirred,
he asked if there was one man among
them who would march beside him to
the journeys end without water. Lieu
tenant Dick did not speak hurriedly. but
he lost no time. There was death in
those fumbling fingers. 1t might be
simply accident; but some accidents
might as well have been design.
lizard rustled across the sand at his
feet: the sun beat; the far hills glim-
mered, and the whole landscape appeared
to bend toward them expectantly. Then
a little, sandy, ''sawed-off" fellow who
had been picked with m-ny misgivings,
simply to fill the ranks, separated him.
self from the mass, walked to one side
and stood at attention; big Norwegian
and in the general rafting of
rifles being recovered" the drummer,
with an eye for situations, beat long,
quick call to the road; the column swung
into line and moved off-Lieutenant Dick
tucking under each arm a rifle which he
had gently taken from a couple Of boy
soldiers leading the way. The civiliza-
ton of a thousand years, acquired
racking stress and travail, had
proved itself adequate-From Out West.
She that naggeth a man sitteth down
to many lonely meal .