The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1903-05-09
THE MAN Who
TALKED OF DEATH
roriginai.1

exIlS ifou Dut WoEtu- 0ud-
denly a man sitting at a neighborfng
table, with his back Ia us, turned and
faced us. / shall never forget his face
or the expression 1t wore. II was the
Oldest face / ever saw and looked a
terrible reproof at our levity on such
a solemn subject
Gentlemen" he said, rising and
coming toward us, how different
would be your conduct should I an
nounce to you that before the clock
strikes IL 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 n of US.
Let me tell you Of IN incident" the
stranger continued, seating himself,
that happened just before the battle
of Buepa Vista We were expecting to
meet the enemy
"were you thereY interrupted n
Of our party.
"was I thereT' The stranger laugh
ed. a low, singular laugh, unlike any I
had ever heard before, a laugh that
had / given way to my feelings would
have set my teeth to chatterins. Yes;
I was ON hand" he went on. IT was
standing near a 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 on 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 be 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 a volley, a roar,
shouts, opened the fight. The three Of
ficers dashed away to their respective
posts. In ten minutes Pierce, who was
I'm command of a couple of field guns,
was shot in the breast. / 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, I
Joined them and rode directly behind
Brice. We were met by a terrific fire
Of what In those days they called
grape and canister but we rode on
right over them, our sabers glistening
in the air and coming down on the
skulls Of such Mexicans al were not
trampled under our horses feet. I tell
you 1t was splendid.
II was following Brice and, seeing
him waver under a bayonet thrust,
rode up behind him and called to him.
He turned his head, and at that mo-
ment a 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 a hot fire he was riding through,
but he seemed to care little for 1t. Men
had gone through just such dangers be-
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 1 touched him
on the shoulder. A cannon ball shrek
ed by and took him with 1t, a mutilated
mass. Well. I laughed"
"Laughedp exclaimed every horror
stricken man.
Eyes, gentlemen. Why not7 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 n Of his carnivalsr'
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 WI 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
life's pleasures, comforts, attachments.
hopes. Then we must live on waiting
for him. A fig for your Death, I say"
The stranger, who had been 30 flip
pant. suddenly quieted. He cast a look
at Baxter. who returned his glance
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 SEXES upon such as you"
at Baxter, sit is like a hunts
man shooting a stag In its Sleep"