Morris tribune., 1904-04-23

ly:
"see, my captain, he comes with
the childw
It was true. Even as they looked
they saw an active, picturesque fig
ure springing from rock to rock to-
ward them, bearing on it's shoulders
a laughing, growing, dark haired
child. One hand Of the man held
the baby, the other grasped car
bine, and the late afternoon sun
cleaned on the weapons in his belt.
They saw, too, that the baby had,
fastened lightly to one chubby fist,
a futtering white cloth. Seeing
them, the man stood quite still,
watching them, only the white cloth
duttering in the wind.
"a flag of truce!" grunted the
captain, sharply calling a halt. He
was too true a soldier not to regard
such sign. ''What does he want, I
wonder? Lower your arms there,
men. There is plenty Of time," he
added grimly.
The robber came on again rapidly
and finally halted a little distance
above them, with the baby still
perched upon his shoulder. Then
he, too, lowered his carbine and
stood there, with head appraised,
looking at them defantly.
"You have mew he cried at last,
his voice ringing out clearly through
the still air. 'You have tracked me
up here-you, hundred against
one man. Yet even now you should
not have taken me calmly thus, even
though I stand alone-you should
not have taken me thus, but for the
little one"
He glanced up for a moment at
the baby on his shoulder and drew
one little hand down to his lips and
then faced the soldiery again, speak
ing directly for the first time to the
old officer.
"You are brave man, captain"
he added almost appealingly, E'and
such men do not make war on in
fants. What do you do with the lit
tie one, my captain?"
The captain shrugged his shout
ders. ''The child is nothing, An
dreano," he said sternly. "She may
die with you.'
With a bound the bandit had
sprung back from them, and in an
instant the child was off his shout
der and behind him, and he knelt
there with his carbine leveled, fierce
ly facing them.
"Beasts!" he cried. II come to
you under the white flag, well know
ing that 1 must die and asking moth
ing for myself. | crave only that
you should spare the innocent little
one. Know this, then, since you
will not, I will kill the child rather
than she shall fall beneath your
murderous blows, and will die such
q death as few men have died, with
q dozen towards to bear me COM
pany. Now, what say you?"
He knelt there quite calmly, with
his carbine leveled and with the
child thrust behind him. But the
old captain had stepped forward and
raised his hand.
"Stop, Andreano!" he cried.
''You are right. We make not war
on babes. This hunting down of
one man is but little to my liking,
and l will not foul it more. The
child is safe.''
The man rose and laid down his
,arbine and took up the child again.
"And the little one shall go with
you down into the valley in safety?"
be asked slowly.
ri have given my word. No harm
shall come to the little one. Give it
% me-"
The robber kissed the baby's soft
lace passionately once, twice, thrice,
md then moved quickly toward the
captain, down the rocks, and passed
he child into his arms.
81 thank you, my captain" he
aid gravely. "And now you are to
Ihoot me?"
''Such are our orders, Andreano"
The other shrugged his shoulders.
SO be it, he said softly; "only COW I.
II the face of the little one that she
nay not see."
The captain passed the child into
he hands of the little soldier of the
'warthy face, and they took it quick
y out of his sight. Then came an
order rapidly given and another. a
1olley rang out, startling the echoes
m those lonely hills for moment.
There was half sobbing cry, and
course was run.
So it came about that when the
soldiers marched down into the val