Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-08-11

The man In the tree was thinking.
Way of under sunny sky was a
squalid hut on hillside. There
we're orange trees around the hut
and ii the distance we're long
stretches Of vineyards. where men
and women once sang as they work.
cd,
Now the women wore working
alone, save for tho presence Of a few
half grown youths and crippled old
men.
And the women did not sing as
they worked. They wept sometimes,
but more often they looked silently
and wondarlugIy OIL into The wosi'
whore The Sky line was broken BY
tlle crnmbling hasiions If i ruined
castle.
on beyond the castle was tho sea
and beyond the sea was they know
not what Strange lands whore men
and youths went 70 como back no
more.
This was the picture that came
to the mind Of the man Ia the tree.
But one cannot sit with q cramped
leg and dream Of distant things for
long. So the man In the tree moved
and the picture under the sunny
sky gave place 10 another, which
was more immediate and moro dis
tinct.
Spreading out before him and un-
derncath was wooded valley with
bill beyond. Down into this val
ley hundred yards 10 the rIghtdip.
ped a trail
Yesterday IL had been a mere mule
path half closed by underbrush, but
now Il was clearly defined. The
bushes had been broken of. bOnt
over and pushed aside, while she
tramp Of many feet hsd ground 10
powder the weeds aud grass.
Al a distance Of perhaps half q
miIe beyond and below him the trail
trayersed an open space. As he
looked at this opening ii the screen
Of green he saw figures crossing ID,
They stood out sharp and distinct
In the bright sunlight They were
men with guns. Few Of them wore
coats. Many 81 them we're bare
from The waistup. Thciriaces ware
dark, almost black AZ that distance.
but their chests we're white What
sine targets they made. those white
chests
The man ia the tree picked up the
slim barroiled rifo which had been
resting across bis bent knees. fIo
raised the sight slide and squinted
through il until hecould see she steel
pick at the end of the barrel out.
lined against the white aosh Ia tho
suplighted gap 81 the trail,
A little tongue Of flame dartcd
from the mnzzlc Of the rifle. One Of
the figures IN the green frame Stun
bled and fell.
The man IN the tree laughed soft
ly and pattod the stock 81 bis riGo.
Still the men with guns streamed
along the trail Aha They are
running. They will soon begin 70
run the other way. just wait until
the trenches ettherange, A white
back makes as fine q target an d
white chest.
But hour after hour passed and
tho human current did not ebb
We're they hours or only minutes Z
What has happened up on tho hill-
side 7 The man In tho tree turned
TO sec.
Far up behind himao the crest
was q square hut, with q matched
roof. II looked like a dovecoat, but
il was not. Ii was a blockhouse.
What was taking place there hoconld
only guess. Ho saw an irregular
line OF dark figures scrambllng up
The hill, some Of them falling % rise
no more. Why did moi tho resi- 20
back Now they swarmed about
the building How theirguns smok-
ed
"Carajo i" The red and yellow
flag is down.
Then the man ID the tree saw bis
fate. These half naked pigs who
fought like devils, they would not
be driven back. He was cut OF.
To the right, TO the left, in front, be.
hind they were there, these men
with guns who fsed and ran for
ward, and fired and ran forward
again
The picture Of the iaraway hut on
tho hillside, the women and the vine
yards came once more. and the man