Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-12-15
aust surrender. We are outnumbored,

Iull6J buIIcuNCf. VIC dIc OuthuL1bCiCot
and the ammunition is exhausted"
Surrender! No fear" returned Ar
thur reassuringly. There's plenty OF
ammunition in the wagon. I'll have
some served out"
He turned, and as he did so John
slipped a handkerchief from his sleeve,
fastened it on a bayonet, and held l.
on high, where the breeze caught
rocked it gently.
Almost at once the firing from the
kopje s~lackened, and then ceased, and
simultaneously the men heard the
bugle sound cease fire." When they
looked round bewildered, though no
doubt to some extent relieved, they
saw their officers standing together,
and on the ground between them a
bayonet with a shameful pennon at
tached. Which of the two had raised
it?
But nothing certain vas known OF
the surrender until, by one Of the
strange chances of war that upset all
calculations and render the foresight
of experience futile, Col. LIE Sage heard
from the Rilingtons themselves an &C
count of what had happened.
For reasons of their own, the Beers
had set the two young officers free,
having first relieved them of their val
uables. The brothers had tramped
back to camp, some so miles, in less
than 80 hours. They had had neither
food nor water, and had been soaked
to the skin in heavy rain. AS John
vas on the point of collapse, shaking
in every limb, and almost unconscious,
he was ordered into hospital by the
doctor, and on Arthur devolved the
task Of giving the details of the unfor-
tunate occurrence.
"Devilish awkward for the boy, hav-
ing such a story to tell when his own
brother was in CHARGE" thought the
colonel, as he prepared himself to lis
ten to the disclosure.
After the first few sentences his face
hardened. He misdoubted his own
| senses.
Il fail to follow you, Mr.. Ellington"
he interrupted, in a tone that was sell
dom heard by the regiment. Your
story is incredible. Am I to under
stand that, without your brothers
knowledge or permission, you flew the
white flag utter a bare ten minutes
fighting, and with a total loss of three
men wounded and two killed."
Eyes, sir"
"You were not in any way separated
from the ammunition wagon?"
"No, sir, we were not.
"Could you have got at tiff you
had tried?"
"Quite easily, sir"
There was a ring of conviction ant
truth in the last three words that hat
been wholly wanting in all that hat
gone before, and the colonel recog'
nized it. A tinge of color came into
the young mans face, and for the frs1
time since he had come into camp hi
looked up. Then, remembering The
part he had set himself, his eyes re
sought the ground, But the colone
had seen what he wanted in them, ant
had formed his own opinion there
from.
"Do you know you are PRACTICAL.
accusing yourself of cowardice?"
Eyes, sir" answered Arthur, re
lapsing into the cold and guarded man
ner he had momentarily dropped.
"Well, Mr.. Ellington" resumed tn
colonel, after a painful pause, 81 hav
heard all you've got to say. Of course
you are aware that you have left m
no option in the matter. 1t will hav
to be gone into when your brother !
able to give evidence, which at presen
he is not. In the meantime l shall b
obliged by your considering the state
ment you have just made as confiden
tial. But there's something behind
which l haven't got at. In the mean
time you can return to duty"
AS the youngster left the tent Co
LIE Sage sighed deeply. He had see.
many a good man fall in his country
service, others had lost health o
strength or limbs, and others, again
more piteous still-their reputatio
and their honor. Was his old friend
son destined to join their dishonore
ranks?
1T is bound to go hard with him
he sticks to that story" he mutteret
But there's something fishy some
where. I'd much one believe it {
that full-dress-parade brother of hi
I'll give the boy a chance, anywa!
He may clear himself yet"
But Arthur never did clear himsel
He fell MORALLY wounded in the yer
next skirmish, and died some hour
afterwards.
81 am glad the colonel understood,
he said, as he drew his last f1ickerin
breath. And so was Col. LIE Sage whe
he heard the message.
r Of course the court Of inquiry new
was held. There was no object in still
} ring up muddy waters. John was il
valided home with rheumatic feve
but recovered to enjoy himself in civ
, life.-Canadian Magazine.
;. THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE.