Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-10-03


but he was not long in discovering that
the pride had some hysteria in it. If
he had not made this discovery in time
he would have been weeping for pride
in his own courage in another sixty sec
onds. That reflection struck him as be-
ing so funny that he wanted to laugh at
It, and then he found that there was
danger in laughter And being thus in
structed by experience, he began to hard
en- his heart in earnest, and acquitted
himself with an apparent GOODNESS which
would have done credit to a veteran.
After the first thick patter of a dis
charge, in which some fifty rounds ap-
peared to have been fred there was 81
lence for time, and the respite gave
the assaIed party a chance to complete
its frail arrangements for shelter. Jeth-
roe induced mules and horses alike to lie
down, and took measures to secure them
all. Then he and Harvey, by his orders,
snaked away through the grass on either
side until they were hundred yards
apart, making no answer to the loose and
desultory fire which was directed at the
cart.
They're flaming out" said Jethroe in
distinct voice. Keep a keen lookout
to your left, and pot anything that shows
itself"
"Ay, ay, sir" said Harvey, but his
voice was so hoarse and thick that his
own ears barely heard it.
You hear| asked Jethroe.
"Ay, ay, SIR" said Harvey. clear
enough this time. He kept an unrelax-
ing outlook, and by-and-by he was re-
warded, for head came round a boulder
some three hundred yards away, and
seemed to pass hither and thither. 81
ought to be able to hit that" said the
volunteer marksman, IF it will only
stay"
1t came little further, and a pair of
shoulders were in sight. Harvey fred.
The man was gone. He could not have
told whether he had hit or missed. but
whilst he wondered a swift and piercing
sound informed him that his own lurk-
ing place had been discovered. He had
never card flying bullet so near at
hand before, for it passed within a foot
OF his ear; but he had no need to he
told what the meaning Of the noise might
be. He was strung to his utmost by this
time, and debated within himself unite
coolly, as to the wisest thing to do. To
move would be to set the long grass
moving. He decided to play possum. he
kept still and watched, and the long and
uneventtul silence was beginning TO get
at his nerves again, when rustic within
twenty yards of him suddenly frightened
his clenched teeth, and pulled every
nerve tense and taut as a fiddle string
This, at least, was a daring enemy. who
ever he might prove to be- The rustic
was repeated, and Harvey could locate
the sound exactly, or so it seemed: but
he would not fire until he had more than
a sound to go on. Nearer and nearer if
came, and at last he saw a moving bulk
not a dozen PAGES away. He fred. and
he was answered by a yell and a vollev
of curses in English But the curses
were suddenly cut short, and gave wav
to groans, and the groans sank lower and
lower until they We're stilled.
Then from the rife of Jetbroe tba
elder, roJ! rop! rop! clear and quick and
imperative, and rop! rop. rop! again.
Amy luck, boy? asked Jethroe.
Zone for certain" Harvey answered.
1.-Two, l rather think"
Two to me-" said Jethroe, "and the
attacks withdrawn. Let's have a look
at the field
The attack was certainly over for the
time being, and a search over the field
Of combat revealed four badly wounded
men. The first surprise was to discover
that they were white men, but the next
transcribed it so far as to make it seem
a circumstance of no value.
The man whom Harvey had hit at
short range was no other person than
plain Mr. Smith. He was lying all tum-
bled and twisted together in the attitude
tude in which his agony had placed him
before it had brought the relief of I'M
consciousness, and the first part of him
Harvey saw was his left cheek, which.
together with his throat, still bore the
impress of his own grip. The two mo-
mentary visitors at first imagined him to
be dead, and Jethroe, no tas yet guess
ing who the man might be, turned him
over so that he might look at his face
Uncle and nephew glared at each other
without being able to find a single word
between them. until Jethroe asked
through set teeth, and with a voice like
a mastiff's growl:
What does this mean?" The oues-
ton was not asked for the sake of an
answer. ''This fellow came by the same
boat as ourselves" he went on, more
calmly. 'Do you know what that
means|
Know" said Harvey. 81 know moth
ing; I'm all abroad"
"Monboddo's in it." Jethroe said. an
swering his own question. ''Monboddo
sold me the very instant my back was
turned. This villain came over in our
boat, with all his pals. They travelled
steerage, and kept out of sight. Well,
Little William" he added, looking down
at the unconscious figure, you have ask
ed for it often enough, heaven knowsl
Whether you have got it this time can't
tell; but you'll plot no more murders in
this life, Little William, you may bet on
thatw
What shall you do with him ~ asked
Harvey.
Heaven may take him out of my
hand" said Jethroe, land l hope it may
be so. But if he gets over this / shall
do justice on him. 1 wish you had shot
straighter, lad, and had saved me a
dirty job
Anu uOW inc Two set 10 Work 10 save
the lives of their enemies. which has
somehow come to be the fashion with
civilized men after battle. and Jethroe's
experience of rough-and-ready surgery.
which had been considerable. gave him
hopes of two. One was beyond all rem
edy, and breathed his last within an
hour of the close of the action. Little
Williams case was doubtful, and doubt
full on the unhopeful side Jethroe had
no desire that he should live, and NO de-
sire that he should die, but he handled
him to the best of his ability and made
shelter for him, and having done what
he could for him, left him.
Il don't know if these heather win
respect flag of truce or no." he said.
'but l shall try them. They must take
charge of their own. I'm not going TO
be bothered with en-
He tackled a white towel to a six-foot
splinter of wood, which he Clipped from
the wagon for the purpose, and with his
bandolier across his chest and his rife
on his shoulder he marched toward the
river bed waving the flag from time to
time. A man came out to meet him, and