Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-07-31

Continued.

cipIe. They are here simply because
they are wearied OIL the Gle do-nothing
life, end long for change, and be-
cause no change is SO delightful to
your Gsed-up exquisite as hard fighting
and deadly peril about your throat"
There is not even the excitement OF
malice and enmity in their proceed
ings. They do not hate the power
against which they fight, or love the
power for which they are enduring
such untold discomforts and dangers.
The struggle over, they would be per-
fectly willing to dine with the Russian
general who has been fighting against
them for the last few months, and
whose gray head and pale face they
occasionally see from the battlements;
they do not care a snap OF their I'M
gers for Turkey, her rights or her
wrongs.
1t is simply the rough game OF war
fare they care for, and they play IL
with an earnestness and get cheerful
Hght-herteGness that, even more than
their indomitable courage, inspires
awe and wonderment in the bewilder-
ed Turks.
Bang bang! shrek the guns, and
shell flies over the hut, and burles It
self in the town behind.
Those fellows are getting the range
better now" says one of the group,
carelessly, as he turns spit upon
which is roasting the piece OF meat
which Is to serve for the common sup
ner. shouldn't wonder if they get
us into focus tomorrow"
eff they 10, we must move re-
marks a second, fair-haired man,
scarcely more than a boy, whose lace
bears long saber-cut, which, if he ever
gets back to England, will make his
mother weep bitter tears.
Cline enough for that" reioins a
third, the heir to a peerage. 1T al
ways takes them a fortnight to sight
position. I'd back one OF our gun
ners against six Of their men. Who
has the guard tonight??"
Hamilton" replies a shortset man,
who lies full length, staring in the fire,
aud smoking short pipe, very pos
sjbly to assuage the pangs of hunger.
AS he speaks the door opens, and a
tall young fellow enters. This is
Charlie Hamilton, whose name is
known to all London as that of the
most exquisite dandy Of the period.
He comes in with a smile on his
powder-begrimed face, a laughing
light in his blue eyes, his tattered
cloak tightly clasped around him, his
forage cap stuck on one ear.
Did you hear that last one, you fell
lows?" he asks as they look up. mot
a bad shot for them. Struck the the
mosque at the corner of the street
just as was passing. Just had time
to swing around the corner, or
shouldn't have joined the mess tonight.
What is it? Usual bill of fare, | sup
nose. h, Heaven; what would l give
for d good square meal at the Gar
rick DO you remember that salmi Of
duck they used TO have. Pierpoint?"
And he stirs up the short man with
the end of his sword-sheath.
Pierpoint grunts.
.'Salmi of duck" goes on Hamilton,
unfastening his sworG-5elt and hang
ing it UP against the hut. Beautiful:
I can smell it now. Heigh-ho! Well,
I'm awfully hungry, and ] dare say I
shall enjoy this as much as l used to
90 the salmi in the old times. Is it not
done? Are we all here? Where's
Letchford?"
Down at the magazine" replies
the man who is cooking.
Down at the magazine?" echoes
Hamilton, pausing in his task of scrap
ing the mud from his booth with a del
icate pearl-handled pen-knife-bought
in the exquisite days in Piccadilly-"at
the magazine? Hem! [ wish-I wish
he'd be more careful. There was no
occasion for him to mess about there!
One of the men could have done that" "
HE lid not seem to think So" says
Pierpoint.
Charlie Hamilton bites his lip with
sudden gravity.
He'll get knocked over one of these
fine days." he says, uneasily. Never
saw such a reckless fellow. Found him
yesterday on the ramparts, incoming on
the top of one of the guns, and the
ShO tand shell flying around him ike
butterflies. They were making a tar
get Of him-give you my word. Can't
think what's come to him. Used to be
wild, but never played the fool like
this"
Pierpoint grins.
Hadn't such good cause. perhaps.
Going to be married, you know; wants
to dodge it. perhaps"
Charlie Hamilton smiles, but looks
uneasily at the circle of faces.
Joking apart" he says, in low
voice, there is something about
Letchford that don't like. Look here,
you know it was all through me that
he came out here. When the fun be-
gun, I wrote to Vane Vavasour and
Letchford, and asked them to come
and take a hand. OF course, I knew