The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1905-07-14

smart, too, bucking hard to be an Of
ficer. And as soon as he see Hilda
Jonson it was just like all the rest.
Hilda took rather shine to him first
crack out, too. Helder was crazy and
talked about licking him and in gen
eral made a fool of himself Which
we told him. But Bacon didn't care
and Hilda didn't mind"
Sergeant" broke in Smithy, DELHI
erately, you're liar!
Whats that?" came from the SER
geant, with well-feigned severity, as
the hand made bluff of reaching for
the pigeon hole from which protruded
the butt of the big blue Colt.
You're liar" slowly repeated the
little ex-trumpeter. "Do you suppose
that after all you have told JUS about
us believe she wasn't in love with you
and boo-ti-ful and vice versa" The
sergeant shifted.
THAT man Helderp he went on,
dandy cavalryman he. was, too, went
on making a fool of himself until
everybody was sick of him. But he
didn't let the girl CO. but kept at her
until one day her old man, with a
whole lot of Swedish ceremony and
Arizona tanglefoot, told the post that
Hilda was to be given in marriage to
Corporal Johnny Bacon. That's just
the way he told it.
"Helder was crazy. Tanked up on
tanglefoot, which was awful rare for
him, made an ass # himself and then
disappeared. Nobody saw a thing of
him until next night when hurry up
orders came to ride down the Gila
after a band of numbering PEACHES that
was raising the devil among the set
tiers Then he ducked up. sober but
silent, and took his place like the little
sojer man that he was.
I'VE had scout for your long Toms
that time. For a week we rode almost
day and night, caught the band red
handed and licked them like Smithy,
| Buffalo Bill Old Wes and the rest of
the Fifth cavalry fellers licked Yellow
Hand and his Cheyennes on the War
Bonnet in '76, only we killed more of
them, they needed it."
mo, you didn't" broke in Smithy,
the loyal. "Only the Dandy Fifth
could do that kind of business and
only Old Yves (MerritD could boss the
job, even if you did have the Gray Fox
fCrook) for your chief"
"Then," professional pride prevent
ing the sergeant from deigning to no.
tice the interruption. 1--WE rested sew
eral days and took four weeks to get
back. But that fight was daisy. We
struck the hot trail at dusk and soon
located the band in depression, and
while the horse holders held the
mounts H troop waited until midnight
and then crawled up on one side. while
G troop went on a long sneak around
the camp of wickey-ups to complete
the surround. Just as the sun shot up
like a skyrocket over those Gila hills
you know how it jumps up down
there. Smithy-we got the signal that
G was ready and went in.
'"Talk about the place that preachers
are afraid of and promise us fellers
who don't always say our prayers with
our hats off, major. but we got it that
morning for few minutes II charged
in from the northeast. G from the
southwest. a big cliff cut them Off from
the northwest. and we both closed in
and closed the gap fighting afoot.
But there was an ugly bunch Of rock
near the end of G troops line, and
lot of bucks got in there and took toll
Of us frightful Both the G troop fell
lers tried to shoot it out and rush it,
but the way those bucks met us would
make you think they had all Frank
fort and a Gatiing behind them.
Cali of sudden when we made the
| rush the second or third time we II
| fellers saw Johnny Bacon go down in
a heap and then try to crawl to cover.
| He was in a funny place. right where
| the rocks protected him from us, but
where the bucks could pepper him as
| they choose He lay so still they
didn't. and that was a mercy 1t was
| Just like the end Of funnel. and We
see one buck sneak down to scalp him.
Just then we see Jimmie Helder jump
UP from behind his cover. run in and
| pick him up and get back. And it's
a wonder lie ever got back at all. to