The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-11-06

to throw II away.
The men spread their blankets ON
the floors of the bare rooms, and put
ting their packs under their heads and
lighting their pipes, they lived in lazy
peace. Bees hummed in the garuen and
a scent OF flowers came through the
open window.
There was sudden little spatter of
shooting. cry from Jones rang out.
With no little intermediate scram bling,
the sergeent leaped straight to his feet.
Now" be cried, let us see what you
are made of! IT," he added bitterly,
you are made of anything"
A mau yelled: Good God, cant you
see you're all tangled up in my cart
ridge belt?"
Another man yelled: Keep of my
legsi Can't you walk on the GCor?"
To the windows there was a LIND
7;ash of slumberous men, who brushed
NSAr Tom their eyes even as they made
ready their rifles. Jones and Patter-
son came stumbling up the steps. cry
ing dreadful information. Already the
enemys bullets were splitting and sing
ing over the house.
The sergeant suddenly was stiff and
cold with sense of the Importance Of
the thing.
There they comet" The rifles cracked.
A light smoke drifted idly through the
rooms. There was strong odor as
from burnt paper and the powder of
hrecrackers.
NOW" said the sergeant, ambitious
ly, I'VE can beat them of easily II you
men are good enough"
There was fusillade against an
other side of the house. The sergeant
ed that situation. He found dead
soldier on the floor.
Patterson" cried Sergeant Morton.
"Yes," said Patterson, his face sci
with some deep-rooted quality of de-
termination. Still, he was mere farm
boy.
60 in to Knowles window and shoot
at those people" said the sergeant
hoarsely. Afterwards he cOughed
Some of the fumes of the fight had
made way to his lungs.
Patterson looked at the door into
this other room. He looked at 1t as II
he suspected it was to be his DEATH
chamber. Then he entered and stood
across the body of Knowles and fired
vigorously into group OF charming
plum trees.
They can't take this house." de.
clared the sergeant in a contemptuous
| ,koA
parently replying to somebody. A
man who had been shot in the throat
looked up at him. Eight men were
firing from the windows. The sergeant
detected in a corner three wounded
men, talking together feebly.
Don't you think there is anything
to do?" he bawled. Go and Cet
Knowles cartridges and give them tc
somebody that can use them! Take
Simpsons, too" The man who hac
been shot in the throat looked at him
OF the three wounded men who had
been talking, one said alphabetically:
my leg is all doubled up under me-"
Meantime the sergeant was reload.
ing his rifle. His foot slipped in the
blood of the man who had been shot
in the throat.
''Why, we can hold this place!'
shouted the sergeant jubilantly.
Corporal Flagler suddenly spun from
his window and fell in a heap.
Sergeant" murmured a man, as hi
dropped to seat on the floor out o.
danger, Il can't stand this. | swear
, can't. / think we should run away"
Morton, with the kindly eyes of /
good shepherd, looked at the man
You are afraid, Johnston; you ar,
afraid he said softly The man strug
gled to his feet, cast upon the sergean
gaze full of admiration, reproach ant
: despair, and returned to his post. A
moment later he pitched forward, ant
thereafter his body hung Imply out O
t the window.
The Sc! geant laid his rifle agains
t the stonework of the window fran,
) and shot with care until his magazine
was empty, Behind him, man sim
. ply grazed ON the elbow was Wild,
sobbing like girl.
9 "Shut up" said Morton, withou
I turning his head. Before him was
D vista of fields, clumps of trees, woods
populated with little, stealtAy, tieetini
: figures.
\ He grew furious. why didn't h
3 send me orders?" he cried aloud. Tn
emphasis on the word "he" was i'm
/ pressive.
I The man who had been grazed OF
Q the elbow still set up his bleat. Nor
/. toms fury veered to this soldier. Can
you shut up? Can't you shut up
: Can't you shut up? Fight! That's til
A thing to 60! Fight"
q bullet struck Morton and he fel
4 upon the man who had been shot Il
: the throat. There was a sickepin
3 moment Then the sergeant rolled oil
Q to position upon the bloody floor. H
: turned himself with last effort unit
il he could look at the wounded VIII
A were able to look at him.
, His arms weakened and he droppe
a on his face.
d After an interval, young subalter
!. of the enemy's infantry, followed b