Willmar tribune., 1906-09-05

Another man yelled: "Keec Off my
legs! Can't you walk on the :;Gor?"
TO the windows there was a hind
sasa OF slumberous men, who brushed
~sar srom 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 spilling and sing
ing over the house.
The sergeant suddenly was stiff and
cold with sense of the Importance OF
the thing.
There was howl. There they are!
There they come!" The rifles cracked.
A light smoke drifted idly through the
rooms. There was & strong odor as
from burnt paper and the powder OF
frecrackers.
Now" said the sergeant, ambitious
ly,. I'VE can beat them off easily if you
men are good enough"
There was fusillade against an
other side of the house. The sergeant
| dashed into the room which command
ed that situation. He found a 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.
Go in to Knowles window and shoo1
at those people" said the sergeant
hoarsely. Afterwards he coughed
Some of the fumes nf the fight hat
made way to his lungs.
Patterson looked at the door int
this other room. He looked at it as ii
he suspected 1t was to be his death
chamber. Then he entered and stooe
across the body of Knowles and free
vigorously into group of charming
plum trees.
"They can't take this house, de
clared the sergeant in a contemptuou
and argumentative tone. He was ap
parently replying to somebody. 4
man who had been shot in the throa
looked up at him. Eight men wer
firing from the windows The sergean
detected in corner three wounde,
men, talking together feebly.
Don't you think there is anything
to do?" he baw1ed. "Go and &C
Knowles cartridges and give them t
somebody that can use them! TAX
Simpsons, too" The man who ha
been shot in the throat looked at him
OF the three wounded men who ha
been talking, one said apologetically
my leg IS all doubled up under me-"
Meantime the sergeant was reload
ing his rife. His foot slipped in tn
blood OF the man who had been sho
in the throat.
why, we can hold this. place!
shouted the sergeant jubilantly.
Corporal Flagler suddenly spun fror
his window and fell in a heap.
Sergeant" murmured a man, as h
dropped to a seat on the floor out O
danger, Il can't stand this. I swear
can't. think we should run away"
! Morton, with the kindly eyes Of
good Shepherd. looked at the mar
You are afraid, Johnston; you ar
afraid he said softly. The man strug
gled to his feet, cast upon the sergean
a gaze full of admiration, reproach an
despair, and returned to his post !
moment later he pitched forward, an
thereafter his body hung Imply out G
the window.
The Sc. geant laid his rifle agains
the stonework Of the window fran
and shot with care until his magazin
was empty. Behind him, man sim
ply grazed on the elbow was wlldl
sobbing like a girl.
'Shut up" said Morton, wi;hou
turning his head. Before him was
vista of fields, clumps of trees, woods
populated with little, stealthy, 1eetin
figures.
He grow furious. why didn't h
send me orders?' he cried aloud. Th
emphasis on the word 'he'' was i'm
pressive.
The man who had been grazed o.
the elbow still set up his bleat. Nor
tons fury veered to this soldier. Can
you shut up? Can't you shut up
Can't, you shut up? Fight! That's th
thing to Go! Fight"
A bullet struck Morton and he fe1
upon the man who had been shot /
the throat. There was a slckeD1n
moment Then the sergeant ,olled o1
to position upon the bloody floor. H
turned himself with last effort unit
he could look at the wounded VIII
we're able to look at him.
His arms weakened and he droppe
on his face.
| After an interval, young subalter
of the enemy's infantry, followed b
his eager men, burst into this reekin
death chamber. But just over tn
threshold he halted, and remarked
with a shrug to his sergeant: II shoul
have estimated them as at least 10
strong"
Copyright. 1906 by Joseph B. Bowler
GENTLE REMINDER FOR PAPA.
Robbie Uneasy Over Time It Took t
Make Printing Press.