The Oakley eagle. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1901-1908, 1906-10-18

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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 garoen and
a scent OF flowers came through the
open window
There was sudden little spatter OF |
shooting. A cry from Jones rang out. |
With no little intermediate scrambling, |
the sergeant 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, CAM you
see you're all tangled up in my cart
ridge belt?"
Another man yelled: "Keep on my
legs! Can't you walk on the Gcor?"
To rhe windows there was Hind
-ilsh OF slumberous men, who brushed
str 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
enemy's bullets were spilling and sing
ing over the house
The sergeant suddenly was stiff and
cold with a sense of the Importance OF
the thing.
There was a howl. There they are!
There they comet" The rifles cracked.
A light smoke drifted idly through the
rooms. There was a strong odor as
from burnt paper and the powder OF
tirecrackers.
Now" said the sergeant, ambitious
~, I'VE can beat them off easily II 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 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 a mere farm
boy.
Go 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
and argumentative tone He was ap-
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 get
Knowles cartridges and give them to
somebody that can use them! Take
Simpsons, too" The man who bad
been shot in the throat looked at him.
OF the three wounded men who had
been talking, one said apologetically:
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 he
dropped to a seat on the floor out of
danger, Il can't stand this. swear |
can't | think we should run away"
Morton, with the kindly eyes of a
good Shepherd, looked at the man
You are afraid, Johnston you are
afraid ne said softly. The man strug-
gled to his feet, cast upon the sergeant
a gaze full of admiration, reproach and
despair, and returned to his post. A
moment later he pitched forward, and
thereafter his body hung Imply out OF
the window.
The Sc. geant laid his rifle against
the stonework of the window frame
and shot with care until his magazine
was empty Behind him, a man sim
ply grazed on the elbow was wildly
sobbing like girl.
shut up" said Morton, without
turning his head. Before him was g
vista of fields, clumps of trees, woods
populated with little, stealthy, tieetine
figures.
He grew furious. why didn't he
send me orders?" he cried aloud. The
emphasis on the word The" was i'm
pressive.
The man who had been grazed or
the elbow still set up his bleat. Nor
toms fury veered to this soldier. Cam
you shut up? Can't you shut upi
Can't you shut up? Fight That's the
thing to dol Fight"
A bullet struck Morton and he fell
upon the man who had been shct In
the throat There was a slckeDinf
moment Then the sergeant rolled OF
to a position upon the bloody floor. He
turned himself with a last effort until
he could look at the wounded who
we're able to look at him.
His arms weakened and he dropped
on his face.
After an interval. young subalterr
| fwF