The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-09-07

| az apple. I1C SIcIhly COAAiuduucu uihu
to throw Il 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 garden and
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, cant 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 hlor?"
To the windows there was Elind
rusA OF slumberous men, who brushed
saAr from 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 stir and
cold with a sense of the importance Of
the thing
There was a howl. There they aie!
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
firecrackers.
Now" said the sergeant, ambitious
ly, I'VE can beat them off easily If you
men are good enough"
There was a 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 set
with some deep-rooted quality OF de-
termination. Still, he was a 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 it as if
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 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 ret
Knowles cartridges and give them to
somebody that can use them! Take
| Simpsons, too" The man who had
| 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 rife. 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.
| ssCorooapf y,o,,rrorraA yoon ba
dropped to a seat on the floor out Of
danger, Il can't stand this. I swear I
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" he 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 a girl.
shut up" said Morton, without
turning his head. Before him was a
vista Of fields, clumps of trees, woods,
populated with little, stealthy, tieeting
| figures.
He grew furious. why didn't he
send me orders?" he cried aloud The
emphasis on the word "he" was i'm
| pressive.
The man who had been grazed on
the elbow still set up his bleat. Nor
tons fury veered to this soldier. Cant
you shut up? Can't you shut up?
Can't you shut up? Fight! That's the
thing to Go! Fight"
A bullet struck Morton and he fell
upon the man who had been shot in
the throat. There was a sickeping
moment Then the sergeant rolled on
to position upon the bloody floor. He
turned himself with last effort until
he could look at the wounded who
were able to look at him.
His arms weakened and he dropped
on his face.
After an interval, young subaltern