The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-06-15
A Chance For His Life


over TWO years and had made TWO sue
cessful Indian campaigns when trag
edy came into his life. One OF his hind
legs began to swell, and in three or
four days he WAS disabled from duty.
The veterinary took him In hand at
once. but made no progress, The limb
swelled to three times It's normal size,
and no remedy was found to be Of
avail More than dozen veterinaries,
soldier and citizen, had look at the
horse before a final verdict was pro
nounced, and all knew what the end
would be, and all pitied him. AT the
end OF three months the leg was no
better. and the dat went forth that he
was to be shot.
Corporal Brixton and guard will
take the horse out on the prairie and
shoot him. read the order. and the
colonel added verbally, And do it as
decently as ron would shoot man,
When Eureka was ready to be led
forth to execution 800 men insisted on
gathering to bid him goodby. He was
everybody's horse to admire and praise.
but II was only the battery men who
had the privilege OF rubbing his arched
neck and smoothing his velvet nose
and telling him that be should never be
forgotten, though replaced. Strangely
enough, the ailment had not affected
the horses general health His eye
was just as bright and his spirits Just
as high ms when able to move with the
swlftness of an antelope He rubbed
his muzzlc against the cheeks Of the
men and whimpered for sugar, and
when he went llmping away caps came
OF and men felt lump gathering in
their throats.
The cortege wound over the hin a
quarter OF mile away and thea de-
scended into the valley, and the pace
was that of a funeral procession. When
II was out Of sight OF the fort Private
Daily asked of Corporal Brixton:
Corp, are We man or scoundreli'
I'm a man. I'D have We know, and
I've proved 1t fifty times over was
the answer
And have We got a heart In yer
BOSOM
AS big as beer key"
And would We murder helpless
baby"
5''Cuss me If would! I know what
you are driving at, and you leave II to
me-"
Half a mile across the valley they
came TO the fringe Of bushes and en-.
tered them. Eureka had but the slight
est use of his leg. but he hobbled on
after fashion and made no complaint.
On the contrary. he snorted and sought
to dance around as in the days OF his
strength. BY and by CLASSY glade
was reached. Here was food and wa
fer for hundred horses, and the cor
poral called ahaft.
Daily and Henderson. listen to me. .
he said THE orders are TO shoot Eu-
reka. won't
Bully for you. old man." they shout
ed.
Il shall have 10 report him dead but
Il will be lie. and X either OF you
ever hetray me III have bullet ready
for you In the first skirmish that takes
place. II was cold blooded enough to
shoot down horse like this I'd want
Uncle Sam to kick me out of the army
and ME own mother to 20 back on me.
Make ready now aim--fires
The carbine shots rang out. The
noise did not startle the horse Ia the
least. but It might have been heard
at the fort by any one listening. The
men had aimed above the horse. and
their bullets went singing through the
treetops
rs he finished" asked the corporal
as he turned his back on the feeding
horse
lie Is. sir answered Daily.
Then heaven rest his soul for a. good
horse, and forward march"
For four or nre days thereafter the
men Of the entire garrison looked
askance tat Che three inen and drew
away from them. They had acted
under orders. but they had shot down
Eureka They knew what allied their
comrades, hut they kept their own
counsel The report Of the corporal
was accepted without question, and
the incident passed into history.
Had Eureka been well in limb he
would have made his way back to the
fort before dark. As it was. he fed
and drank and slept. They had given
him his discharge from the service
had made an outlaw of him. and he
had no further right on the lines or In
the stables. He did not move out Of
the glade that day or might About
midnight n big timber wolf came out
OF the foothills and circled around him
and glared and growled, and the horse
rose un with psinful effort and made
ready 10 defend himself with teeth and
hoof. The wolf did not attack. how
eyer. and when daylight came the Grip
PIE bpbbled Up the valley IN search Of
more secure retreat. That was in
The last days Of May. The valley was
not settled. aud the horse had IL oil to
himself except for the few deer. buffa-
10 and Wild horses that strayed IN occa-
rionally.
June. July and August came aud
went. and one day carly IN September
The battery was taken out for drill.
II had been at work for half an hour
With evolutions when II suddenlywheel.
" Into position. unlImbered and went
Into action and the guns began TO
boom. OF sudden the men set up a
wild cheering. Captain. lieutenant and
first sergeants sat on their horses in
Rowling wonder at such breach OF
tIiscinltna t,.t "a 49,. =, >..l.- . ..,..,....,,,