The daily Alaskan., 1907-02-06
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A Chance For His Lie
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f LCOpSrLgnl, lSNos pN E1oILAGE SPA Ss CSsl In the three gun battery at Fort Cul- yer was horse named Eureka.
 Eureka had been with the battery for over two years and had made two sue cessful Indian campaigns when traS- edy came into his life. One of bis hind legs began to swell, and in three or four days be was disabled from duty. The veterinary took him in hand at once, but made no progress. The limb swelled to three times its normal size, and no remedy was found to be of avail. More than a dozen veterinariesr 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 10 better, and the fiat 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 1t as decently as you would shoot q man. When Eureka was ready to be led forth to execution 800 men insisted on gathering to bid him goodby. He was eyerybody's horse 10 admire and praise, but It was only the battery men who had the privilege of rubbing his arched neck and smoothing his velvet nose and telling him that he 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 as when able 10 move with the swiftness of an antelope. He rubbed his muzzle against the cheeks of the men and whimpered for sugar, and when be went ltmping away caps came or and meu felt lump gathering ID their throats.
 The Cortege wound over the hill q quarter of q mile away and then de, scended into the valley, and the pace was that of a funeral procession. When It was out of sight of the fort Private Daily asked of Corporal BriNtOn:
 Corp. are ye d man or ScOundrcl:'
 I'm q man. I'd have ye know, and I've proved it fifty times over" was the answer.
 And have ye got heart in yer bosom?"
 AS big as q beer keg.
 And would ye murder a helpless babyT
 "Cuss me If I would! know what you are driving at. and you leave it to me"
 Half 8 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 hr hobbed on after fashion and made no complaint. On the contrary, h. suOrted and sought to dance around as in the days of bis strength. By and by glasSy glade was reached. Here was food and va. ter for a hundred horses. and the cor poral called a halt.
 Daily and Henderson. listen to me be said. ''The orders are to shoot Eu- reka. l won't
 Bully for you, old man" they shout ed.
 "I shall have to report him dead, but It will be lie, and if either of you ever betray me I'll have a bullet ready for you in the trSt skirmiSh that takes place. If 1 was cold blOOded enough to shoot down a horse like this I'd want Uncle Sam to kick me out of the army and me own mother to go back on me. Make ready nOw-aim-hre,'
 The carbine shots rang out. The noise did not Startle the horse in the least but il might have been heard at the fort by any one listening. The men had ailuel above the horse, and their bullets went singing through the treetopS.
 is he fni<Aed:" asked the corporal as be turned his back on the feeding horse.
 'Es Is. sir" answered Daily.
 Then heaven rest hiS soul for good horse. and forward march"
 UT lOuA bl uN ' A'AN V AhSL'sLlCA NAAS men of the entire garrison looked askapce at the three men and drew away from them. They had acted under orders. but they had shot down Eureka. They knew what ailed 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 th" lines or in the stables. He did not move out of the glade that day or night. About midnight a big timber wolf came out or the foothills and circled around him and glared and grDwlcd. and the horse rose Ip with painful effort and made ready to defend himself with teeth and hoof. The wAf did not attack, how ever, and when daylight came the crjp- ple hoAbled uP the vallry in search of q more secure retreat. That was in the last days of May The valley was not settled. and the horse hai it all to