River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-02-28

na0 ever seen IN all MS nine years VI
life. He scarcely took his eyes off
the soldiers and horses, and each ma
neuver in turn he watched with abb
sorbed interest.
MY goodness!" he exclaimed
breathlessly, as the men and horses
went through each wonderful perform
ance. "Tll have to be soldier, moth
er. / couldn't be anything else,
could II"
mo, sonny" she answered softly;
and if she sighed, WELL nobody no
ticed it; and If her eyes grew dim
with tears, no one saw them, because
they were fixed on the little brown
boy, and his were glued to the arena.
1t happened that on the day when
his mother and he were at the mill
tary tournament, very great and dis
tinguished commander was also there.
He was so great a man that when the
audience realized his presence they
rose to their feet as one man, and
cheered him until the place rang with
the sound again and again The little
brown boy clambered upon his chair
to get good view of the hero, and
the eyes of the small, eager-faced boy
and the stalwart keen-faced man met.
The little boy was waving his cap in
his small brown hands, and smile
rippled over the great soldiers face,
and a light sprang into his blue eyes
as he met those adoring brown ones.
HE smiled at me, mother. | say,
wasn't a lucky chap? My goodness!
I'd like to shake hands with him;
only, OF course, he wouldn't shake
hands with little chap like me-"
Wait bit, little brown boy, the time
may come!
A boy-like a cat-has nine lives,
fancy; and this boy, in spite of va
riety of accidents sufficiently alarming
to turn grey the hair of the most hard
ened mother did escape with life and
limb, and grew from a little brown
boy into big one.
But though he altered in size, he re-
manned the same in nature-loving,
tender-hearted, straight and strong,
a boy to make his mothers heart
swell with pride very often.
His care for his little mother as
he called her when he shot up to be
a head and shoulders taller than she
was as chivalrous and thoughtful as
ever, and l think that if she had ex
pressed the least shadow of dislike
to his entering the army he would have
given up what was the ambition and
dream of his life-to be a great sol
der But Mrs. Liddell had not been
a soldiers daughter and soldiers
wife for nothing.
She quite counted the hours when
the order went forth that Denis Lid
dell was to join his regiment in
Egypt; and she went with him to
Southampton with smiling face and
a breaking heart Her little brown
boy was all the world to her, and he
was going away, perhaps for ever!
A wide stretch of desert sand
Away in the west the sun, blood
red ball, was sinking to rest in clear,
brilliant sky, throwing long, level
rays across the battlefield. The
famous charge was over. The battle
had ragged fiercely On every hand
lay the dead and the dying, but the
fight above their heads did not cease.
In the midst Of the fiercest fighting
rode brown-faced boy, his eyes shin
ing, his lips set hard, his face grim
with the stern citation and excitement
of this his first taste of war; and when
the great charge was over his features
relaxed a little, but his eyes shone
still.
Suddenly a voice beside him ex-
claimed: Good heavens! where is
Renton? He was hit-just now-back
there-amongs those fiends. j.
Good Heavens"
Without word or syllable the
brown-faced boy turned his horse. He
looked at the man, whose words had
been spoken gaspingly, breathlessly,
because of a wound received in that
great onslaught. He leant a little
from the saddle and touched the 9TH
er mans hand, his eyes fixed on the
white face, where pain was already
carving deep lines.
I'm going back for Renton," he
said, quietly.
Great Heavens man! It's a sheer
impossibility. Why-Liddell, tia rid
ing back-into-hell-"
His lips were more tightly set than
ever, but his brown eyes still shone,
though verify it seemed as though he
had ridden into hell itself. Evil-faced
Dervishes closed round him, the
groans of the dying, the cries of the
wounded mingled in his ears with the
fierce shouts of the foe. A cash across
the cheek sent the blood raining down
his face, binding him for a moment.
He literally hewed his way on
wards, one thought only surging
through his brain-Renton must be
found and rescued. To find him at all
in the fearful melee seemed at first
a sheer lmpossibility; but at last-at
last he uttered little exclamation of
thankfulnesS, for there lying at his
feet. was the man he sought.
How he did he could never tell, but he
flung himself from his horse and lifted
the wounded man upon it.
Better leave me-" Renton wills,
pered feebly, I'VE shall never both
get splendid of-you to-
come"
"Oh, it's all right" the boy an
swered, as he swung himself into the