The Irish standard., 1907-07-20

front of his battered campaign hat
bore the decorations of two crossed
sabers, with a gilded ''7" prominent
between. His attire was completed by
a coarse blue shirt, unbottoned at the
throat, about which had been loosely
knotted darker colored silk handker-
chief, and across the back of the sad
die was fastened uniform jacket, the
single shoulder strap revealed pre-
senting the plain yellow of a second
lieutenant.
Attaining to the summit of slight
knoll, whence a somewhat wider vista
lay outspread, he partially turned his
face toward the men struggling along
in the rear, while his hand swept
across the dreary scene.
IF that line Of trees over yonder
indicates the course of the Bear Wa.
ter Carson" he questioned quietly.
where are we expected to hit the trail
leading down to the ford?'
The sergeant, thus addressed, lit
tie stocky fellow wearing a closely
clipped gray moustache, spurred his
exhausted horse into brief trot, and
drew up short by the officers side, his
heavy eyes scanning the vague dis
lance, even while his right hand was
uplifted in perfunctory salute.
There's no trail know about along
this bank, SIR" he replied respectfully,
"but the big cottonwood with the dead
branch forking out at the top is the
ford guide
They rode down in moody silence
into the next depression, and began
YEARLY climbing the long hill opposite,
apparently the last before coming d.
rectly down the banks of the stream.
AS his barely moving horse topped the
uneven summit the lieutenant sudden
ly drew in his rein, and uttering an
exclamation Of surprise, bent forward,
staring intently down in his immedi-
ate front. For single instant he ap-
peared to doubt the evidence of his
own eyes; then he swung hastily from
out the saddle, all WEAKNESS forgotten.
"My Cod" he cried, sharply, his
eyes suspiosously sweeping the bare
olOpS uSlc ale IWO OOUlOS Ing
here-white people!"
Z. They lay all doubled up in the coarse
grass, exactly as they had fallen, the
man resting face downward, the
slender figure of the girl clasped vice.
like in his arms, with her tightly
closed eyes upturned toward the glar'
ing sun. Never once questioning but
that he was confronting the closing
scene Of grewsome tragedy, the thor
oughly aroused lieutenant dropped
upon his knees beside them, his eyes
already moist with sympathy, his anx-
ious fingers feeling for a possible
heartbeat. "A moment of hushed,
breathless suspense followed, and then
he began flinging terse, eager COM
mands across his shoulder to where
his men were clustered.
Here! Carson, Perry, Ronk, lay
hold quick, and break this fellows
clasp" he cried, briefly. THE girl
retains a spark of life yet, but the
mans arms fairly crush her.
With all the rightly of actual death
those clutching hands held their tena-
cious grip, but the aroused soldiers
wrenched the interlaced fingers apart
with every tenderness possible in such
emergency, shocked at noting the ex-
preston of intense agony stamped
upon the mans face when thus ex-
posed to view. The whole terrible
story was engraven there-how he
had toiled, agonized, suffered, before
finally yielding to the inevitable and
plunging forward in unconsciousness,
written as legibly as though by pen.
Carson, who in his long service had
witnessed much of death and suffer
ing, bent tenderly above him, seeking
for some faint evidence of lingering
life. The anxious lieutenant, bare
headed under the hot sun-glare, strobe
hastily across from beside the uncon-
scious but breathing girl, and stood
gazing doubtfully down upon them.
ANY life, sergeant?" he demanded,
his voice rendered husky by sympathy.
HE doesn't seem entirely gone, sir,
and Carson glanced up into the off,
GERS face, his own eyes filled with
feeling. 81 can distinguish just a wee
bit Of breathing, but it's so weak the
pulse hardly stirs.'
What do you make Of it,"
Starving at the bottom, sir. The
only thing see now is to get them
down to water and food"
The young officer glanced swiftly
about him across that dreary picture
Of sun-burnt, desolate prairie stretch.
ing in every direction, his eyes paus.
ing slightly as they surveyed the tops
of the distant cottonwoods.
"Sling blankets between your horses
he commanded, decisively. Move
quickly, lads, and we may save one OF
these lives yet"
AS If by some magic discipline the
rude, effective filters were rapidly
made ready, and the two seemingly
lifeless bodies gently lifted from of
the ground and deposited carefully
within. Down the long, brown slope
they advanced slowly, a soldier grasp
ing the rein and walking at each
| horses head, the supporting blankets