Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-05-25

w men dI0 you SOALS AAO cioKAC0s
Tonight" l said, much pleased at
his conversion in my dress. Il want
you to help me Johnny--for the sake of
Kilsheelan and the old days"
He caught my hand and shook it
warmly.
Dear lad, will always be your true
friend" he said.
[. could have embraced him at that
minute, the honest, simple fellow.
Il want your assistance tonight, .
I went on AT u O'clock, when all
is silent, l shall pass down to the
closet. l have hidden my rifle be-
tween the closet wall and the wooden
paling, where no one would ever
dream of looking. My going to the
closet will cause no remarks. You
have charge of the ammunition Of
your company, and you can easily fill
my haversack and hide it in your
room till midnight. Then you can
bring it to me-"
Very good" he replied. 'Tll be-
there. sure enough"
81 shall never forget your kindness, >
said, little knowing how true the
remark would prove in way that !
never suspected then.
1 was waiting for Johnny's coming
few minutes before the time ar
ranged. AS / stood in the shadows
by the pailing l began to think.
1 reviewed many incidents in my
past life. I thought of my moth
er and my sweetheart, and [
pictured their amazed looks when
they read of my adventure in the
great American forest. The people
in Kilsheelan would be proud of me,
the greatest of their many great sons.
AS these thoughts crossed my mind
the clock struck the hour Of mid
night, and ere the sounds had died
away, Johnny HOulihan emerged from
the barracks as arranged. He ap-
preached me nOiselessIy, and We
shook hands.
'Have you got the ammunition?
asked.
"Here it is" he replied, throwing
back his big overcoat and showing the
haversack inside You have hun
dred rounds here"
Dear old Johnny" l answered, at
the same time seizing my rifle and
climbing to the top of the fence.
Johnny" l whispered.
well"
Johnny, we may never meet
again. It's a terrible place is the
heart of the forest"
oh" he said as if with surprise.
''But I'm not a bit afraid, Johnny.
Only if | never turn up | want you to
write to my mother and tell her-tell
her that died nobly."
81 won't neglect it."
God bless you" l said, fervently.
But there's something else. You
knew little Norah O'Halloran, a
daughter of old Tins from below the
salmon pool. | never knew till now
how much | cared for her. Would
you tell her-tell her that she was
in my thoughts by day and night,
| and-and-''
''And that her name was upon your
lips at the last" added Johnny.
l reached down and caught his
hand
Dear, faithful Johnny. There are
no hearts so true as the Kilsheelan
ones
He climbed up the pailing half way,
and with his own hands strung the
haversack around my shoulders.
''Good-by, Johnny" 1 said, preparing
myself to leap over the fence. One
last look around, and / prepared my
self to jump. Only two miles away
was the forest Of my longing and my
dreams. In other years men would
wonder at the deeds I would do there.
1t was the grandest moment of my
life. Already 1 felt myself a chief
king among the red Indians.
raised the rifle to my shoulders, and
put my hand to steady the haversack
ere l jumped AS 1 did so the heart
sank within me- I had been duped,
deceived
The haversack contained nothing
but broken biscuits.
| became frantic and threw discre-
ton to the winds. ! shouted a ter
rible malediction after Johnny. Then,
horror of horrors! all the windows
in the rooms of the four companies
went down as if with simultaneous
thud that woke a thousand echoes.
Scores of heads peered through, and
wanted to know how l liked the
jungle.
Johnny, the rascal, had shameless
ly betrayed my secret.
After that nights adventure, had
no further desire to go hunting the
red Indians And when | had time
to think calmly over matters, came
to the conclusion that Johnny Houli-
han was my true friend. after all, and
that there are no friends as true as
tina KfIahaaIan mas