The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-04-30

1t was the most wonderful Slght ne
had ever seen in all his nine years of
life. He scarcely took his eyes on
the soldiers and horses, and each ma
neuver in turn he watched with abb
sorbed interest.
MY goodness," he exclaimed.
breathIessly. as the men and horses
went through each wonderful perform
ance. I'm have to be soldier, moth |
err / couldn't be anything else, /
could ~
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 fxed 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 a 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 soldieSs face,
and a light sprang into his blue eyes
as he met those adoring brown ones.
He smiled at me, mother. l say,
wasn't / a lucky chap? Ny gOodnessi
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-Iike a cat-has nine lives,
1 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 a big one.
But Though he altered in size, he re
manned the same in nature-loving,
tender-hearted, straight and strong.
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 chiyalrous and thoughtful as
ever. and 1 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 great sol
der. But Mrs Liddell had not beer
soldiers daughter and a soldier:
wife for nothing.
She quite counted the hours wheI
the order went forth that Denis Lid
dell was to join his regiment il
Egypt; and she went with him t.
Southampton with a smiling face an,
a breaking heart. Her little BROW
boy was all the world to her, and b.
was going away. perhaps for everi
A wide stretch of desert sand.
I Away in the west the sun. bloc
Q red ball, was sinking to rest In clear
brilliant sky, throwing long, leve
rays across the battlefield. Tn
t famous charge was over. The BATH
had ragged fiercely. On every han
lay the dead and the dying, but tn
fight above their heads did not ceas'
e In the midst of the fiercest f1ghtin
rode a brown-faced boy, his eyes shiI
a ing, his lips set hard, his face grll
with the stern elation and excitemeT
: of this his first taste of war; and whe
T the great charge was over his feature
r relaxed a little, but his eyes shon
still.
Suddenly voice beside him e
claimed: Good heavens! where
e Renton9 He was hit-just now-baC
d there-amongst those fiends.
Good Heavensi"
10 Without a word or syllable Il
lie brown-faced boy turned his horse. F
90 looked at the man, whose words hs
been spoken gaspingly. breathlessl
because of q wound received in tn
great onslaught. He leant a lit
tn from the saddle and touched the OF
er mans hand. his eyes fixed on t
in white face, where pain was alreaC
a carving deep lines.
lg "Pm going back for Renton,"
n, said, quietly.
Great Heavens, man, It's a she
impossibility. Why-Liddell, tia n
ing back-into-hell-"
70 His lips were more tightly set TIL
Oh ever. but his brown eyes still shor
though verify it seemed as though
ae had ridden into hell itself. Evil-fac
~ Dervishes closed round him, I
groans of the dying, the crIes of {
wounded mingled in his ears with t
fierce shouts of the foe. A cash aero
i'd the cheek sent the blood raining do'
his face. binding him for mome
IT He literally hewed his way {
at wards, one thought only surgi
ry through his brain-Renton must
found and rescued. To find him at
in the fearful melee seemed at fl
a sheer mpossibility; but at last
60 last he uttered a little exclamation
thankfulness, for there lying at
ne feet. was the man he sought. .
III How he did he could never tell, but
flung himself from his horse and lift
+ha Wounded man upon il