The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-01

are you from, anyway he demanded.
Il don't take orders from Colonel
Worth"
General Kempner is dead" said the
staff officer simply
Keenan, came up chewing twig and
whistling.
Captain CIeymore." said the staff
officer, my horse has been shot and
Colonel Worth is waiting. Will you
point out to me the quickest way
back?"
Back broke in keenan,, you can't
get back, my boy"
Il must" said the youngster, with
out glancing at the artillery officer.
''Oh, if it's a case of must" said
Cleymore indifferently, come ahead,
and he rose to his knees and peered
across the swollen South Fork, now a
vast torrent of mud.
Crack! Crack! rang the rifles from
the opposite shore. and the little staff
officers cap was jeTked from his head
and rolled down the embankment into
the river. Keenan, cursed.
Come on, sonny" said CleymOre,
scrambling down the embankment to
the ditch The ditch was choked with
mangled bodies in blue, flung one over
the other amid smashed gun wheels,
caissons, knapsacks and rifles; and the
staff officer hesitated for an instant at
Jump" called Cleymore, here!
| Get down behind this rock and
keen your nose out of sight;
those Texas gentlemen waste few bull
| lets; are you HIT"
No" said the little staff officer.
Bull luck: did you see Randall S
men? The shells did it-look there
He pointed the length of the ditch.
| The staff officer turned pale. Every
/ where cOrpses-mere heaps of blue
rags, stained yellow by dust and black
with stiff blood, everywhere dented
/ canteens, twisted muskets, unsaVory
| scattered clothing, worn shoes, and
| shrunken blue caps. A big black
| horse, bloated and dusty, lay with both
/ hind legs stark in the air; under him
| were dead men, mostly Keenan's, by
| the red stripes on the faded trousers
| Cleymore pulled his short blonde
| mustaChe and turned to the staff-ot-
ficer.
you see that slaughter pen" he
| said; tell Colonel Worth
| The staff officer felt for his cap. re
| membered it had been shot off his heaC
and looked gravely at Cleymore.
AZ have four guns and two hundred
| and twenty odd men," said the latter
IF they bring back their batteries. al
| hour or so will see us all in the ditcf
below with Randall; if they don't W.
can held on to the South Fork bridge
I fancy Do you know why they with
drew their batteries?'
"No-unless it was to shell Colone
| Worth'S cavalry. His men are in thu
| woods behind the railroad. If you cal
hold the bridge until night they VII
keep the line open Colonel Worth i
| waiting. l must go back now, cap
| tain
CIeymore leaned along the edge o
the protecting ledge and handed hi
field-glasses to the boy.
Now" he said. you can see tn
bend in the river. There are thre'
pines on the bank aboYe-see?'
yes"
TAKE the footpath by those pine
until you come to a burnt barn. Fol
low the river after that and if the trol
bridge isn't blown up yet you can se
across; if it is blown up you can't Joil
Colonel Worth
"But-a-a boat
"A boat in that?"
They looked at the fOaming torrent
laundering among the rocks. After
moment the staff officer pointed to tn
shot-torn bridge below them.
ooh" said CleymOre. you came tina
way, didn't you? Well. miracles hap
pen. and that was one of them. but
you try to get back that way, the per
Torrance won't be encOred, and yO1
can bet your curly head on that, m
SON"
IT'S the shortest way said the lit
tie staff officer.
Yes. the shortest way to kingdom
come" said CleymOre dfseusted: 81
you're not shot, the Texans will cato
you"
They were crOuching on the hot, drie
grass. side by side. The sweat poure
, down Cleymore's forehead, washin
the powder CRIME into thick patche
over his young face. He threw hi
blackened jacket open at the throai
rubbed his forehead with his sleeve an
said, "WhewI"
It's the shortest way" repeated tn
other, rising to his knees
You can't 60" said CleymOre, sharp
| ". the bridge is mined and Murph
may blow it up any moment
The youth handed back the field
| glass with a smile. For a mOmen
their eyes met, then CleymOres flushe
face turned a bright crimson and h
caught his breath, murmuring II
blesti"
Captain Cleymore" said the stat
officer, cooIly, you are OBTAINING m
from my duty. Have l your permissio
to leave?"
. They eyed each other steadily.
You must not go" said CleymOre
curious. husky voice, let me send
man.
Have 1 your leave?"
Come back cried Cleymore,
won't give it!"-but the youngstt
sprang to his feet, touched his curl
head in quick salute, and started on
run toward the covered bridge, hold
ing his sabre close to his thigh.
"Drop!" shouted Cleymore, and be
gan to swear under his breath, but tn
youngster ran on, and to Cleymore
amaZement the rifles of the fierC
Texans on the other side of the rive
were silent.
On and. still on ran the boy, unit
; | with a sigh of establishment and relic
Cleymore saw him push in among til
handful of blue-clad engineers at I'll
end of the bridge; but he went no fun
Their, for they stopped him with levele
b bayonets, shaking their heads and &c:
! ticulating, and suddenly Cleymore nC
ticed that the bridge was afire at til
further end.
"Murphys fired the bridget" he cal
ed out to Kellogg on the platea
( above.
= Kellogg's head appeared over a shai
! tered gun Timber. Then LOngstreet
coming, you bet,'
Il suppose so; can't you see any
tbino7 Call DougIaS"