The Cairo bulletin., 1909-09-21
By Thomas Foye.

men who growled went to the guard
house on trot.
At all military posts there are
few favored men-men who suffer
now and then from old wounds or
have performed brave deeds, and are
tacitly allowed to take things easy.
Such man was private Tom Cor
man at Fort Brown. Two bullets had
been fired into him as he rode with
dispatches across the plains one
night, and though not incapacitated
as a soldier he was given light duty
and coddled up bit.
The coddling ceased soon after the
majors arrival He was on the look
out for such men They were re-
turned to duty, and even given ex-
ira duty, and the mild protests of
captains and lieutenants were met
with the formal reply:
This Is military post, not a
hospital, and no man, unless excused
by the doctor at sick-call, will be
exempt from duty"
Private German returned to duty
with a complaint, and subsequent
events proved that the martinez had
a special eye on Vim. He was twice
reprimanded during company drill
one day, and following that he was
placed on sentry duty and took his
post at midnight In rainstorm.
1t was an inside post and of no
consequence. The wounded man took
the chance of getting under shelter
for a short time. The major went
the round that night, caught him
derelict and saw him hustled off to
the guardhouse.
Private German did not serve out
his sentence of 80 days in the guard
house When he had served five days
he was assisted to escape He was
furnished with carbine and food,
and he went into hiding within three
miles of the fort.
He felt that he had been unjustly
/, treated and that he had been dis
graced without cause, and he calmly
and deliberately made up his mind
to kill the man responsible. 1t was
for this reason that he fingered near
the fort
Almost every morning the major
rode down to the boiling spring
three miles down the roagh trail,
and there were so places where he
could be ambushed. The spot select
ed was big rock alongside the trail,
and Tom was on watch there the
morning after his escape.
1t was seven O'Clock before the
echoes of the iron-shod hoofs of the
majors horse reached his ears, and
an instant later he was peering out
from behind the rock.
1t was the major alone on the
trail. No one was In sight in either
direction.
AS the soldier made ready with
his carbine the major let fall his
reins and drew letter from his
pocket. As he did so a photograph
fell from the letter to the stony high
way unnoticed by him Queer as it
may seem, curiosity about that pho
tograph overbHlanced Tom Germans
thirst for revenge for the moment,
and he let the officer pass.
A minute later he had the card in
his hand. 1t was the picture of lit
tie girl not over Ave years old--a
sweet faced little thing-and under
meath was written From Elsie to
Papa"
No soldier at Fort Brown had
asked or couldt know whether their
martinez was married man or not.
They had not discussed his home ties
only his discipline. Here was a
new factor In the case. German crept
back to his ambush with his eyes
fixed on the face, and his own feat
ures began to soften.
From Elsie to Papa. he repeated
over and over again.
Private German found his heart
in his throat. He was not a father.
but he was lover of children. He'd
have given three months pay to pick
Elsie up In his arms and give her a
kiss.
You amt to blame for 1t, little
one. Whatever he is to US, and badly
as he's used me, he loves you and
you him, and | can't break your
heart trying to get even, I'm here to
kill him, and | was going to do 1t
when he came back, but you're too
sweet thing to be left fatherless
The major came riding back. h. .
eyes on the ground as If looking for
some lost object, At the rock he
halted
IF you hadn't lost 1t you would
have been lying out there with bull
let through your heart!" whispered
German as he rose and looked after
the disappearing major.
And then, thrusting the photo
graph into his breast pocket, he
shou1dered his carbine, gave himself
a shake. and headed for the land OF
the OUTLAW and the deserter.