Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-12

the girl. whose hollow cough told of dread
consumption. The door at the other end
of the room was open.
Within the room stood a burly Lieutenant
of Ellison's own regiment, He had roughly
grabbed the girl by the arm and demanded
with an oath that she get him hot break
fast forthwith He was plainly under the
influence OF liquor. He whipped out his
knife and started for the loom, the sight
to enrage him.
"Huhl" he grunted, maxim some
rebel cloth, are vol"
Ellison, divining his purpose, was white
but calm. Don't cut that cloth, lieuten-
ant" he said quietly but firmly
The Infatuated officer stopped still and
glared at Ellison. He had not noticed him
till then.
Lieutenant Humphrey was not possessed
of the reason--he was crazy with rage and
whiskey. With terrible oath he made a
lunge at Ellison with raised knife Ellison
leveled his revover; there was a sharp
report. Lieutenant Humphrey fell heavily.
knocking Ellison against the wall
AS he righted himself a quick movement
of the girl beside the bed attracted Eli
sons attention. The mother lay weak and
still, her large, unnatural eyes rolling
YEARLY. Above the bed floated lazily film
of blue smoke
In half dazed sort OF way Ellison
walked out of the door, Two comrades
who had heard the report of the revolver
ran toward the house and asked what the
rumpus was about. Ellison motioned them
inside, without a word. A little later they
emerged, carrying the limp body Of the
lieutenant toward camp.
arrt.z -
brain. In his right hand he still clutched
tightly-so tightly the muscles ached-his
revolver; from his left trickled a little
rivulet of blood. He followed the blood up
his arm to a cash below the elbow, show
ing through a slashed sleeve. He then re-
membered he had warded off the blow
with his left arm. He sat down to think.
He took hold OF the barrel OF his revolver
and found 1t was cold How strange" he
SAID half aloud He muslngly turned 1t
over, and saw six balls in the chamber
none were missing, none had been fired.
Yet he had Just killed Lieutenant Humph-
rey with the weapon Again and again he
counted the balls, until his head began to
whirl. His arm was bleeding profusely,
and he grew faint
Ellison was in camp, under guard, when
he came TO his senses.
His thoughts again reverted to his un-
fired revolver. 1t worried him. Gradually
the scene as 1t was Impressed upon his
brain, began to take form again. He re-
membered the quick lunge, the report the
knife flash, the heavy fall, the girls move
ment as IL hiding something in the bed and
that mysterious little wisp of smoke near
her above the bed. The memory Of it all
made him wish he had had presence of
mind enough to have discharged one of the
shots in his revolver.
The guards who stayed behind with Eli
son said they expected a little tilt with
Van Dorm at the creek below Already &C.
casional picket firing could be heard and in
less than an hour a general engagement
was on judging from the volume of firing.
The fight didn't last long. Van Dorm
concluded not to try 1t out than and moved
toward Tuscumbia. The Tenth Missouri
lost a few, wounded and captured a hand
full OF rebels, among whom was a lieu
tenant Of Mississippi regiment. The
prisoners were brought back TO where Eli
son was detained and troopers patroled
them on four sides.
Things were happening fast. Cavalry on
a raid in the enemy's country are not in
clined TO tarry long In one place. Ellison
was to be tried by court-martial at noon
and have that piece OF business over with
lie was not communicative. The prison
ers generally were interested in him and
his predieament but what little informa-
ton thy got was supplied by the guards
The lieutenant OF the Mississippi regiment
Lieutenant Cady was the only one OF the
prisoners who showed entire lack of in
terest. But, then, Lieutenant could not
be expected to show interest in one be-
meath him In rank.
The court was held IN one Of the aban-
doned negro cabins, adjoining the one
where the tragedy occurred. Bob Ellison
took his seat, confronted by the three off,
GERS who constituted the court. The girl
came as a witness.
The court brought out the fact, upon
which it seemed that undue Importance was
attached, that there was an apparent mo-
tive for the shooting. In Memphis a week
or so before Lieutenant Humphrey had ad-
ministered n severe reprimand upon Cor
poral Ellison, because he had failed ia
salute him ia manner commensurate with
that officers idea of his own importance
The girls testimony was short. Her de-
meanor was naughty. She was In the pres
ence OF hated Yankees, and her proud
southern blood rebelled al the very Thought
OF H. Though it was a bitter dose, she
had volunteered to testify in behalf Of the
prisoner, because he had become entangled
through his efforts TO protect her home.
Ellison, she stated, did not fire the shot;
OF that she was sure. The sound came
from the other side OF the house. and
might have come from the outside. There
were plenty of spaces between the logs OF
the cabin for any one TO poke revolver
through and fire. AS for herself. she had
never fired a weapon In her life, and her
mother was too weak TO raise her hand,
much less fire a revolver.
Ellison wished he might enter a plea OF
self-defense, but the fully loaded revolver
precluded anything Of that kind.