The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-05-26

came in carrying double. an arrow
grazing his quarter as he made the
last half mile.
Farther west it was Old Jack who
suddenly raised an alarm one mid
night just in time to save the troop
from attack. A week later he was
bitten by rattlesnake, and he was
ordered to be shot, as has been done
IN a score of like cases, but Company
A would not have e so. and. Provi-
dence sending a heavy rainstorm to
stop the march, heroic doses of whis.
ky were poured down his throat. and
in the course of few. days he was
all right and kicking up his heels as
of yore.
Not long after this, one day while
the brigade was marching along up
between the forks of the upper Platte,
Did Jacks rider ventured too far from
camp, and he was rushed by half a
dozen Indians. He dismounted and
covered them with his revolver over
the saddle The horse stood like
rock. The savages yelled and waved
blankets and fred their rifles, but they
could not stampede him. In the midst
Of the excitement he saw the relief
party while it was more than a mile
away and neighed a shrill call of rec
ognition and a warning to ride fast
Is it at all strange that the men of his
company loved him as thoroughly as
they loved their fellows? There were
just fifty-nve men in Company A out
on the plains and had they some day
been obliged to accept fifty-fve hard
tack for a full days rations Old Jack
would have shared equally with the
men. That's how much they thought
Of him.
In spite of his many narrow escape7
ana the warm affection of the men
with whom he had served so faithfully
and so long, the day came when there
had to be a final parting. Two hundred
Of the men were pushing a fresh In.
dian trail when Old Jack, going at an
easy gallop, put his foot into a gopher
AAS4S oAh bAOhG a 4Olt L W. uul'
dred men groaned aloud at the sight
Of the poor beast standing there in the
shadow of certain death There was
neither water nor grass for miles
around, and, anyhow, the wolves would
pull him down after few hours, and
he deserved a better death. And yet
no one could be found willing to kill
him
Strip off the saddle and shoot him"
That was the order that came back |
from the head of the column, and that
was the order given by Captain X. to
Sergeant b. The saddle was removed, |
and, although Old Jack must have
been suffering intense pain. he did not |
utter a sigh, only his eyes seemed to |
open little wider than usual. and he |
appeared somewhat worried and anx-
ious as he looked around.
Captain, can't do it; simply can
not" replied the sergeant. Give that
order to some one else"
A second and a third man were |
named, but all asked TO be relieved of |
the unpleasant duty. Then a corporal
stepped out and placed the muzzle of
bis revolver to Old Jacks ear, but a
hundred men shouted In chorus, and
be did not pull the trigger
"Compliments of Colonel c., with
orders to shoot that horse at once"
a messenger from the front.
Sergeant b., put that poor beast
out Of his misery" ordered the cap
ain
"Pve got to do 1t or stand a court
martial, suppose" growled the ser
yeant, "but I'd sooner take a shot at
down in front. Perhaps he
sn't so badly hurt after all and some
hing can be done for him"
"Hurry up! Can't you see that the
zone is broken square OFF,"
'Tt's the same thing as murderw
Poor Old Jack was rubbing his nose
gainst the sergeant's left hand and
as if he would inquire
What it was all about. The face of
very man present was turned away,
nd many stopped their ears to shut
ut the sound of the revolver No
ne looked as the revolver cracked,
nd the column moved on its way.
Looking straight ahead and with a
uspicious quivering Of the chin, the
ergeant was heard to whisper:
'I wish / hadn't done it. ! wish I
ad taken arrest and court martial In
tead. Poor old comradeW