Gilpin observer., 1912-01-11

none Of your surgeons who up in matters
of sentiment could probe and get out the bullet.
perhaps I'd better say arrow, for that's the
kind of ammunition the little chap who shot Jim
You Jim was nigh onto fifty when he
got his sights fixed and held to this pretty
creature with blonde hair blue eyes and pink
cheeks. It's always the way with the old fellows
when they get stuck something young. 1t goes
hard with them. You see the girl has heard how
1t was that Jim had always been steady. had
never the inside of the mill except as
member of the guard, and. moreover, how he had
$4,000 drawing per cent with the paymaster
and was Of going out as first sergeant In
five years with forty plunks month.
Jim always went into a fight to win, and he
got onto the track of that girl and hung to 1t
just he did to the Kids trail down in the
Apache, country when Troop was chasing that
red devil through the Arizona hell The girl led
Jim for while coquettish like. just to make
of him. l guess ] don't suppose she ever
cared rap for him
Well finally we all thought that Jim had
corraied her all right. 1t given out that the
Tweths chaplain was going to have job tying
the two up. None Of the boys congratulated Jim
too hearty, because most Of them had sized the
affair up right, and wouldn't have 1t that the girl
good enough for Jim Benson. She might
be all right for rookie but not for old
who had seen more campaigns than the girl had
years I ought to have told you before that this
particular petticoat visiting at the post. She
came from down Iowa way somewhere.
"One night she gave 1t out that she going
home and that Jim must go down there for the
splicing. She cleared out. and in few days
after the old fellow gets a furlough and clears
out too, following the trail, as We heard after.
way down to Iowa Now, you must just get
hold of this fact Jim was kind Of a pious chap.
but he loved the flag better than any Bible that
printed but for short time that girl
was above the flag Jim just crazy for her.
The story is that she wouldn't come back and
wouldn't marry him unless he quit the army then
and there Jim tried to quit through the regular
red tape channels. but they wouldn't have It down
In Washington.
fighter in a hundred fights. lover of his flag and
country. and as good soldier as ever wore quar-
termasters Shoes deserted. and deserted for
petticoat. forgot to say that Jim got his wad
Of money from the paymaster before his leave
up
There another deserton inside OF a month
after Jim quit the colors. This time q
did the deserting. though fellow helped her to
do It. and along with the woman and the fellow
went Jim's money
"Jm's heart clean broke He got in COM
muncation with his old captain somehow. and
he tried to work the thing through the depart
ment for Jim, but there'd been a heap of deser.
tons about that time. and despite Jim's medal
and his twenty-five years with nary a blind nor
a day In the mill against him. the honorable tho
secretary of war said that II Jim was caught
he must take his medicine.
1T was rumored around old Fort johnson that
Jim had been seen on the edge Of the woods
looking at the old place and seeming kind of wild
like One night Of the old quartermaster
shacks got en- FIRE II Just before target
practice season and the building had a dozen big
boxes OF ammunition IN II. There a pretty
stin wind blowing and It looked as II the bar
racks and lot Of other things would CO. n that
stun had exploded the other buildings would
have gone sure The fire was fairly eating around
those boxes and the fellows fought shy Of II.
"All at once. while the crowd was bearing
back. somebody jumped clean through the line
and plump into the fire. He grabbed box and
threw It out clear Of the blaze. and then another
and another. though the flames were burning his
clothes and going up wreathlike about his head.
When he had done the business clean and
good. the man jumped out of the flames and ran
to the woods Well guess you know who It
was II was Jim Benson. We found him dead
the next day in the thicket but the curious part
Of the matetr was that Jims body was wrapped
in an old garrison flag that had been pinned
about him by the last effort Of those poor burned
hands Jim thought. you see. that deserter
though he was. II he did this that they might
bury him with the fas
did they do TT Yes and gave him the regu
lation three rounds over the grave and the best
prayer that the old chaplain knew how to pray