The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1912-01-13

none of your surgeons who are up In matters
of sentiment could probe and get out the bullet.
or perhaps I'd better say arrow. for that's the
kind of ammunition the little chap who shot Jim
uses You see Jim was nigh onto fifty when he
got his sights fixed and he'd 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. It goes
hard with them. You see the girl has heard how
1t was that Jim had always been steady. had
never seen the inside of the mill except as
member Of the guard. and moreover. how he had
$4,000 drawing rer cent with the paymaster
and of going out as a first sergeant in
five years with forty plunks month
"Jim always went into fight to win and he
got onto the track of that girl and hung to 1t
Just as he did to the Kids trail down in the
Apache country when Troop chasing that
red devil through the Arizona he'll The girl led
Jim on for while coquettish like just to make
sure Of him. guess. l don't suppose she ever
cared ran for him
well, finally we all thought that Jim had
corra'ed her all right It was given Gut that the
Twelfth's charlain 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 It that the girl
was good enough for jim Benson She might
be all right for rookie but not for an old
who had seen more camraigns than the girl had
years orght to have fold you before that this
particular rettcoat was visiting at the post. She
came from down Iowa way somewhere
Zone night she gave 1t out that she was going
home. and that Jim must go down there for the
splicing Sire cleared out. and in few days
after the old fellow gets 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 kind OF pfons chap.
but he loved the flag better than any Bible that
was ever printed but for short time that girl
was above the flag. Jim was 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 1t down
In Washington
"Jim Benson, veteran medal of honor man.
fighter in hundred fights. lover of his flag and
country and as good solder ever wore quar-
ternaster's shoes. deserted. and deserted for
petticoat I forgot to say that Jim got his wad
Of money from the paymaster before his leave
was up
There was another desertion inside OF a month
after Jim Quit the colars. This time woman
did the deserving though fellow helred her TO
do It. and a'ong with the woman and the fellow
went Jims monev.
"Jim's heart was clean broke. He got in COM
munication with his old captain somehow. and
he tried to work the thing through the derart-
ment for Jim but thered been mean of deser-
tons abont that time and despite Jim's medal
and his twenty-five vears~with nary bind nor
recre+ary of sa'd that if Jim caught
he must take his medicine.
1T was rumored around cd Fort Johnson that
Jim bad been seen the edge of the woods
looking at the old rlace and seeming kind Of wild
like One night of the old quartermas ter
shacks got on fire. It was just before target
practice season end ire building had dozen big
boxes OF ammunition in It. There was a pretty
sir wind blowing and It looked as If the bar
racks and lot Of other things would go. II that
stuff had exrloeedT the other BUILDINGS would
have gone sure The fire was fairly eating around
those boxes and the fellows fought shy Of It
"Al! at once. while the crowd was bearing
back. somebody jumred clean through the line
and plump into the fire. He grabbed box and
threw 1t out clear OF the blaze. and then another
and another trough the flames were burning his
clothes and going up wreathlke about his head
when he had done the business clean and
good. the man jumred out Of the flames and ran
to the woods. Well guess you know who Il
was It was Jim Benson We found him dead
the next day In the thcket. but the curious part
of the mater was that Jim's body wrapped
in an cd 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. If he did this that they might
bury him with the flag.
did they do 1t? Yes. and gave him the regu
iation three rounds over the grave and the hes,
prayer that the old chaplain knew how to pray"