The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1912-02-22

none OF your surgeons who are up In matters
of sentim-nt 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
You Jim was nigh onto fifty when he
got his sights fixed and held on 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 on something young. II goes
hard with them You the girl has heard how
It that Jim had always been steady had
never seen the inside of the mllr except
member OF the guard and, moreover. how he had
$4,000 drawing 4 per cent with the paymaster
and was sure Of going out first sergeant In
five years with forty plunks a month
"Jim always went into a fight to win. and he
got onto the track of that girl and hung to IL
just as he did to the Kids trail down in the
Apache country when Troop chasing that
red devil through the Arizona hell. The girl led
Jim on for a while coquettish like just to make
sure OF him. | guess. l don't suppose she ever
cared a rap for him.
We'll, finally we all thought that Jim had
corraled her all right II was given out that the
Twelfth's 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 II that the girl
was good enough for Jim Benson. She might
be all right for a rookie. but not for an old one
who had seen more campaigns than the girl had
years. | ought to have told you before that this
particular petticoat was visiting at the post She
came from down Iowa way somewhere
"One night she gave It 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 furough and clears
out too. following the trail. heard after.
way down to Iowa Now you must just get
hold OF this fact Jim kind Of a plous chap.
but he lo.ed the flag better than any Bible that
was ever printed, but for a short time that girl
was above the flag. Jim was just crazy for her.
The story is that she wouldn't come back and
m IN M ha mi ha
and there. Jim tried to quit through the regular
red tape channels. but they wouldn't have II down
In Washington.
"Jm Benson, veteran. medal OF honor man.
fighter in hundred fights. lover OF his flag and
country and as good soldier ever wore quar-
termaster's shoes, deserted and deserted for a
petticoat forgot to say that Jim got his wad
OF money from the paymaster before his leave
up.
There was another desertion inside Of a month
after Jim quit the coors. This time a woman
did the desertng. though a fellow helped her to
do IT, and along with the woman and the fellow
went Jm's money.
"Jlms heart was clean broke. He got in com
munication with his old captain somehow, and
he tried to work the thing through the depart
ment for Jim. but thered been a neap OF deser-
tions about that time. and despite Jms medal
and his twenty-five years with nary blind nor
day In the mill against him, the honorable the
secretary Of war said that II Jim was caught
he must take his medicine.
IT 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 one of the old uuartermaster
shacks got fire. II was Just before target
practice season and the building had dozen big
boxes of ammunition in It. There was a pretty
stln wind blowing and It looked II the bar.
racks and lot OF other things would go. II that
stun had exploded the other buildings would
have gone sure The fire fairly eating around
those boxes and the fellows fought shy Of II
"A at once while the crowd was bearing
back, somebody jumped clean through the line
and plump into the fire. He grabbed a box and
threw II out clear OF the blaze and then another
and another. though the flames burning his
clothes and going up wreathlike about his head
When he had done the business clean and
good the man jumped out ot the flames and ran
to tho woods. Well guess you know who II
was. II was Jim Benson. We found him dead
the next day in the thicket but the curious part
of the matetr 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 flag
did they do II? Yes. and gave him the regu.
laton three rounds over the grave and the best
prayer that the old chaplain knew how tN pray.-