The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-12-26

of the brain; he had seen her face,
white, frightened, agonized, yet it
could not have been real. He tripped
over the stone wall and half fell, but
ran on, his mind in turmoil, but GER
tain some one was racing before him
down the dark ravine. There had been
a woman there! He could not quite
blot that out-but not she; not Molly
Mcdonald. lift it were she; if he
had really seen her face in the flare,
If it was no dream, then what? Why,
he must screen her from discovery,
give her opportunity to slip away.
This was the one vague, dim thought
obscured all else; it sent him blindly
crashing over the edge of the ravine.
He heard the sentry at his right cry
hoarsely, he heard excited shouts from
the open windows of the barracks;
then his feet struck mans body, and
he went down headlong.
Almost at the instant the sentry was
upon him, gun-muzzle pressing him
back as he attempted to rise.
BE still, ye hell hound" was the
gruff order, Ger I'll blow yer to king
dom come! Sergeant of the guard,
quick here! Post Number Ski"
Hamlin lay still, half stunned by the
shock of his fall, yet conscious that
the delay, this mistake of the sentry,
would afford her ample chance for es-
cape. He could hear men running to-
ward them, and his eyes caught the
yellow, bobbing light of lantern His
hand reached out and touched the
body over which he had fallen, feeling
a military button, and the clasp of a
be1t-it was a soldier then who had
been shot. Could she have done IL?
Or did she know who did? Whatever
the truth might be, he would hold his
tongue; let them suppose him guilty
for the time being; he could establish
innocence easily enough when it came
to trial. These thoughts flashed
through his mind swiftly; then the
light of the lantern cleaned in his
eyes, and he saw the faces clustered
about.
"All right, Mapes," commanded the
up until get look at him. Who the
hell are you?"
Sergeant Hamlin. Seventh Cav
airy"
"Darned If it amt. Say, what does
all this mean, anyhow? Who's shot?
Turn the body over, somebody. BY
God! It's Lieutenant Gaskins!"
Hamlin's heart seemed to leap into
his throat and choke him; for an in
slant he felt faint, dazed, staring down
into the still face CHASTITY under the
rays of the lantern. Gaskins! Then
she was concerned in the affair; he
really had seen her hiding there
against the wall. And the mans eyes
were open, were staring in bewilder-
ment at the faces. The Sergeant Of
the Guard thrust the lantern closer.
Lift his head, some O. yer, the
mans alive. Copley, get some water,
an two Of yer run fer the stretcher
leg it now. Well have yer out O.
here in a minute, Lieutenant. What
happened, sir? Who shot yer?"
Gaskins' dulled eyes strayed from
the speakers face until he saw Ham
lin, still firmly gripped by the sentry.
His lips drew back revealing his teeth,
his eyes narrowing.
THAT'S the one," he said family.
you've got him!"
Nro hord 1,,opf ~ III. ~. -
spasm of pain, and he tainted. The
Sergeant laid him back limp on the
grass, and stood up.
Where is your gun, Hamlin?"
II dropped it when I fell over the
Lieutenant's body. It must be back of
you.''
Some one picked the weapon up,
and held it to the light, turning the
chambers.
"Two shots gone, Sergeant"
1--WE heard three; likely the Lieu.
tenant got in one of them. Sentry,
what do you know about this?"
Mapes scratched his head, the fin
gers of his other hand gripping the
prisoners shoulder.
mot SO awful myGh," he replied,
haltingly, NOW 1 come ter think bout
it. IT was mighty dark night, an I
never saw, ner heard, nuthin' till the
shootin' begun. wus back O. officers
row, an them pistols popped up yere,
by the corner o. the barracks. I
jumped an yelled; thought I heerd
somebody runnin' an let drive. Then
just as got up yere, this Teller come
tearin' long, an I naturally grabbed
him. That's the whole of it."
what have you got to say, Ham.
linz" |
Nothing"
well, yer better. Yer in a mighty
bad box, let me tell YER" angered by
the others Indifference What was
the row about?"
The cavalryman stood straight, his
face showing white in the glow of the
lantern.
ct told vOu ,hofOro 7 hod pofh;v,or -