The Elbert County tribune., 1912-01-12

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 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. It goes
hard with them. You the girl has heard how
It that Jim had always been steady. had
the inside of the mill except a
member of the guard, and. moreover. how he had
$4,000 drawing per cent with the paymaster
and was sure of going out first sergeant In
five years with forty punks month
Jim always went into a fight to win, and he
got onto the track of that girl and hung to II
just he did to the Kids trail down in the
Apache country when I Troop chasing that
red devil through the Arizona hell The girl led
Jim for while coquettsh like Just to make
of him, l guess I don't suppose she
cared rap for him
We'll, finally we all thought that Jim had
corraled her all right 1t given out that the
Twelfth's chaplain 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
was good enough for Jim Benson. She might
be all right for n rookie but not for old
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 1t out that she going
home. and that Jim must go down there for the
splicing She cleared out and in a few days
after the old fellow gets a furlough 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 pious chap.
but he loved the flag better than any Bible that
was ever printed. but for short time that girl
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
in Washington.
Jim Benson. veteran medal of honor man.
fighter in hundred fights. lover OF his flag and
country and good a soldier wore quar-
termasters 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 colors This time woman
did the deserting. though fellow helped her to
do It, and along with the woman and the fellow
went Jim's money.
"Jim's heart 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 there'd been a neap of deser-
tions about that time. and despite Jim's medal
and his twenty-five years with nary blind
day In the mill against him. the honorable the
secretary of said that II Jim caught
he must take his medicine.
It rumored around old Fort johnson that
Jim had been seen 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. 1t just before target
practice and the building had a dozen big
boxes of ammunition in it. There a pretty
stin wind blowing and It looked II the bar
racks and a lot of other things would CO. II that
stun had exploded the other buildings would
have gone The fire fairly eating around
those boxes and the fellows fought shy of It
All once. while the crowd was bearing
back. somebody jumped 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 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 I guess you know who II
1t was Jim Benson. We found him dead
the next day in the thicket. but the curious part
of the matetr that Jirn's 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 it? Yes. and gave him the regu.
laton three rounds over the grave and the best
PRAYER that the old chaplain knew how to pray