Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-12-20
never return, and there was little In

never return. and there was little in
their letters to cheer.
Down at the front it was ride, march,
light. advance. retreat, wohnds death.
Always wounds and death. Wounds
II death as YOU rode or marched
as you halted-as you slep. The grim
spectre had stalkcd for years, and was
stu akin 1t was Il hungry wolf,
tapping blood-always hungry and al
ways tapping.
And rode with Casey again that
last Christmas. 1t WAS tile fortune of
Wharf.-The game of fate that we had
been spared. and that we had come
together again after long months of
separation. I saw a change in the
man. The same moody. stern soldier
silent where others talked-uncom-
planning where others cursed. There
We're grey hairs amor tho black
there were lines ON his face To tell
YOU that he was never without u heart
ache. We met without Il word. just
a strong grip Of the fingers told all
there was to tell.
1t was three days afterwards. and
on Christmas morning that he said
to me-:
I'm going out ON the picket line
and beyand. Get your horse"
The officer at the picket post passed
us through With a warming. 1he
enemy also had scouts out. We MAY
have gone half 4 mile when we turned
into a blind road to the right and got
the shelter of the trees and bushes.
Ihere we diSmounted to advance to
the crest of a rise and scane the high
way We had left. Neither OF MS saw
the log house among the trees 40 rods
to our left. We heard no barking dog
mo human call-no human or animal
sound. 1t was to us as il there was
not a house within miles.
And Net here was "A house and ~
mother and three children sheltered
thcre-hungry. despairing and only es-
Gaping the cold by gathering the fallen
branches in the woods. Not the slight
est sound. ! SAY. 10 put us On our guard
until some one burst out from the
bushes 100 feet away. ! shall always
say that I took ii for II man. and
know that Casey did too. While | was
reaching for my revolver he had his
out and fired. There was "A scream and
we saw the figure pitch forward.
The man" We ran forward to meet ~
woman--to hear her shrek QUITO see
her hair flying and the frenzy iii her
eyes--to see two children come running
after her and knecl by the figure on the
frozen ground.
Casey's bullet had killed a boy II
years old-a lad gathering the dead
branches To keep mother and brothers
warm.
You murderers,' sroaned the moth
er. as she lifted her hands above her
head-hands stained With the blood "f
her dead boy.
goes killed: .Joe's killed. walled the
brothers.
Could we say anything? Not II word.
We've done YOU no harm Joe wasn't
fighting YOU"
..They've killed Joe. They've, killed
joe walled the children i'm chorus.
Casey bent down With kindly hand
to lift The woman I'M and ayp1:1jn E,1t
she struck at him aud shouted:
NO. No, You arc murdcrers. &c
away. Go AWAY"
What could we say: What coul., We
do? We would not eyen be permitted
to carry the dead to the house to dig !.
grave. We turned and walked bach
to the horses and there Casey sat down
and wept. Yes. he the flghtcr-hc the
stern and hard hearted soldier. without
pity or sentiment. as ! Thought. buried
his face i'm his hands and solobrd like
n heart broken woman And amidst his
Sobbins he now and then cried out:
God. And its Christmas day al
that"
BY and by We mounted and rode
down to the main highway. There the
sergeant inotioned me to ride to the
picket line. ] understood and after
handing him ovcr all the money ] had
rode aWay alone. and ! heard him
gallopjng the ntle, WAY alone. IL WAS
two hours before he came back. Did he
ride until he had found the enemy and
told them of tho tragedy i'm the woods
on the hin. Did he hand them all that
we had i" give. and ask them TO sce
to the last sad rite ! don / know. H.
was Casey and I Didn't question him.
When spring came at last and the
grand army finalls broke through the
lines Of gray. Casey ard to,ichcd 81
bows ON the firing line. He had always
cursed aud ragged urdci' fire hcfore--;l
i tiger tlirsting for blood. On this day
he was so quiet that looked AT him i'm
Wonder.
Attention Bv I'll" left ftaiik.'
We were Ia change position. As
rose up. ! felt for Casey With my ell
DOW. He was not there. wheeled
about and saw him lying prone. and
tho shadow Of death was on his face.
One could never mistake that.
oh Casey. it isn't 50 .ad AS that"
cried.
He reached for my han:. ana as
knelt beside him he Whispered:
"If ~unlA-nnly''
What. dear old .olnraIe?"
III opiy God f".gives me- for last
Christmas"
And he siivcred and was dead. and
as ] sat there weeping over him some
fresh troops marched past 3i,d :: SOL
der cried out:
See him. it's his first tigl,, and he's
scared To death"
They wanted To hravc Casey into the
long trench With the hundreds OF other
dead. hut ! wouldn't lave il go. go.
hin Il grave biz himself.
A Christmas Petition.
'Tis Christmas time. Though we rrrret
lis many forced nNpenses.
We pretei:si 20 ike the gifts We s~i.
AvI ,.,.Z -S...I- ,-g a. -