The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-01-11

of your surgeons who are up in matters
of sentiment could probe and get out the bullet
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 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. 1t goes
hard with them. You the girl has heard how
it that jim had always been steady, had
never seen the inside of the mill except Il
member Of the guard, and, moreover, how lie had
$1,000 drawing per cent with the paymaster
and was sure OF going out as 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 srl and hung to it
Just he did TO the Kids trail down in the
Apache country when | Troop was chasing that
red devil through the Arizona hell. The girl led
jim for while coquettish like, just to make
sure of him, ] guess. l don't suppose she ever
cared rap for him.
We'll, finally We all thought that jim had
corraled her all right 1t was 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 it that the girl
good enough FOR Jim Benson. She might
be all right for a rookie, but not for old
who had seen more campaigns than the girl had
years. ! ought to have told you before that this
particular pettcoat was visiting at the post. She
came from down Iowa way somewhere.
One night size gave it out that she gong
home. and that jim must go down there for the
splicing She cleared out and in few days
after the cid fellow gets furlough and clears
out too, following the trail, as 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
printed, but for short time that girl
was above the flag Jim was just crazy for her.
he story is that she wouldn't come back and
wouldn't marry him unless he quit the army then
and there. jim tried 20 quit through the regular
red tape channels, but they wouldn't have it down
in Washington
fighter in a hundred fights, lover of his flag and
country, and good soldier as ever wore quar-
termasters SHOES, deserted, and deserted for q
petticoat. I forgot to say that Jim got his wad
of money from the paymager before his leave
was up.
There was another desertion inside of month
after Jim quit the colors This time woman
did the DESERVING, though fellow helped her 20
DO il. and along with the woman and the fellow
went Iim's money.
'Jin's heart clean broke. lie got in COM
munication with bis old captain somehow, and
he tried to work the thing through the depart
ment for Jim, but there'd been neap of deser-
tons about that time, and despite Jims medal
and his twenty-five years with nary blind nor
day in the mill against him. the honorable the
he must take his medicine.
1T was rumored around ole Fort Johnson that
Jim had been the edge of the woods
looking at the old rlace and seeming kind of wild
Ike. One night of tho old uuartermaster
shacks got fire. II just before target
practice season and the binding had a dozen big
boxes of ammunition in It. There was pretty
stiff wind blowing and it looked as If tho bar
racks and lot Of other Things would go IT that
stuff had exploded the other buildings would
g,s-t.
those boxes and the fellows fought shy of II.
AN at once. while the crowd was bearing
back somebody jumped clean through the line
and plump into the fire. He grabbed q box and
threw IL out clear of the blaze. and then another
and another, though the flames were burning his
clothes and going mp wrcathke 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 ! guess you know who It
was. It Jim Benson We found him dead
the next day In the thicket but the curious part
OF the matter that Jim's body 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 dcserter
though he was, If he did this that they might
bury him with the flag.
Did they do it? Yes and gave him the regu
lation three rounds over the grave and the bes,
prayer that the old chaplain knew how to pray"