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

Always wounds and death. Wounds
and death as you rode or marched
as you halted-as you slcp. The grim
spectre had stalked for years. and WAS
tapping blood-always hungry and al
ways piping.
And i rode with CASEY again that
last Christmas. 1t was the fortune of
Wharf.-The aln OF fate THAI We had
been spared. and that we had come
together again after long months OF
separation. ] saw d change In the
man. The same moody. stern soldier
silent where others tallked-uncoml-
planning where others cursed. There
We're grey hairs among the black
there We're lines on his face to- tell
YOU thai he was never without Il heart
ache. We met without II word. just
a strong grip of the fingers told al,
there was to tell.
1t was three days afterwards. ana
on christmas morning that he said
to- me:
I'm going out on the pickle, line
and beNand. Get your horse"
The officer at the picket post passed
us through With Il warming. The
enemy also had scouts out. We may
have gone half a mile when We turned
into a blind roa TO the right and get
the shelter of the trees and bushes.
There we dismounted to advance To
the crest OF Il rise and scine the nigh
way we had left. Neither OF us saw
the log house among the trees 40 rods
to our left. We heard no barking dog
no human call-no human or animal
sound. II was to us as IL there was
not u house within miles.
And yet here was "a house and "A
mother and three children sheltered
there-hungrN. %desrairing and only es-
Gaping the cold by gathering the fallen
branches in the woods. Not the slight
I nSf 0n11lG Snt- "A. .r,,N ,A, 49,,
until some one burst "ut from the
bushes 100 feet away. ! shall always
say that ! took IL for ~ man, and
know that Casey did too. While was
reaching for my evolve he had his
out and fired. There WAS a scream and
we saw tho Inquire pitch forward.
The man? We ran forward to meet a
woman--to hear her shrek QUITO SEQ
her hair flNing and the frenzy i'm her
eyes--to see two children come running
after her and kncel 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 ml'rderers.' sroaned the moth
err. AS she lifted her hands above her
head-hands stained with the blood uf
her dead boy.
GOES killed; .Ioe's killed" walled the
brothers.
Gould We say anything? Not q word.
We've dom. YOU no harm. Joe WASN'T
fighting yoll."
They've killed Joe. They've killed
joe" walled the children in chorus.
Casey bent down with kindly hand
to lift the Woman up and explain. but
she struck at him and shouted:
NO. No. You are murdcrcrs. Go
away. Go await
What could we say. What could We
do? We would not even he permitted
to carry the dead to- the house--to dig "A
grave. We turned and walked back
and wept. Yes. he the fighter-he the
stern and hard hearted soldier. without
pity or sentiment. as ! thought. buried
his face in his hands and sobhed like
a heart broken woman. And amidst his
sobbing he now and then cried out.
God. And it's Christmas day al
that!!'
down to the main highway. There the
sergeant motioncd me 10 ride to the
picket line. understood and aftcl
handing him over all the money had
rode away ;lone. and I heard him
gallopine the other WAY alone. Ii was
two hours before he came back. did le
ride until he had found tn. enemy and
told them of the tragedy in the woods
on the hill? Did he hand them ali that
we had to give. and ask them to .,ce
TO the last sad rite? don't know. He
was Casey and I didn't question him.
Wncn spring came at last aud the
grand army tinallY bfoxe through the
lines of gray. Case, and 1 Touched el-
bows on the firing line. lie had always
cursed and ragged ln,dci fire ioefor,-a
tiger tiiirsting for blood. On this day
he was SO quiet that I looked at him i'm
wonder.
Attention. BY IN" Jeff hnuk.'
We were T." change position. A.
rose up. l felt for Casey with my ell /
bow. He Was not there. wheeled
about and saw HIM ,Nina prone. ana
the shadow of death was on his face. |
ono could never mistake that.
oh CASEY. 1t isn't 80 bad lis that.
cried.
He reached for my hsn:. ana as
knelt beside him he whispered:
III only only"
What. dear old ~comraIe?"
III only God fnrgives mo for last |
Christmas
And he shivcr.d and was dead. and |
as sat there weeping over him some |
fresh troops marched past qua ii sol |
dier cried ont:
See him. it's his first fight and he's |
scared Ia Death
They ante tn henve Casey into the
long trench With the hundreds OF other |
dead. but ] wouldn't have i, 50. J got |
him a grave bN himself.
A Christmas Petition.
Ills Christians time, Though we regret
Its many forced expenses.
We pretend 10 like the gifts ye gu.
And onr friends make like rretcns.s.