The Caucasian., 1913-08-14
THE OLD MANS
STRANGE STORY
Weird Visitor Quiets Levity
of a Dinner Party.


restaurant. The dinner was over, and
we were enjoying coffee and cigars
We fell to talking about death and
from that to joking about our own
probable exits from the world Sud.
denly a man sitting at a neighboring
table, with his back to US, turned and
faced US. l shall never forget his face
or the expression it wore. It was the
oldest face ever saw.
Gentlemen" he said. rising and com
ing toward US, ..how different would
be your conduct should announce to
you that before the clock strikes IL
tonight one of your number would
pass to another existence"
Had he really announced the fact
the effect could scarcely have been
greater. A cold chill passed over ev-
cry one of us.
LET me tell you Of an Incident" the
stranger continued. seating himself.
"that happened just before the battle
Of Buena Vista. We were expecting
to meet the enemy
Of our party.
"Was | there?'' The stranger laugh
ed, low, singular laugh, unlike any
had ever heard before, laugh that
had l given way to my feelings would
have set my teeth to chattering. Yes:
/ was on hand" he went on. 81 was
standing near a party Of young officers
who were talking upon the very sub
ject you have been discussing. They
were all boys, nothing but boys. to
whom death looked farther off than
the starry armament. They were
Lieutenant Brice Of the cavalry, Pierce
of the artillery and Skidmore of the
staff. They were making a pool to be
divided between the survivors or sur
vivor after the battle. The fools didn't
believe any Of them would be killed
Were there not old generals and colo
nels in the service who had fought
battles unscathed? They forgot the
many who had fallen; they forgot that
under the doctrine of proba bilities one
or more Of them would be killed or at
least wounded; they forgot that death
is on every battlefield and does not like
to be laughed at.
"A shot, followed by volley roar,
ficers dashed away to their respective
posts. In ten minutes Pierce. who was
in command of a couple Of field guns.
was shot in the breast. was sta
ing by him at the time. The bullet
struck him on the left side and turned
him round. The last image he saw was
myself.
An order was sent to the cavalry to
charge. Seeing them making ready. /
joined them and rode directly behind
Brice. We were met by terrific fire
of what in those days they called
grape and canister
.I was following Brice and, seeing
him waver under bayonet thrust.
rode up behind him and called to him.
He turned his head. and at that mo-
ment Mexican officer ran him through
the heart with his sword.
Here were two Of these young gam
blers with death who were already
worsted The third. Skidmore. receiv-
ed an order to ride from left to right
OF the line OF Battle to carry an order
Disdaining to go behind. he went be-
tween the opposing forces. It was a
seemed to care little for it. Men had
gone through just such dangers before.
and so would he. His horse, wildly
frightened. was plunging. and, stun
bling. it fell. Skidmore was thrown,
but, rising. pulled the horse to it's feet
by the bride reins. mounted and was
about to ride on when touched him
on the shoulder. cannon ball shrek
ed by and took him with it. a mutilat.
ed mass Well. | laughed
Laughed exclaimed every horror
stricken man.
Yes. gentlemen Why not? Had not
these foolish fellows laughed at Death Z
Had they not sported with the all
specter, and that on the very
verge OF one of his carnivals?
There was something so terrible in
the speakers wrath that every one of
us-every one except Baxter. the old
man Of our party-shrank back.
Who is this Death. said Baxter
contemptuously. ''of whom we must all
speak SO gingerly? The very certain
u Of his coming takes away from our
terror of him. and il we do fear him
we surely do not respect him. He
comes into families and separates hus-
band and wife, parents and children
u he does not come early be will |
surely come late. when we have ex-
hausted life's pleasures, comforts. at
tachments. hopes. Then we must live
on waiting for him A fig for your
Death, say
The stranger who had been so flip
pant suddenly auieted He cast look
at Baxter. who returned his glance
calmly and. rising from his seat, said:
f'a rdon me. gentlemen, for inter-
rupting your amusement. Death loves
% get his clutches nn those who fear
n1m When he seizes upon such as
yon. looking at Baxter. III Is like
auntsman shooting a stag in its sleep.
The old man who had met bis match
"a an old man turned and strnda nr,t ~