Gunnison news-champion., 1913-04-11


her head. and the soft light rsascte1
on her face.
IL thanh Goo We are not ev0
there nov" she said fslterinGly.
Yes" he admitted They yin -
creeping In closer. they viii not wait
much longer. Hard ss | have worked,
! cant realize yet that we are cut q
those tolls"
You did not expect to succeed7"
NO; frankly l did not; all l eoslA
do was hope-take the one chance
loft The slishtest accident meant b.
trayal ] am ashamed Of being 90
weak juss nov. but II vac the strain
You see, :" he explained carefully, I've
been seeatiaG through hostile Indian
country mostly day and night for near.
ly . week. and then this thing hap
pened. Nc matter how iron q man 10
his nerve goes back on him after 0
while"
Il know"
1T wasn't myself" he went on DOG.
Oedly, but 1t was the knowledge Of
having to take care Of you. That WAS
what made me worry; that, and know
Ing . single misstep. the slightest
noise. would bring those devils on us,
where ! couldn't fight. where there
was just one thing could do"
There was silence, her hands
pressed to her face, her eyes fixed on
him. Then she questioned him soberly
you mean, kill mef'
Sure" he answered simply, with
out looking around; Il would have had
to do it-just as though you were Q
sister of mine"
Her hands reached out and clasped
his, and he glanced aside at her face,
seeing 1t clearly.
Il thought you would" she said,
her voice trembling IL was going
to ask you once before l was hurt,
but-but l couldn't. and somehow l
trusted you from the first. when you
got in" She hesitated, and then
asked: How did you know I was
Molly McDonald7 You never asked"
I The Sergeant's eyes smiled, turning
away from her face to stare out across
the river.
Because I had seen your picture"
My picture? But You told us you
were from Fort Union?"
Yes; that 10 my station, only / had
been sent to the cantonment on the
Cimarron with dispatches. Your fa-
ther WAS in command there, and wor-
ried half to death about you. He could
not leave the post, and the only ofYicer
remaining there with him WAS q dis
al % 4
could trust was out on scouting serv-
ice. He took a chance on me. Maybe
he liked my looks, l don't know; more
probably, he judged l wouldn't be .
sergeant and entrusted with those dis
patches I'd just brought in, il l wasn't
considered trustworthy. Anyhow I had
barely fallen asleep when the orderly
called me. and that was what wss
wanted-that l ride north and head
you or"
But you were not obliged to go."
No; l was not under your fathers
orders. ! doubt II l would have con-
sented II hadn't been shown your
picture. I couldn't very we'll refuse
then"
She eat with hands clasped toeeth-
or. her eyes shsdo~el BY long lashss.
Il should have thought there would
have been soms soltiers tAers-hAs
own nen."
There vere." lryly, but the army
just nov 10 recruited out Of pretty
tough material. To Be In the ranks y
almost . confession Of good for-noth-
insnesa. You ere IN o1acer's lAu0A-
tar and understand this to b true"
"Yes." she answered AoubtfuIiy. 4
have heen brought up tAinkinS %;
only. Of course. there are exceptions"
No doubt. and hope am already
counted one"
You know you are. Ny father
trusted you. and 20 do l."
Il have wondered sometimes" he
said musingly. watching her face bare
ly visible in the dawn, whether those
of your class actually considered u.
ss being really human, as anything
more valuable than mere food for pow
der. l came into the regular army at
the close of the war from the volun-
teer service. ! was accustomed TO dis
cipline and all that, and knew my
place. But | never suspected then
that private soldier was considered
a dog. Yet that was the first lesson
] was compelled to learn. II has been
pretty hard sometimes to hold in. for
there was tine when | hzd scne so
cial standing and could resent an in
suit"
She was looking straight at him.
surprised at the bitterness in MS
voice
They carry it altogeth g11 lzr.~
she sa. 4 have ctteu t-
---uos-ir the Young cEfca ... H"
-.o-1Ecr-a1d yet vou K
majority f enlisted ne
rU Ete elm
-L iI1o