The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1914-01-10
AGift ON the
Field Of
Battle
AStoryofthe Balkan War
., +. A. Mitchell

One Of those bloody battles between
the allied Balkan forces and the Turks.
near Adrianople. had been fought. and
the latter had been defeated. but not
without terrible cost to their enemies.
From the field arose the mingled cries
of Turks and Balkans. the former APP
pealing to Allah to send them succor.
the latter to the Christians God.
Two wounded Montenegrin soldiers
lay side by side. One Of them. whose
leg had been shattered by ride ball.
sat up and. pulling little nask from
his pocket, was about to take the
single drink It contained when be saw
the other. who seemed to be wounded
unto death, looking at 1t longingly. A
struggle arose within the man who
possessed 1t. He would soop likely
be carried OF the field to recover from
his wound. while the other gave evil
dence of being In dying condition.
Both men craved the single dram
that remained In the flask. To either
1t was more than untold wealth. But
the possessor Of the treasure could not
withstand the look on the face of the
other. Slowly. reluctantly. longingly.
lie reached out his hand and held It
to his companion's lips. who drank It
down greedily.
The latter closed his eyes for few
moments. then. seeming to gather
strength. there came regret that he
should have been SO weak as to accept
q gift of what q fellow soldier needSd
for himself.
"Pardon." he said family. ''the
temptation was TOO strong for me;
couldn't resist it,
"You needed It far more than I.
will recover without It. II may be
the means Of saving your life"
II would that might live to reward
you for your sacrifice, but ! cannot:
am dying"
Cheer up. Exercise your will power
Remember that there are those at home
who love you and are looking for your
return. This will pull you through"
There Is but one such person in the
world-my wife-and she would prefer
that should never return"
do you mean it2'
II do She loved another. Fate de-
prived her Of him and gave her to me
Our parents arranged marriage be-
tween NJ. My heart was In II. but not
hers. l have hated this man. though
! have never seen him. only know
that he exists. But now, since I am
about to die. all that has gone from
me. am even willing that my wife
should be happy with him"
As he spoke the last words he passed
into Inconsistencies. while the atten-
ton of the other, hearing sounds Of an
approaching rescue party, was turned
in another direction.
Darkness fell upon the battlefield, but
only caused the cries Of those lying
there to sound more melancholy, as the
whIppoorwill sings saddest when the
twilight has passed.
Lights appeared hero and there, NOV
ing about from place to place a. rescue
parties relieved the wounded or carried
them away to the hospitals. The man
with the broken leg, supporting him.
self by an arm, looked eagerly At the
lights, praying that some Of them
might come his way. A party drew
near him and he called to them, but
either there were too many such calls
for them to heed his or he had not the
strength to make them hear. At any
rate they PASSED on. leaving him bleed
ing in the cold. He sank in 4 stupor.
doubtless from loss Of blood, from
which he was aroused by a bright light
which daxxled his eyes. Behind It was
the dark figure Of q soldier.
.sThis one is alive" said the man.
.Brine a stretcher."
There was Just enough animation in
the sufferer to remember the compan-
ion to whom he had given his last
drink of liquor, and he wondered II he
sill lived and would be carried of the
field or would later b shoveled with
x-~..A ma >~AxS,