Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-07-11
TheEvening Story
KILLING HIS
MAN

Copyright 1914. BY Associated Lit
erary Press.

nueS Oh n6utIul ground between, ana
except for a little skirmishing along
the front there was rest for half a mill
hon men.
Have you ever killed a manT'
OF sudden, as he lay doing on his
bed In camp one day, Private Rollins
asked this question OF himself. When
the war was over and he returned
home he would be asked the question
His friends and neighbors wouldn't be
satisfied with his record of battles, but
would sweep 1t aside and say:
Eyes, we know you were in Eve or
six battles and that you fred hundreds
OF bullets at the enemy, but can you
truthfully say you ever brought a man
down."
he couldn't say It, and be felt that
he would lose caste. This feeling
brought a sudden resolve. 1t was a
resolve that startled him at first. but
the more he thought of 1t the more de-
termtned he was to carry it out. He
would kill man. ,He would do 1t next
time he went on picket
This is your post, Hollins," said the
corporal as he left him one afternoon
at the edge of wood under a large
oak. I'VE don't know exactly where
the enemy's picket is, but it's some
where around that log house"
To-day l shall kill man." said Pri-
vate Rollins as he was left alone, and
be began his preparations at once. At
long rifle shot away across an old cot.
ton field was long house with a few
fruit trees standing about It. One
might be sure the farmer was of to
war and that wife and children, IL they
had not abandoned the place, were
having a miserable existence Hollins
crept down to the fringe OF bushes on
his side Of the field and peered and
watched and waited like an Apache
In ambush For an hour he saw moth
Ing. Then a gaunt, i'll used dog came
among the trees and trotted about In
the open in sneaking fugitive way.
IL the dog was there the house must
be inhabited. He had just come to
this conclusion when he caught sight
OF figure among the trees. 1t was
between the house and the bushes,
where he believed the enemys picket
was lying. 1t must be the picket on
his way to and from the well. Per
haps he had gone to the house to light
his pipe or boil his coffee. There was
a glimpse and 1t was gone. Another
glimpse, another hiding, and then the
ngure was fair to view. II was a long
shot, bat pretty fair target. and with.
out an instant's hesitation be drew
up his gun and fred. When he look
ed over the smoke the figure was gone
But l know l hit him. and he's IT,
ing dead on the grass!
Now | can tell them at home that
I killed a mani Mighty long shot, but
dropped him for sure
The dog was still in the open. AS
the shot rang out he looked back
among the trees. AS the echoes died
away he turned his head toward Ho-
Inns and howled dismally. A moment
later and the figure of a young girl
appeared beside the dog. She was
eight years old. Hesitating for only
moment she began advancing across
the Aeld. The smoke from the sol
dler's musket had located him. The
dog followed at her heels. head and
tail down, and with surprise Hollins
watched the girls approach. 1t took
her five minutes to cross the field. She
came straight at him as he stood up
among the bushes, and when she
reached him she extended her hand
and clasped his and said:
Come along. your
He rested his musket against log
and permitted her to lead him into the
open and across the field. He did not
ask where she was leading him Not a
question passed his lips, nor did she
speak further. Straight across the
held to the trees among which his vic.
tim had stood. but long before he got
there he saw a form on the grass. BY
and by they came close up to 1t. and
the girl let go his hand and pointed
and said:
you shot mani"
1t wasn't a man lying dead on the I
grass, soldier or farmer. but a woman
The soldier rubbed his eyes and looked
around in a daEed way. A boy Of ten
and a girl Of Eve came oct of the house
and stood there and looked from the
soldier to the dead woman and back.
"Well?" qneried Holins OF the chill.
dren as they continued TO stare at him.
They simply pointed TO the mother
lying dead and uttered no word The
soldier tried to speak again. but he
couldn't With face whittier than the
one on the grass, with quivering chin
and blinded eyes. he made his way
slowly across the old field TO his post
As he lurched and staggered he heard
a dog howl again. but no one called TO
him When he reached his post he sat
down on the ground and covered his
face with his hands and groaned. An
kn,,v Iaf tn aart,nroI IN, r.vs4h 81.