Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-07-18

try to throw off the burden of Leslie's
overwhelming detection, and, if pos
sible, shift a portion of it upon the
shoulders of Captain Judson.
On the day after their arrival O'Reil-
~ and the big artilleryman took advan-
tage of a pleasant stream to bathe and
wash their clothes; then, while they
lay in their ahammocks, enjoying the
luxury Of q tattered oil-cloth shelter
and waiting for the sun to dry their
garments, O'Reilly spoke what was in
his mind.
"Han getting about fed up on Leslie"
he ioee,!ared. "He's the worlds cham
pion crepe-hanger, and he's painted the
Whole world such a deep, respondent
blue that I'm completely dismal. You've
got to take him off my hands,"
OReilly's youthful assistant, who at
the moment was painstakingly manu-
featuring a huge, black cigar for him
self out of some purloined tobacco.
pricked up his ears at the mention Of
Branch's name and now edged closer,
pxclaiming:
"Caramba! There's a hero for yol,.
Meester Branch is the bravest man l
ever seen. Our people call him 'El
DemOnio'w
O'Reilly jerlSed his head toward the
Cuban. "You see? He's made the hit
Of his life, and yet he resents it. My
nerves are frayed out. I've argued my
self hOarSe, but he m%isconstrues every
thing I say. l wish you'd convince him
that he has a chance to get we'll; it
might alter his disposition. If IN
thing doesn't alter it I'll be court-mar-
tailed for shooting a man in his sleep
and I'll hit him right in the middle, no
matter how slim he is" OReilly COM
pressed his lips firmly.
The assistant, who had finished roll
ing his cigar, now lighted it and re-
peated: eyes, sir, Meester Branch is
the bravest man I aver seen. You re-
member that first battle, eh? Those
Spaniards seen him comm and threw
down their guns and beat it. I laugh
to skill myself that day."
Jacket" was at once the youngest
and the most profane member of Colo
mel Lopez's entire command. The most
shocking oaths fell from his beard
less lips whenever he opened them to
speak English, and O'Reilly's efforts to
break the boy of the habit proved quite
1nayailing.
This Camasueyan boy "a a char
acter. He was perhaps sixteen, and
small for his age-a mere child, in
fact. Nevertheless, he was a seasoned
veteran, and his American camp-mates
had grown exceedingly fond of him. He
was a pretty, graceful y%oungster; his
eyes were large and soft and dark; his
face was as sensitive and mobile as
that of q girl; and yet, despite his
youth, he had won a reputation for
daring and ferocity quite as notable in
It's way as was the renown Of Leslie
Branch.
In order to expand his knowledge Of
English-of which, by the way, he was
Unfortunately proud-Jacket had volun-
teered to serve as .O'Reilly's striker,
and the result had been a fast friend
ship. 1t was O'Reilly who had given
the boy his nickname-a name
prompted by a marked eccentricity, for
although Jacket possessed the two gar
ments which constituted the ordinary
lnsurrecto uniform, he made a prac-
tice of wearing only one. On chilly
nights, or on formal occasions, he
wore both waistcoat and trousers, but
at other times he dispensed entirely
with the latter, and his legs went
naked. They We're naked now, as, with
the modesty of complete unconscious
ness, he squatted in the shade, putting
thoughtfully at his giant cheroot.
Once Jackets mind was fastened
upon any subject, it remained there,
and after a time he continued:
did l told you about that battle Of
Pine Bravo? En-" He turned his big
brown eyes upward to O'Reilly. "Cris-
to! 1 skill more'n a dozen men that
ut was a hot scrimmage," Judson at
"Some of Luque's niggers, those
tall, lean, hungry fellows from Santi-
ago, managed to hack their way
through a wire fence and get behind a
detachment Of the enemy who had
made a stand under a hill. They
and for a wonder they got
close enough to use their machetes. It
was bloody work-the kind you read
about-no quarter. Somehow Jacket
managed to be right In the middle Of
The butchery. He's a bravo kid, all
right. Muy malo!"
AT that moment Branch approached,
MS long face set in lines Of discomfort,
deeper than usual. He had been
wandering about the camp In one of
MS restless fits, and now he began:
"Say, what do you think I've been
I've been looking up some grub
or Miss Evans, and I can't find any,"
"Can't find any?"
Nothing fit for her to eat. You
lon't expect her to live on this infer
lal, eternal beef stew"
Didn't Major Ramos bring anything
0'ReIlly askad