davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-10-31
Women and Children Begged for tho
Lives Of tho Men.

and Guillaume, with Balbau's seven,
teen-year-old son; then two men who
had taken refuge in a barn and had
been discovered and blinded; then two
other men whom had never seen be.
fore.
ut was awful to see the way the
women were >crying-'Shoot me too,
shoot me with my husband"
1.-THE men were lined up on the edge
Of the hollow. which runs from the
high road to the bottom of the village.
One Of them was leaning on the Shout
ders Of an old priest, and he was cry.
ing, 4 am too young-I can't face
death bravely.'
Il couldn't bear the sight any longer.
I turned my back to the road and COW
cred my eyes. heard the volley and
the bodies falling. Then some one
cried. Look, they're all down. But q
few escaped"
This Belgian had escaped by hiding
-he could not remember how many
days-in an old cart filled with manure
and rubbish, He had chewed old hides
for food, had swan across the river,
and hid in mud bank for almost a
week longer, and finally got to France.
He took it very hard when we talked
about Uixmude, and I told him that
the old church was just shot to pieces.
He asked about a painting called the
Alteration Of the Magi," and one of
the other prisoners told us it had been
saved and transported to Germany. II
that is true, and they do not destroy
1t meanwhile, we will get it back, don't
worry!
My wound was just a clean gunshot
wound and not very serious, SO, al
though it was not completely healed,
they let me 60 after three weeks. But
before I went, I saw something that
no man Of US will ever forget. Some
of them took vows just like the men
Of the legion have told about.
One Of the patients was a German
doctor, who had been picked up in No
Mans Land, very seriously wounded,
He was given the same treatment as
any Of us, that is, the very best, but
finally. the doctors gave him up. They
thought he would die slowly, and that
1t might take several weeks.
Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-10-31
For osd and France.

are was so heavy that, when they coun-
ler-attacked, we had to retire again,
and this time they kept after us and
drove us beyond the trench we had
originally occupied.
We left them there. with our artil-
4ery. taking care Of them, and our ma
shine guns trying to enfilade them, and
showed to the right. There was a
bunch Of trees there, about like a small
woods, and as we passed the Germans
concealed In Il opened fire on us, and
We retired to some reserve trenches.
We were pretty much scattered by this
NINE, and badly cut up. We reformed
AsrA aa1 wses Joined By other Of our
Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-10-31
CHAPTER TX.
Laid up for Ren,lr..

s&s0 w t0T- n0k1AlrOs
One night, after had been at Dix
nude for about three weeks, we made
q charge in the face of very heavy
fire. Our captain always stood at the
parapet when we were going over, and
made the sign Of the cross and shouted,
'sFor God and France" Then we would
go over. Our officers always led us,
but have never seen German officer
lead a charge. They always were be-
Aind their men, driving instead Of lead
Ing. I do not believe they are as brave
as they are said to be.
Well, we went over this time, and
the machine guns were certainly going
It strong. We were pretty sore about
the chaplain and the Swiss and all
that, and we put up an awful fight, but
we could not make 1t and had to come
back. Only one company reached the
Boche trenches and not man of 1t
came back who had not been wounded
on the way and did not reach the
trench. They were just wiped out.
The captain was missing, too. We
thought he was done for, but about
two o'clock in the morning, he came
back. He simply fell over into the
trench, all In. He had been wounded
four times. and had lain in a shell
crater full Of water for several hours.
He would not go back for treatment
then, and when daylight came, It was
too late, because we were practically
cut of By artillery fire behind the front
Zine trepches.
When daylight came, the artillery
IRE opened up right on us, and the
Germans had advanced their lines into
some trenches formerly held by us and
hardly forty-five yards away. We re-
cefved. bombs and shells right in our
faces. A Tunisian In our company got
crazy, and ran back over the parados.
He ran few yards, then stopped and
Hooked back at us. I think he was
coming to his senses, and would have
started back to us. Then the spot
where he had been was empty, and a
second later his body from the chest
down fell not three yards from the
parados. I do not know where the
top part went. That same shell cut q
groove in the low hilltop before It ex-
plsded. He had been hit by big
shell. and absolutely cut in two.
have seen this happen to four men; but
this was the only one in France.
About seven o'clock, we received re-
endorsements, and poured fresh troops
over and reto0k the trench. No sooner
had we entered 1t, however, than the
~
not even waiting for their own troops
to retire safely. They killed numbers
Of their oapn men in this way. But the
Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-10-31

While In the hospital Depew
witnesses q scene that CON.
vinees him that Il 10 not only
tho kaiser and his system, pur
the German soldiers them.
selves, that are responsible for
much Of the frIshtfulness that
has marked the war. Read
about this scene In tha next In.
stallisent.
Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-10-31
DEPEW Is WOUNDED IN FIERCE FIGHT WITH GERMANS
AND GOES TO HOSPITAL

Synopssbert Depew story service
IN tne United States during
petty ohcer hcass The world
receives his honorable discharge navy
france with determination enlist He
Is assigned to the dreadnaught Card
MIN nigh Later he
the Flanders front He his
at Dxmude He cover the top"
bayonet fight While Zeppelin
raid and has exciting experience.
Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-10-31
CTo BE coNT1NuED3,

Experiments with powdered peat for
fuel have beer 30 successful in Sweden
that plant tor its production O. Q
large scale has been established.
Evening star., 1918-02-17

district before. Thirsty" pulled up his
nag and bade me crawl forth. We had
reached our destination-our adven-
ture.
gave quick survey of the premises,
making sure that the street and num-
Der of the house were according to our
code. The house was a small frame
affair. which, unlike most city homes.
was set back quite a distance from
the street. In the darkness one could
distinguish what apparently had been
a flower garden between the house and
the picket fence along the front walk.
least as and creepy feelinR came ovsr ey the the
Insomniac; he came near deciding that
he did not want an adventure, and only
the harsh laugh of Thirsty prodded
him on through the front gate and up
old-fashioned door knocker.
He hesitated an instant, then banged
the door, the sound teseEbefAtin8
Evening star., 1918-02-17

would certainly bring the troop good
luck, if it could keep her. Adoption OF
some sort was gravely discussed that
evening around more than one campfire.
morning the baby was bathed. This
was an event and it had been adver-
tised as such. An interested and ad-
miring group of swarthy cigarette
ficiated, Norine's offer to perform the
service less publicly having been re-
fused. Leslie was just drying of the
chubby form when he was unexpectedly
interrupted.
Jacket had made his round trip in
safety, but instead of bringing squad
of the enemy's soldiers with him he had
brought the child's parents, which was
a much more sensible thing to do.
The Storekeeper and his wife arrived
unheralded; they gave no warning of
their coming. and they exchanged no
amenities with the ravagers of their
home. Hearing the shrill, petulant
voice of their beloved, they made di-
rectly for it. as eagles swoop from the
sky at threat to their nest.
Branch looked up at the sound of
some swift approach. He beheld an en-
tirely strange woman bearing down
upon him. Her face was white. fran
tic, terrible; her arms were outstretch-
ed: she gave utterance to a peculiar.
distressing cry. Snatching the baby
from his lap without so much as by
your leave, she clutched 1T to a billow-
ing brown bosom.
Leslie rose. protesting. just in time
to receive the full onslaught of the
child's distracted father. He went down
in a swirl of arms and legs: he felt
himself kicked, pounded, trampled.
beaten, scratched, until his friends
came to the rescue and dragged him to
his feet. He rose to behold a small,
fat, disheveled Spaniard who had
turned from assaulting him and now
t0 q in
mouthfuls from such portions of the
baby's anatomy as were not hidden in
its mothers embrace
A clamor of voices breaking the Sab
bath calm of the morning brought No
rine Evans running from her tent One
look, and its cause was plain. Fifty
men were talking loudly; fifty pairs of
arms were waving. In consequence of
Evening star., 1918-02-17

but the latter, suspicious of his intent.
fed. Unmindful of the fact that these
were the men who had relieved him of
considerable stock of goods and
profaned his holy of holies he reck-
lessly distributed among them what
money he had upon his person and then
gave away the remaining contents OF
his pockets. He swore his undying love
for them all. Shifting his breast ex-
citedly, he urged them as a personal
favor and mark of his overfiowing
gratitude to return to San Antonio de
los Banos, make themselves masters
of all his worldly possessions, and then
burn his store.
While this was going on, Jacket was
proudly advertising his share of the
full credit
"By =. I made a big hit with that
comandante." he told his American
say I'm the bravest boy they ever seen
and they give me more'n a thousand
cigars. When I rode away 1 saluted
the comandante; then 1 yelled. Vive
Cuba Libre!' and everybody laughed
like hell. 1 guess those people never
seen nobody like me before"
That afternoon, when it came time for
the merchant and his little family to
insurrectos assembled to bid them fare
well and to look for the last time upon
the baby. BY now the mothers appre-
tensions had given way to pride and
She couio Dring nefsell TO smile at the
compliments showered upon her Off
spring and to answer in kind those
which were aimed at herself She
even permitted Ell Demonio to kiss the
child goodbye. Her husband, since his
arrival in camp. had heard much about
the eccentric American, and now, after
apologizing abjectly for his unwarrant-
ed attack, he invited Branch to visit
his store when this hideous war was
over and Cuba was free. Finally, in
spite of Leslie's frantic struggles, he
embraced him and planted a moist kiss
upon either cheek.
Amid loud and repeated good wishes
and a cheer for the baby the visitors
rode away.
Lopez linked his arm within O'Reilly's
as they turned back into the palm
grove. With smile he said
well. 1 hope this has taught your
Evening star., 1918-02-17

desperate counterfeiters to be ban
ished, or there might even be a deep
laid plot against the government. The
location of the street and the house ap-
parently, made no difference. The ad-
venture was waiting.
Over our mugs of coffee we decided
upon a method of selecting the street
and number. Thirsty" was to take
down Coffee Jim's dog-eared telephone
book. turn to page 11-that was the
month of the year-and select the num-
Der of the first phone on the page.
Then he was to turn to the page cor
and write down the first name of
street appearing there. This done, he
handed me the address.
80, l climbed into "Thirsty's" rick
ETY. sea-going hack, he mounted the
box and we werA OF.
Az luck would havs 1t, the address
Wa1 not far distant, and We probably
apAnt y hall hone In The xeoidanxial
Evening star., 1918-02-17
The Ensomniac and "1hnsy" McTagg Seek am Adventure

through the tiny house. Came soft
footsteps the door opened slowly, and
an elderly man with white beard
stood in the glow of a kerosene lamp
he was holding.
Wont you come in?' he asked From
all appearances he was not surprised at
a visit from a stranger at this hour of
night He had evidently been reading,
for his reading glasses were perched
upon his brow and an open book with
a wood fire. His welcome was not eff
fuSive; it was simple homely greeting
to bide a while.
you are just in time, and we were
lonely" said the white-bearded man.
And for the first time the Insomniac
other side of the table. knitting. She.
too, had gray hair-a motherly, sweet
faced old lady-and she glanced up with
smile as the Insomniac entered.
''sit right down-here, next to the
flre-and take off your coat" said the
patriarch. 1T is our custom, always.
to read chapter from this book be-
fore our evening prayer, and on this
night we had been very lonely. al
though we do not talk of that to each
other. You came because we were lone
ly. did you not?'
heed but opened at random the great
black-bound book ON the table. He read,
in voice that was soft and low. of a
prodigal, of husks and swine and fat
ted calf. The knitting needles of his
companion were at rest in midair and
her head was bowed.
Afterward came the prayer. Then the
insomnia took up his coat and hat and
the elderly man accompanied him to the
door.
You will come againT' he asked
Come any time, for you will be well
come. You will find the two of us here
and we do get, SO very lonely-but. of
course. we do not speak of that
Thirsty" standing along the curb
stone, again mounted his box and we
drove back to Coffee Jim's. There we
sat for some time over our steaming
brew until the cabdrivers curiosity
gained the ascendency.
'sWell?' he asked.
81 was right" I answered. TT is i'm
possible to attain success as a seeker
Of adventure. Probably those dare
devil knights Of old in their glittering
affn0r ana their swankihg niAhner-hsit
adventure In the city has disappsafsd: It
- gohs fcessee.s
Evening star., 1918-02-17

"N-no! You see.. she never lays her
hands on my head. However. l dare
say you're right. All the sick fellows
Esteban looked up quickly: his face
darkened. '.She-er-nurses others
Ell? I'm not the only one?
We'll, hardly
There was a brief pause. Then Es-
teban shifted his position and his tone
changed Tell me. have you heard
any news?"
fore long I'm sure"
Your faith does as n,t much her for va me
away. when I'm alone. when begin to
think
"Don't think too much; don't permit
Soss take t. s0nst y word 9fe fer It. Ross Fasa
is alive and we'll find her somewhere:
somehow. You heard that she had
fallen into Cobo's hands when he sack
ed the Yumuri but now we know that
she and the negroes were living in the
Pan de Matanzas long after that. In
the same way Lopez assured me posi-
lively that You were dead. Well. look
at you! 1t shows how little faith we
can put in any story. No. Rosa is
safe. and Gen. Gomez will soon have
word of her. That's what I've been
waiting for-that and what you might
have to tell me-"
You know all that I know now and
everything that has happened to me-"
Il don't know how you came to be in
cell in San Antonio de los Banos. 200
miles from the place you were killed.
That is still a mystery"
"It is very simple. amigo. Let me see:
/ had finished telling you about the
fight at La Joya. l was telling you
how I tainted"
Exactly. Norine bound and gagged
you at that point in the story"
Some good people found me a few
hours after I lost consciousness They
supposed I had been attacked by guer-
rillas and left for dead. Finding that
/ still had life in me. they took me
home with them. They were old
friends from Matanzas by the name of
Valdes-cultured people who had fed
the city and were hiding in the
manigua like the rest of U.S."
mot Valdes, the notary?"
The very same. Alberto Valdes and
Evening star., 1918-02-17
BY THE INsOMNIAC.
,NH Insomniac numbers among

I9
friends one Thirsty McTagg, a
roIlicking pirate of Washington's
highways commonly known as
cab driver. We meet quite often, '"Thirs-
ty'' and /, at Coffee Jim's, usually late in
the evening. where we partake of night
lunch, and we talk of events of the
moment big national problems and little
incidents that have struck US as peculiar.
Thirsty is somewhat of a philosopher,
as one who stalks forth only at night and
sees strange sights is bound to be. He
tells me of things he has seen and of
rumors that have come to his ears, and
always underlying his talk. is the note
of the philosopher. So, because Thirsty
tells a good story well. and because 1
am given to insomnia. we find companion
ship agreeable and Coffee Jim's a COM
Portable place to indulge our gregarious-
ness.
One night our talk turned toward ad-
venture-that Is, the sort Of adventure
one turns up in a city at nighttime. not
the sort where glittering knight errant
rides a charger and rescues beautiful
damsels in distress after hair-raising eg-
axes.
'-Thirsty'' was inclined to view adven-
ture as sort of restless personality upon
which one was apt to stumble at almost
any hour or place, while I, who am a
fatalist, believe adventure is cut and
dried for the fellow who runs into It;
that he could not escape II he we're a
Of mind to do so. and that the man
who seeks the unusual is quite likely to
be disappointed. There and then, we de-
cided to test the thing-to see where the
seeker after adventure would land; we
would decide the matter once for all.
/ told Thirsty" of an old formula of
fiction writer's, which. although simple
to an extreme. may lead to all sorts Of
complications. 1t meant the selectRn
at random of street, the same method
of picking a number to represent the
house. and then going to that particu-
lar place with a view OF seeing what
happened. According to all writer's Of
fiction. such trip invariably meant
adventure for the seeker. In most In
stances he met unusually beautif,i
maidsns, chained and crying out in
their 1tStxoaa. os thAxo VAs Q bxua Of
Evening star., 1918-02-17

them I'd like to raise this kid according
to my own IDEAS" Branch's face lightened
suddenly. Say. I've just thought Of a
name for her!''
"WhatT'
"BulletSw
"Are you swearing or naming herr"
wouldn't that be a good name? It's
new, and it means something. Raid.
battle, rain of bullets! See? Bullets
Branch-that doesn't sound bad"
With deliberate malice O'Reilly said,
gravely: '-Of course, II you adopt her, you
can name her what you choose-but
she's a mighty brown baby! / have my
suspicious that-shes a mulatto."
Branch was shocked, indignant.
THAT childs as white as you are" he
sputtered. Then noting the twinkle in
OReilly's eyes he turned away, mutter-
ing angrily.
Strangely enough. Leslie's fantastic
suggestion found echo in more than one
quarter. and many of his campmates
began to argue that FL Demonios baby
Evening star., 1918-02-17

teeth CLEANED and his hollow face lit
up.
'she brings me new life." he told
OReilly. ''She is so strong. so healthy.
full! When I first saw her bending
over me I thought 1 was dreaming.
Sometimes, even yet. think she cannot
be real. But she is, eh?'
She is quite substantial" O'Reflly
smiled.
81 can tell when she is anywhere
near, for my illness leaves me. It's a
fact! And her hands Well. she
lays them on my head and it no longer
hurts-the fever disappears. There is
some cool. delicious magic in her touch
1t makes fellow want to live. You
have perhaps noticed it?'
Evening star., 1918-02-17

the torrent of words that beat upon
their ears it was some time before the
merchant and his wife could be made
to fully understand the peculiar cir
cumstances of the kidnapping, and that
no harm had been intended to their
darling. Slowly. bit by bit, they learned
the truth, but even then the mother
could not look upon Leslie Branch with
out a menacing dilation of the eyes
and peculiar expression of restrained
ferocity.
The father was more reasonable, how
ever; once he was assured of his daugh-
ter's safety, his thankfuiness sought
outlet He began by embracing every
one within his reach. He kissed No
rine, he kissed O'Reilly, he kissed Jud-
son, he made a rush at Leslie himself:
Evening star., 1918-02-17

friend to steal no more babies"
I'm afraid he'll steal the very next
one he sees. He fell in love with that
one and wanted to keep it."
"Oh, he wasn't alone in that It's
queer how sentimental soldiers become.
I've often noticed it. When I Was in the
Rubi hills some of my fellows adopted a
goat. We had to eat it finally, but
those men wouldn't touch a piece of the
flesh-and they were starving. Ey the
way, how is Varona doing?"
about the same"
Lopez frowned. II shall have to send
him to Cubitas tomorrow, for we must
be under way"
IF he has to be moved. let me do 1t.
I'd like to be with him when he comes
out of his fever, and learn what he
Evening star., 1918-02-17

Reduction.

n Oh ROOSEVELT. who recently re-
" duced his weight some fifteen
pounds. was talking gieefully in his
New York ONCE about the strenuous
efforts Of a certain oospulent statss-
man to do likewise.
Hes working very hard" the colonel
said. His latest stunt 10 to ret up
every morning at o'clock enA rjAo
horseback three hours before hrsaks
fast"
asked.
hefSA. - .,s...-rs
Evening star., 1918-02-17

knows about his sister" o'Reilly's ap-
peal was earnest.
The colonel readily yielded. 60. by
he he no doubt viii let you stay until the
boy can talk. He may have news from
Matanzas by that time"
OReilly pressed his coloners hand
gratefully s,L You're mighty good said said
look out for Branch while I'm gone,
and-hold him DOWN."
Lopez laughed lightly "oh. he he'll
ferent man already: When he gets
well and has something to live for he
will want to live. You'll see.'
1t was a balmy, languid morning
about two weeks after O'Reilly's re-
turn to the city among the leaves. The
Cubitas mountains were green and
sparkling from a recent shower; wood
fires smoldered in front of the bark
huts, sending up their wavering
streamers of blue: pack train from
the lower country was unloading fresh
vegetables in the main street, and a
group of ragged men were disputing
over them. Some children were play
ing base ball near by.
In a hammock swung between two
trees Esteban Varona lay. listening to
the admonitions of his nurse.
Johnnie O'Reilly had just bade them
both a hearty good morning, and now
Norine was saying: 'tOne hour, no
more. You had a temperature again
last night. and it came from talking
too much.'
"Oh. I'm better this morning." Este
ban declared. I'm getting so that
want to talk: was too tired at first.
but now
Now, you will do exactly as you are
told. Remember. it takes me just one
hour to make my rounds, and if you
are not through with your tales of
blood and battle when I get back you'll
have to finish them tomorrow" With
nod and a smile she left.
AS Esteban looked after her his white
Evening star., 1918-02-17

lost treasure of the Varonas"
Lost treasure" Norine's gray eyes
widened. What are you talking
about?"
There is mysterious fortune in our
family. My father buried it, He was
very rich, you know. and he was afraid
OF the Spaniards. OReilly knows the
story
Johnnie assented with a grunt. Sure!
I know all about it,
Esteban raised himself to his elbow.
You think it's myth. joke. Well
it's not. l know where it is. I found
it"
Norine gasped; Johnnie spoke sooth-
Don't get excited. old man: you've
talked too much today"
"Ha" Esteban fell back upon his pil-
low. Il haven't any fever. I'm as sane
as ever l was. That treasure exists,
end that -doubloon gave me the clue
my father and he believed the story.
He believed in it so strongly that
well-that's why he denounced my sis
ter and me as traitors. He dug UP our
entire premises. but he didn't fnd it,"
Esteban chuckled. Don Esteban. my
father. was cunning; he could hide
things better than a magpie. 1t re-
mained for me to discover his trick"
Norine Evans spoke breathlessly. "Oh.
glory! Treasure! Real treasure! How
found 1t, quick! Johnnie. you remem-
ber he raved about a doubloon-"
HE is faving now" QReilly declared,
with q sharp stare at his friend.
The girl turned Loyalty to her pa
tient. ..I'li believe you, Mr.. vafona
treasure. The bigger the treasure the
more implicitly I believe III Il. I simply
adofe pirates .ahd sach thihRb: II I
ware . man I'd Be eAes Do yee kAous