The Nevada County picayune., 1918-11-07

directness of childhood.
 My name is Mark"
 q like you, Mark I will go with4 you till my daddy comes back"
 "All right. Then sit down here be- side me and play" muttered Wallace, wondering rather grimly what there was for her to play With.
 But the grubby little fingers were soon busy in the sandy soil. Wallace watched the child, wondering who she was, and how it had happened that the father had been forced to take her into the jungle, into the midst 0f the contending armies Her clothing was almost in rags, and she must have been drenched by the rains of the preceding night. It had certainly been des- perate and a difficult adventure for the dead man.
 The light began to fade. Wallace, ! half delirious now from pain and thirst, struggled to preserve his con- sciouSness for the sake of the little girl. Sometimes he would emerge from q semi-stupor and look round for her anXiously; but he always found her, no great distance away, building sand castles out of the soft soil and chattering to herself as happily as if she had already forgotten her sorrow.
 When he aroused himself finally, it was to see the flash of torch in his eyes. Faces which he recognized were looking into his own. There was Crawford, the senior lieutenant, who had graduated from West Point the year before, and Captain kellerman; there was his own negro servant, John son, with look of alarm on his ebony face; and near by were two men from the ambulance, carrying an empty stretcher.
 Wallace moaned for water and the sense of the liquid in his throat, warm though it was, brought back conscious ness with rush.
 "Well, we've got you," said Craw- ford cheerfully. How are you feel ing, old man?
 Fine. Have we got SantiagoY
 Well, not exactly, but nearly. We've carried all the trenches, and we're waiting to get our big guns up. Arm hurting you?'
 "No,' said Wallace, stitling a groan. "Say, Crawford, I suppose l was de- lirious, but l thought there was kid here"
 As he spoke he caught sight of Major Howard emerging from the shack, with the little girl in his arms fast asleep. The major came up to him.
 How are you feeling, WallaceT he asked. Good. I didn't know you were family man, though, till I saw this kid sleeping in your arms"
 You've been inside?' inquired the lieutenant, looking toward the shack.
 The ajor's face grew very serious. He nodded.
 Her father" said Wallace. Come, get in with you!" answered Major Howard, curtly, indicating the ambulance. Mark, supported by the orderles, who had placed the stretcher upon the ground crawled in and lay down. He stretched out his arm to- ward the child. It was an unconscious action, but Major Howard noted 1t and, detachlng the small arms from about his neck, he placed the little girl in the stretcher. The little head dropped upon the lieutenantS arm. As the ambulance men picked up their burden two soldiers came out of the hut, carrying something in a blanket. They carried it 10 the center of the clearing and set 1t down beside hole which had already been dug.
 He carried pass signed by Li- nares," said Wallace to the major.
 Major Towards eyes contracted into narrow slltS. He nodded. T have it." he answered.
 'I wonder who he was?" said Wal lace.
 "We1l decide what to do with the kid after We get her back to camp" said the major curtly. It seemed to Wallace that he was unwilling to speculate upon the identity of the dead man. Lie still, and don't muddle your brains with thinking, my boy" he added. ''Well have you at the base hospital in next to no time." | HUN lAslilN HUI lldNG Nc lONls Cant tell you. Quite a few, I'm afraid. Soames is gone. Crawford and Murray and l found ourselves punched together at the top of the hill, leading a mixed company of Texas Rangers and Pennsylvania Dutch. We'll get them sorted out and sent home with labels as soon as we can. Move on, boys! !"
 The jolting stretcher proceeded out of the scrub and down the hill. Here, m the open, everything was almost as silent as in the bush, after the days battle. Under the light of the rising moon could be seen parties of men moving over the hillside, stragglers seeking their regiments, or fatigue par ] ties detailed upon the necessary night