The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1919-01-29
BY VICTOR ROUSSEAU
!. Chapman.)

VINO are you?" she asked, with the
dlrectness of childhood.
My name Is Mark"
L Ike you, Mark. l will 20 with
you till my daddy comes back"
All right. Then sit down here be-
SIDE me and play" muttered Wallace.
wondering rather grinly what there
was for her to play with.
But the grubby little fingers we're
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
iilto the jungle, into the midst of the |
contending armies. Her clothing was
almost in rags, and she must have been
dfehched by the rains of the preceding
night 1t had certainly been q des-
| perate and difficult adventure for the
dead man.
Inc hight began to fade. Wallace,
half delirious now from pain and
thirst, struggled to preserve his con-
seriousness for the sake of the little
Slrl. Sometimes he would emerge
from a seml-stupor and look round for
her anXlously; 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
pch Of to- IN, +;
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 a look of alarm ON his ebony
face; and near by We're 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 your
NO." said Wallace, sitting groan
"Say, Crawford, I suppose I was de-
lirious, but I thought there was a 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, Wallace?" he
asked. "Good! I didn't know yor
were family man, though, till saw
this kid sleeping in your arms"
you've been inside?" inquired the
lieutenant, looking toward the shack.
The majors face grew very serious
He nodded.
"Her father" said Wallace.
"Come, get in with you'll" answered
Major Howard, CURLY, indicating thu
ambulance. Mark, supported by thu
orderlies, who had placed the stretche
upon the ground, crawled in and la!
down. He stretched out his arm to
ward the child. 1t was an unconsciou
action, but Major Howard noted i
and, detaching the small arms iron
about his neck, he placed the littl
girl in the stretcher. The little hea'
dropped upon the lieutenants arm. A
the ambulance men picked up thei
burden two soldiers came out of tn
hut, CARRYING something in blanket
They carried it to the center of tn
clearing and set it down beside hOl
which had already been dug.
He carried Il pass signed by Ii
nares," said Wallace to the major.
Major Towards eyes contracted int
narrow Sits. He nodded. Il have it,
he answered.
> 81 wonder who he was?" said Wa
y lace.
:. "Well decide what to do with tn
kid after we get her back to camp,
said the major CURLY. 1t seemed t
Wallace that he was unwilling t
:, speculate upon the identity Of the dea
= man, 'Lie still, and don't muddl
- your brains with thinking, my boy" h
! added. "We1l have you at the bas
hospital in next to no time"
= "How many men have we lostY'
a Cant tell you. Quite a few, II
= afraid. Soames is gone. Crawfor
;, and Murray and found ourselve
punched together at the top of the hill
j., leading a mixed company Of Texa
Rangers and Pennsylvania Dutcl
Wen get them sorted out and sci
home with labels as soon as we Cal
Move on, boys!"
The jolting stretcher proceeded OF
;, of the scrub and down the hill. Her
in the open, everything was almost
- silent as in the bush, after the day
battle. Under the light Of the risir
moon could be seen parties OF me
moving over the hillside, stragglel
seeking their regiments, or fatigue pa
- ties detailed upon the necessary nlgl
- work that follows day of death. III
moon shone down on huddled form