Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-01-28
CHAPTER VII.
The Coming Of the Gutter.

The Coming Of the Gutter.
l never felt quite the same to our
ledger after that little business at the
beethoven. 1t was always in my
mind that he was holding a secret
from me; indeed. that he was all
secret together, seing that he always
hung a veil over his past.
And when by chance that veil was
for an instant whisked away we al
ways caught just glimpse Of some
thing bloody and violent and dreadful
upon the other side. The very look of
his body was terrible. l bathed with
him once In the summer, and 1 saw
then that he was haggled with wounds
all over. Besides seven or eight slashes
his ribs on one side were twisted out
Of shape and a part Of one Of his
calves had been torn away. He laughed
In his merry way when he saw my face
Of wonder.
"Cossacks! Cossacksy" said he, run
ming his hand over his scars. "And the
ribs were broke by an artillery tum-
bril-. 1t is very bad to have the guns
pass over one. Now with cavalry It Is
nothing. A horse will pick its steps,
however fast 1t may 60. I have been
ridden over by fifteen hundred cuiras-
siers and by the Russian hussars of
Grodno. and had no harm from that
But guns are very bad"
"And the calf" asked.
"Pooh! 1t is only a wolf bite" said
n vprnpy hnv Y
by 1t! You will understand that my
horse and had been struck, the horse
killed. and I with my ribs broken by
the tumbril. Well, it was cold-oh.
bitter bitter THE ground like iron.
and no one to help the wounded. so
that they froze into such shapes as
would make you smile. 1, too, felt that
I was freezing, so what did I do?
took my sword and opened my dead
horse, so well as could. and I made
space In him for me to lie, with one
little hole for my mouth. Sapristil 1t
was warm enough there. But there
was not room for the entire Of me, 50
my feet and part Of my legs stuck out.
Then In the night, when slept, there
came the wolves to eat the horse. and
they had little pinch Of me also, as
you can see: but after that was on
| guard with my pistols, and they had
| no more Of me. There I lived. very
warm and NICE for ten days."
"Ten daysi" cried. "What did you
eat3"
"Why. ate the horse. It was what
you call board and lodging to me. But
OF course have sense to eat the legi
and live in the body. There were
many dead about who had their watel
bottles, SO had all could wish. Ant
on the eleventh day there came q pa
troll Of light cavalry, and all was well.
It was by such chance chats Al
these-hardly worth repeating in them
selves-that there came light upol
himself and his past But the day wa!
coming when we should know all, AND
how 1t came shall try now to tel
you.
The winter had been q drear!
one, but with March came the frs
signs Of spring. and for week OF
end we had sunshine and wind
from the south. On the seventh Jir
HOrscroft was to come back fror
Edinburgh. for though the session end
ed with the first. his examination
would take him q week. Edie and
were out walking on the sea beach o
the sixth, and could talk Of nothin
but my old friend. for, indeed. he va
the only friend Of my own age that
had at that time. Edie was very o
lent. which was rare thing with he
but she listened, smiling. to all tha
had to say.
"Poor old Jiml" said she. once q
twice. under her breath. poor ol
, Jimt"