Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-01-06

and went to sleep. Aristotle slept at
the foot.
In the middle of the night the dog
growled. Brother sat up quickly and
looked. He saw the door open and a
dark figure slowly coming in. Sud
denly the figure fell down. Aristotle
sprang at it with fierce bark.
Down, Tottle, down." said Brother.
He felt in his pocket and got match,
though his hands were shaking with
fright.
The lighted match showed boy
lying there on the floor. Brother
sprang up and lighted his little brass
lantern. He bent over the boy.
tits the boy with the red shirt" he
said.
Sister was awake by this time, and
they both examined the visitor The
boy lay quite still and his eyes were
closed. They got some water and
sprinkled it on his face, and Aristotle
licked the poor fellows hand. Arts
tOtle did not know that this was the
person who took his tail away from
him so suddenly.
Presently the boy opened his eyes
and tried to talk. He pointed to his
shoulder.
They saw that the red shirt was red
with blood as well as with its own
color.
II suppose that when he raised him
self up to shoot us some English boy
shot him toO," said Brother.
Sister brought her scissors and cut
away the red shirt, and they saw that
the ball had plOwed along the shout
der for about four inches and had
come out again. Even a child could
see that the ball was not in there any
more.
So Sister brought a basin Of water
and alcohol and washed out the wound
It hurt, but the boy said nothing. Then
Brother brought the edges Of the
wound together and Sister fastened
some strips of surgeons plaster across
it to hold it shut
Then she wrapped a bandage around
the arm. Brother said, 1--WE might tie
his arm up against him, so as to make
him hold it STILL"
Sister didn't know whether this was
the right thing to do, but she had
plenty of bandages and so they did it.
The soldier boy smiled at them and
talked to them, but they couldn't I'M
derstand his words, except one. That
word was "wasser."
''That means water" said Brother.
1T sounds almost like water"
They gave him cold water to drink,
and he drank and drank, and smiled
come more.
The reason why the boy had crept
to this house in the dark was because
it was his house. The Beers had
beaten the Englishmen for that day,
and the wounded boy had crept home.
II don't suppose he's had much to
eat today" said Sister. "And l don't
suppose he ought to have heavy sup
per. But we must give him something
besides water"
They thought it over while they
Dutch stove. The decided that hot
cocoa and buttered toast would be
about right for the patient. So Sister
made the cocoa and Brother toasted
the bread.
1t was really quite cozy after all
to sit there and drink cocoa and eat
buttered toast at midnight, and think
how much good they had done the sol.
der, boy, even if he had shot off Arts
totle's tail. They came to like the
brave little Dutchman very much.
The boy soon went to sleep and the
children were so tired that, almost as
soon as they shut their eyes it was
morning.
While they were getting breakfast
the boys father came there and found
them. OF course he could understand
what his boy said. When he had heard
what the children had done for the
soldier laddie the big Dutchman cried
and kissed the children's hands.
Then the children got on the car
pet and came back home.
do not suppose that the soldier boy
ever knew that he shot off Aristotle's
tail.
Bridget had hardly missed the chill.
dren. because she was so busy nurs,
ing Maggie. The children had been
gone only two days. They spent nearly
all the third day sitting under a tree
and talking about what they had seen.
They could hardly believe they had
been to Africa.
When Johanson came by he asked
what was the matter with AristOtle's
tail. Brother told him that boy had
shot it off.
"Ah, desc devils OF pOys," said Jo
hanson.
How Brother and Sister Wis.