"X
T
I
THE NEBRASKA ADVERTISER
XV. W. BANOKKS I'nblUher.
OUSMAHA
... - NEBRASKA.
COMING OF HIS SWEETHEART.
Do Dnlstcs fjprcnd a carpet fer de fnllln' er
her feet
My honey, my lioney, my sweet;
Kn dc Kcd Hopc know de wny
Wat sho walkln' ever' day,
My honey, my honey, my sweet!
Do niver stop en say:
"flho's a-comln' dla n-wayt"
.Kn do Water-Lily dancln' lak' he had a
holiday;
En do Winter say: "I reckon I mus' look
out fer de May,
My honey, my honey, my swectl"
.'De Sunflower tu'n ter meet her In de medder
en de street
My honey, my honey, my sweet;
Kn de Mockln' Elrd he say:
'"I inns' slntr my bes' to-day
Fer my honey, my honoy, my sweet!"
'Do Wirt's dey runs a race
IDcs n-rompln' 'roun' de place,
Kn blow do. ll'l stars out cazo dey pecpln'
In her face;
;En do Honeysuckle tell her dat her lips Is
sweet tor tnse
My honey, .my honey, my sweet!
TI hcah do Wells a-rlngln' cross do clover en
de wheat
My honey, my honey, my sweet;
lln do Sun rlz up en say
Ho n-llghtln' her my way,
My honey, .my honey, my swcot!
I hcahs her footsteps plain
In do pathur cr do rain
In do drappln' er do blossoms In dc med
der en do lane,
TSn my heart Is des n-gwlno lak' a silver
ban' n-playln'
CFcr my honey, my honey, my sweot!
Prank L. Stanton, In Saturday EvenlnR
Post.
maaa&aa$$ao$$HWKj6aaoaa
CASljIERED. I
Ur Andrew Balfour.
lKH30tt5fOWJOWCWHWaiJ
THE lieutenant was but a boy, a
product of tin; English public
school nntl of Sandhurst, with an in
cipient mustache and n lace which
six months before had been fresh and
ruddy as a fox hunter's at Christmas
tide, lint the dreaded west coast had
done its work, in part at least; nntl
it was a Laggard, weary, yellow vis
age which, with a pair of field glasses,
swept the dull green fringe of the re
lentless bush, and then turned to the
little garrison. The lieutenant gnve
an order, pointed with his linger, and
from a loophole in the stockade came
a flash, a sharp report. As if in an
swer to . summons, a black shape
sprang up from, the edge of the for
est cover, screamed wildly, and with
convulsive twitchings pitched out
into the open, rolled over and over,
and lay still.
"Ready, lads," sang out their offi
cer; and the men of the frontier po
lice prepared to do as they had done
every day and many a night for the
past six weeks.
They were a dusky lot, in ragged
uniforms, with cheek bones which
told a talc of want of food, parched
lips which were evidence of the mud
dy, brackish water that could scarce
ly moisten them and yet wns all their
comfort, and fierce, wild eyes which
spoke to wakeful nights and dread
uncertainty. Day and night, night
and day, had they watched and fought
and suil'ered, and still the old flag
drooped idly from its post in the
simmering "heat, and still they waited
for relief with a hope which waned
within them.
The lieutenant looked to his re
volver, and with fingers which trem
bled a little rolled a thin cigarette
and tried hard to muster up a cheery
smile. It was a sorry attempt, for his
nerves were giving way, and there
was that in his blood which saps all
joviality and makes the liver in very
truth a seat of melancholy. There
had been little loss In men, for the
stockade was strong nnd high, and
lead-coated stones nnd pot-legs,
though ugly missiles, nre none too
efficient as regards the searching of
loopholes at SO and 100 yards; but to
the lieutenant the scorching sun's
rays, the empty stomnch, t'-e dry and
liurning throat, the want of sleep,
and the utter loneliness were as bad
nay, worse than the loss of half a
dozen black fellows, faithful to the
-death though these might be.
It was his first experience of war,
and there was no glory in the busi
ness. If he failed, few would ever
learn that Fort Muti had held out to
the bitter end ngainst terrible odds,
and fewer still would care. Men's
minds were busy elsewhere, for the
west coast was not nil Africa, and
trouble wns brewing with men of an
other color nnd another clime. For
all thnt, the lieutcnnnt had done his
duty, and much more thnn he imag
ined, for many things unknown to
him dtpended on the safety of his
outpost.
"Here they come!" he cried sud
denly, and from every quarter of the
encircling forest darted white puffs of
smoke, and noises innumerable filled
the air the shnrp rhie crack, the
heavy boom of the elephant gun, the
bang, bang, of flintlock musgets, and
then the battle yell of a savage foe.
There was no answer from Fort .Muti.
Its defenders could not afford to
wnste powder on the scrub; but now
came the rush. A horde of savages,
their hair frizzed out Into fantastic
patterns, their bodies naked save for
the loin cloth, bounded into the open
and raced towards the palisades.
"Gie it them, men!" yelled the
lieutenant, nnd they got it. It was
the old Martini which served the
black police, nnd the Mnrtini bullet
has driving power. At such u range,
in such a mass of humanity, each
leaden messenger found a plethora
of billets both tempornry and perma
nent, and the assailants found things
too hot for them. ' A few, fanatics nil,
escaped the deadly hall ana sprang at
the defenses, only to be dashed to
earth with the butt or run through
with the bayonet.
"The children of the white devil"
had conquered once again. It could
not last, however. The enemy hnd
shown more boldness than hitherto,
the cartridges were woefully less, nnd
a fresh attack was clenrly impend
ing. The lieutenant's henrt sank within
hlni, and yet he spoke a few words
of praise and encouragement to his
men. His speech was never ended.
Distnnt but distinct there rnng out
a buele-cnll, and then from the green
deptlis around came the rattling
crash of a fusillade and the constant
pop, pop, pop of the ubiquitous
Maxim.
Fort Muti was relieved.
"Splendid, my dear boy!" said a
major of the line 20 minutes later.
"You have done capitally, and if 1
can mannge It you'll have the D.S.O.,
for you deserve it If anyone does.
Now take a pull at this."
Perhaps he guessed that the lieu
tenant was on the verge of disgracing
his manhood.
II.
Three weeks had come nnd gone,
just half as long ns the ordeal at
Fort Muti had lasted, and the reliev
ing column was cutting its arduous
way through the dense bush to yet
another isolated post whose fate
hung in the balance.
The lieutenant had been offered his
chnnce to return to the coast or to
accompany the expedition, nnd, like
a boy, he had chosen the latter
alternative. His feeling of malaise
those shivers down his spine, that
dragging pain, slight, but never ab
sent from his left side should have
warned him. The surgeon did so;
but the lieutenant merely laughed
and lied to him, and threw dust in
his eyes, for the surgeon was wound
ed and scarcely so keen at a diagno
sis as was his wont. So the lieuten
ant journeyed with the rest, nnd was
wild with delight at having four
white men to talk to and something
decent to eat, while the fizz of soda
water was as the plnshing of foun
tains in his ears. His spirits were
high, and his head just a little
swelled with success. He began to
talk big, and was somewhat of a
nuisnnce with his tales of how "I
thought this" and how "I did that;"
but his fellow-officers pardoned much
and smiled grimly. It was one thing,
they told him, to fight from cover,
and quite another to face death in
the open; nnd the lieutenant was of
fended and sulked, nnd wondered why
his head swam, and why he started
at every sudden noise from beyond
the double wall of creeper-clad trees
which hemmed in the long, snake
like, crawling column.
He grew snappish nnd irritable, and
was no pleasant companion. The
others, who did not know him well,
put him down as a conceited young
ass, for their test of illness was ap
petite, and the lieutenant ate like
a horse. They did not know that
nfter each meal he was sick as a
dog. The malaria, a peculiar and in
sidious form, fastened upon him slow
ly; for his body had been healthy,
and he wns young and sober, but its
grip was none the less sure. Ills
poisoned blood reacted on his brain,
nnd as he stumbled forward he would
start at the sight of a snake, and
peer fearfully into the green screen
behind him, where, hnd he but known
it, glided the naked foe. At last the
column received a sudden cheek.
Without warning, just as its head
debouched from the long gloomy
lane into nn open space leading to
a sluggish stream crossed by a nar
row bridge, a heavy fire was opened
upon it both in front and on the
flanks. Men fell rapidly, but there
was no grappling with the enemy
in their beloved jungle. The bridge
must be carried and the cluster of
mud huts beyond it captured. The
major glanced about him. His senior
officer was down, shot in the leg,
anti the surgeon was alreadj getting
a tourniquet upon his femoral. The
next in command wns far in the
rear; but the lieutenant was close
at hand.
"Take a couple of dozen men nnd
clear the bridge," shouted the major.
The lieutenant looked at him and
looked at the bridge, a flimsy thing
of cane and creepers, swept by a
hot fire from the low mud wall, above
which cropped up the domed roofs
of the native huts. The brown river
drifted sullenly beneath it. The air
was full of death: men were becom
ing confused; it was no time to lin
ger. Mechanically the lieutenant sa
1 u ted; but he made no move, he is
sued no order.
Instead he crouched n little, and his
hnnds shook, while his yellow lips
went white.
"Do you hear me, lieutenant?"
roared his commanding officer.
"Take thnt bridge, and nt once, sir!"
Still the ping ping went on, min
gled now nnd then with dull, sicken
ing thuds nnd the cry of men in pain,
or the horrid gurgle which blood
makes in the throats of those who
die.
The lieutcnnnt looked behind him.
There was no way of escape.
"Lieutcnnnt , for the last time
I order you to tnke the bridge." The
major's voice was harsh yet trem
ulous with passion. His sword point
ed the wny.
"Men of the police, I myself will
lead you! Follow me!" he cried, and
with n wild cheer the men of the
leading company dashed at the hid
den enemy, swarmed neross the
bridge and took the village without
the loss of a single file; and all the
time the lieutenant lay and groveled
on the ground.
There was no D.S.O. for him; the
service knew him no more. Men said
ho was a coward, and spoke low, for
it was not n pleasant subject. They
whispered that he was nil right when
behind a stockade, but no earthly use
in a good-going tussle.
The paraslto of malnrla, the
stealthy Plasmodium, knew better.
It alone could tell what become of
the boy. No coward chooses to die
as the lieutcnnnt chose within a yenr
of the relieving of Fort Muti.
111.
Since early morn the thundering
roar of cannon hnd echoed from
kopje to kopje, mingling with the
shriek of flying shells and the heavy
rumble of field nrtlllery and am
munition wagons. The naval brigade
had shelled the Doer position and
been shelled in its turn. The deep
Tugela, where of yore the river-horse
had gamboled in ungainly play, on
whose banks vast herds of antelope
had roamed, in whose rnpltl waters
the lion had oft times quenched his
thirst, now swept ns a dividing-line
between the Invader and the advanc
ing force.
The low hills were full of armed
Doers, the intersecting valleys pa
trolled by their horse, every point
of vantage crowned by their heavy
Krupps and far-reaching Crcusots.
Thousands-of Mauser riflemen lay
biding their time rude, rough dwell
ers on the veldt, but stubborn foes
and deadly marksmen. With keen
eyes they wntched the preparations
for the llritish infantry nttack, and
marveled nt the courageous folly of
the hated "rooineks."
'To the south of the river the brown
battalions were mustoring, every
man keen to get to close quarters
with an enemy which loved cover as
the prowling beast of prey loves the
shade of rock and bush nnd scrub.
Dugles and cavalry trumpets sound
ed loud and mellow, company after
compnny stood to nrms, troop nfter
troop clattered joyfully to their ap
pointed posts; while the eager artil
lerymen, brave to rashness, whirled,
bounding and bumping, to the front,
their teams straining at the harness,
the white dust whirling from beneath
the wheels of the guii-curiages.
i moiiuicti oincer spurred quicKiy
to where the imperial scouts were
drawn up in a long double line, two
lines of steel and khaki upon two
other lines of restless horses which
smelt the battle from afar. He was
met by their commander; a few brief
words passed between them, and the
cavalry were nt once put in motion
and trotted townrds the river's brink.
Halting where they escaped the
fire, they learned that a chance had
been vouchsafed to them. The ford
had to be tested, for the gallant
Irish brigade had been ordered to
cross the Tugela and storm the
kopjes. There wns a call for vol
unteers; but every man was willing.
A half-dozen, envied by their com
rades, received the order, and
amongst them was a young trooper
who had found it hard to pass the
doctors, nnd yet had managed to en
list, for men were wanted who could
ride well and shoot straight, nnd he
hnd given ample evidence thnt he pos
sessed both accomplishments. His
sallow fnce was lined and weary;
trouble was marked upon his brow;
he was old for his years; but in his
eyes was a fiery glitter and his tcetli
were set. This time he would not
fail his country.
"Von are to search the ford, cross
if possible, nnd return and report,"
was the command, with an addition
al: "Good luck to you, my lads,"
It had to be a dash, and u dash it
was. Into thelevcl raced the troop,
and a hail of bullets came swishing
past their ears, furrowed the earth
about them, scattering the dust
which rose like water-jets on n pond
when a thundcrshower pits its sur
face. Thud! crash! One wns down; but
on they galloped. It was a marvel
they were not swept away by such
a storm of lead. Another horse
plunged and shrieked in agony; an
other man pitched backwards and
trailed one foot in stirrup upon the
ground.
It could not be done; every man
of them was wounded, and every
horse but one. Its rider, u mere boy,
shot In the houlder, with n useless
left nrm, care red forward alone. He
reached the water witli reddened
spurs ho forced his maddened steed
Into the stream. On and on they
pressed; the river swirled nbout
them. It wns the ford, but now
could senree be so called, for the wily
foe had dammed back the waters,
which rose to the horse's withers nntl
threatened to sweep the hoofs from un
der him. The drift deepened there
was a desperate struggle; then It
shoaled.
Those who wntched shouted nloutl In
admiration. Although they knew he
could not hear, they now cried upon
the venturesome trooper to return.
He lint! crossed the first man to cross
and the brigade was to follow lilm,
to the death If need be; but It were
a pity if he should now fall.
"Heavens; lie must be nintll ex
claimed a stuft-ofiiccr, ns through his
binoculars ho saw the horseman force
his jaded beast to take the slope saw
him, alone and unprotected, face the
Impregnable position. "Come back,
you fool!" he cried; and suddenly the
horse came, and its rider with It.
Struck on the neck, the dripping
chnrgcr wheeled In fright nnd dashed
back upon its trail. Struck In a dozen
places, the trooper reeled, clutched at
Its mane, and then, us they lloundered
from ford to pool nntl from pool to deep
and rushing current, he lost his hold
and was swept away.
Swinging upon the bosom of the Tu
gelu, sweeping to join the buffalo and
the sea, wild-eyed and blood-stnlned,
drifted the shot-riddled corpse of
Trooper , whom none knew to be nn
ex-lieutenant. Chambers' Journnl.
NEVER SAW AN UMBRELLA.
How (lie Ii-InIi Pennant Proponed to
(Set the Strum;) Tlilnpr Out
of Mix Uut.
Old Mike nnd his wife lived In a little
cabin on the mountain, one of a type
which is happily every day becoming
more and more rare. The walls were
of mud and the iloor of the same use
ful material, with a gutter running
down the middle to divide the family
apartments front that of the domestic
animals. To this mansion came his
reverence one cold, snowy morning in
March to hold a station. His umbrella
was wet and dripping, so, being a care
ful man, he placed It, open, In the
space vacated by the animals, who
were grazing outside. After the usual
devotions, when the congregation had
dispersed, he went for a stroll, while
Moira prepared breukfast, for to en
tertain his reverence afterward Is the
crowning honor of n station. He had
not gone far when n heavy shower
obliged him to take shelter under a
tree and send a little gossoon running
back for his umbrella, says a London
paper.
"His reverence is afther sending me
to bring his ombrell," said the boy,
bursting into the cabin.
"The saints preserve us!" said Mike.
"Maybe It's the thing he left beyant
in the corner," and seizing the umbrella
he tried to pass through the door, but
the entrance was low and narrow and
the umbrella large and wide. Without
n "moment's hesitation lie caught up a
spado and began shoveling down the
wall at either side of the door.
"Man alive," said the priest, ap
pearing on the scene, "what arc ye
nt?" "Shure, It's lnnkln' way I am
for yer rherence's ombrell." said old
Mike; "divil a bit of it'll go through
at all, at all." "Ah, nonsense, man,"
said his reverence, laughing, and step
ping inside he took the umbrella out
of Moira's hand and closed it before
them.
Old Mike stnrcd nt it aghast. Then
he turned to his wife. "Glory be to
God, Moira," he said, "is there any
thingbeyant the power of the priest?"
WAS A LAZY BEGGAR.
The Slnuiiltir Opinion Itundcreil ! n
Mm n. v I'nrinci- mm to a I'oji-
ii I ii i- Author.
"Your remarks on Hall Calne's re
cent issue," writes u bank manager in
the Isle of Man to a London period
ical, "recall a conversation I once had
with two old friends of mine, a farmer
and his buxom wife, who live within
a few yards of Greeba castle, our great
Manx author's residence. Hall Cnine
had just taken up his abode in his new
house, and I started the conversation
by saying to the worthy farmer and
wife:
"'So you' have the great Hall Cnine
near you now?'
Farmer and Wife Aye, man.
Farmer's Wife And what tremen
jus style they are keeping. It's amaz
ing. Fnrmer And what's ho doing for a
livin', Mr. ?
Dank Mannger (greatly astonished)
What! don't you know he Is a popu
lar author?
Farmer And what's that?
Dank Manager Why, he writes suc
ceHsful books.
Farmer (with a fine show of con
tempt) The lazy beggar!
"1 need hardly say," concludes my
correspondent, "that I collapsed."
I.ovo and HiimIiicnn,
No man ever loved u woman while he
was busy.
PRINCE TAUN DEGRADED.
Itoport Snys Doiracnr I'.niprcnK Innund
Kdlot Depriving Hint of III Hulury
nnd Ordered Hint to lln Trlnd.
Wnslngton, Oct. 1. The depart
ment of stuto 1b informed by Consul
(lencrnl Goodnow nt Shanghai, that
Shcng, Chlneso director of railways
and telegraphs, has handed him n de
cree of the emperor nntl empress,
tinted nt Tnlgnan, September 25, blam
ing their ministers for encouraging
the boxers. The edict orders 'the deg
radation of four princes nntl deprives
Prince Tuun of his salary and official
servants. Ho Is to bo brought to trial
before the imperial clan court.
Atimrlrmm l'mpitrliiK to Wlthdrnw.
Tien Tsin, Sept. 28, via Shiinghnl,
Oct. 1. Orders from Washington di
recting the withdrawal of the bulk
of thu American troops wero received
this afternoon and preparations to
comply wero begun immediately.
Gen. Chnffee is here directing tho
movement, which will commence nt
the earliest possible moment. It la
understood thnt the plan contem
plates leaving a regiment of infantry,
a. squadron of cavalry and a battery
of artillery in Pekin to protect
American intercuts, and that tho re
mainder of the troops will proceed to
Manila.
lliimilntin Withdraw from l'nhln. """"I
Tckin, Sept. 25, via Taku, Sept. 28,
via Shanghai, Oct. 1. At the confer
ence of generals to-day the Russian
commander, Gen. Llnovltch, an
nounced the immediate withdrawal
from Pekin of thu bulk of tho Rus
sian troops and the legation. Ho will
leave on Thursday, September 27, nntl
the legutlon will follow on Saturday.
There will remain a mixed force o!
about 2,000 to represent Russia.
JOKE CAUSES TWO DEATHS.
IVnrl lloyd, n 1'rnttr Cllrl nt Notnrt, la m
Knvhitf Miinlnn nnd llnr T.ovor
Kllln HulnluVii tlriivr.
Seattle, Wash., Sept. .'10. Ah the re
sult of n practical Joke Pearl Hoyd,
u pretty girl of Nome, is now n raving
maniac and her lover, Paul Laird, lies
burled In u suicide's grnve. Pearl
was noted for her intrepidity nntl
declared that nothing could frighten
her. Laird determined to scare her
and, it is said, cut the hand from thu
body of u dead Esquimo, which he
found lying on the Tundu. He took
the hand nnd placed it in the girl's
bed. When the young lady' discov
ered it lato at night her reason lied.
With loud shrieks she sprang upon
the bed and tore the hand to pieces
with her teeth. Laird, who watched
the scene from outside the window,
fainted, and when he recovered put
a bullet through his brain.
llryim'n Nn -tli Diikotn Tour.
Crookston, Minn., Oct. 1. Mr.
llrynn explored tho valley of the lied
Diver of the North, traversing litis
rich agricultural section from Wall
peton to Grafton, and turning back
from Grafton to Grand Forks, then
started eastward nnd, reached this
place nt 7:15 o'clock Saturday night,
lie Hindu nine speeches again Satur
day, and several of them were again
more than tin hour in length.
IliMYiird Ncntoiieml to Dentil.
Frankfort, Ky Oct. 1. .lames D.
Howard was sentenced to be hangetl
December 7. Tho sentence was pro
nounced to him Saturday afternoon
at 3:30 o'clock by Judge Cantrill. It
was the end of thu case of tho com
monwealth vs. James D. Howard, ac
cused of killing, or conspiring to kill,
William Gocbel. Judge Cantrill over
ruled the motion for a new trial, bul
granted 00 days for an nppeal.
l'rlctr of Silver Advimeed.
Washington, Oct. 1. Owing to tho
advance in the price of silver Director
of theMint Roberts Saturday increased
thu price to bo paid by tho govern
ment for silver purchased from 55 to 57
cents a standard ounce. Tho govern
ment at present purchases only such
silver as is contained in gold deposits
from tho Klondike and other gold pro
ducing sections.
llourko Cmikran' Vol en Iinpnlrnd.
Chicago, Oct. 1. Dourko Cockrnn's
voice has failed him as the result of
the great strain of speaking in the
great nuditoriiim of tlto Coliseum
Saturday night to an audience of 15,
000 persons. In consequence it was
announced last night thnt his en
gagement for Monday night at Jack
sonville, 111., hud been cancelled.
t:miiil Htowu Vomloe Homo.
London, Oct. 1. A specinl dispatch
from Capo Town says that United
States Consul General Stowe, who
goes to tho United States shortly on
leave of absence, has expressed tho
opinion that peace will be proclaimed
on October 11, the anniversary of tho
commencement of hostilities in South
Africa.
I'orto Hlciuin Willi t 1'ren Kdiiciitliin.
Chicago, Sept. 30. President Har
per, of thu University of Chicago,- has
received u letter from M. G. Hum
baugh, commissioner of education in
Porto Klco, asking him If It would
be possible for n number of poor
young men and women to attend tho
I university without expense.
$1
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i '.in-Msua.-