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Show H I The Reparation H ( i I of a Soldier yt I Bf At tho tlmo when tho United States HjflJ , and tho Mexican governments made HBl r B that temporary treaty which nllowed H I tho troops of cither to Invatlo tho tor BBl rltory of tho other when in pursuit BBS ot hostlto Indians fleeing across tho HBl i border, James Tracy was a second BBg lleutonant In tho Nlnotcjrth cavalry. BBS It was during tho height of the Geio- HHe i I nlmo trouble, and Tracy, wltli li Is BBg I troops, dismounted, and after n soul BBg , and body wearying march on tno trail BBY i of ttio wily Apncho, found himself In BBS the heart of one of tho dreariest, most BBY Cod-forsnkon mountain countries in BHJ the wbolo range of tho southern conn- M try. BBS Tho troop was exhausted and pmc- BBS ticnlly without wntor, the men linvlng BBS' J not a drop to tlrlnlc snvo what was in BHJ 1 their canteens. They liad cut loose BHJ j from a river In tlio early mornitiR, ex- BBJ I pcctir.g to find another when tho tiny BBJ ' was dor.o, but not us much ns n rivu- J let had they found. There was no cof- BHJ fee that night nnd tliere wasn't a light BHJ heart In tho outfit. BHJ' Tracy was unhappy. It wasn't BHJ ' wholly his sufrerlng condition nnd BHJ that of tils men which weighed on BBJ j him. Just before leaving tho Arizona BBJ post ho had received news that his BBJ 1 younger brother, John, had been com- BBJ k tnittcd to state's prison In a fur north- BBJ eastern state. Tho officer had seen BBJ his homo only once since his grndua- BBJ tlon. Ho had stayed nway purposoty. BBJ His brother had been n trusted hank BBJ employe Then en mo suspicion, then BBJ conviction nnd a sentence. John BBJ Tracy piotcsted his Innocence of tho BBJ crime charged against him, nnd his B family, knowing tho lad, believed him. BBJ but tho circumstantial evidence was BBJ overwhelming, nnd In splto of tho BBJ offorts of tho nged father, who spent BBJ his tlmo nnd his money in tho lad's BBJ defense, ho wont to prison. BBJ' Iteforo tho troops had left Tort BBJ Banks with its noso to tho hot red BBJ trail of Ooionlmo thcro had joined as BBJ an enlisted mnn n strapping young BBJ follow who sold that ho camo from BBJ St. I.onls. Ills namo was Barlow, BBJ ind ho was assigned to the troop of BBJ' which Tracy was tho Junior officer, BBJ tnd ho went with it on Its chase across BBS tho border after tho Apache chieftain. BBS Barlow on every occasion possible BBS attached himself to Traccy's person. BBJ Whenever thcro was a scouting pafty I detached from tho main body nnd put ' under tho second lieutenant's corn-BBS corn-BBS t ' mnnd Harlow naked that he might tie BBJ assigned to It to share In tho scout-BBJ scout-BBJ Ing duty. Ho wns n reserved follow, BBJ ' nnd apparently of superior education. BBJ Thero wcro no camp jokes for him. BBJ'' He was grave nnd taciturn to a degree. BBJ Tracy had noticed tho evident attach BBJ ment of tho mnn to him, nnd ns ho BBJ was a capahlo soldier nnd willing to BBJ dare and do anything ho wns glad BBJ . to havo him n part of his outfit when M on detached nnd dangerous service. BBJ On tho morning following tho night BBJ ' that the troops wcro practically with-BBJ, with-BBJ, i out water nnd In n county ns devoid BB1' i of green things, save the forbidding i cactus, as Is tho Staked Plain of Texas, tho troop commander told Tracy that he had better mako a short i reconnolssanco, feel out the country for tho ouomy and ahovo all try to lo- m cato water. To attempt n march tin- Idct that hot Mexican sun with the men, nnd with an idea of cffcctlvo service, wns foolhardy, Thoy must first stiiko water. . Tracy told his cnptal.i thnt ho would B take but one man with him; that they B would stiiko southwest, where It was BBJ , thought a better prospoet of water BBS lay, nnd that they would return as B soon oi a find was uinde. Ho selected BBS Harlow for his companion, nnd tho BBJ ' two struck out through tho black, sun- BBS' soared country. B Thoy went on for three hours. Not BBJ & drop of the element of which thoy B wero In search. Their tongues woro H bllstorcd. Thoy drank sparingly of BBJ the water In their canteens, prcsiod BBS on for another hour and Ihon know BBJ that they must return. B Hack thoy started. They followed BBS their own onward trail as well as they BBS' could, hut at times it was lost, and BHJL then circling wns nocossnry to take BBBi It up again. At noon thoy lost It, nnd BHE could not find It again. Thero was u BBM great jagged rock rising to tho west-BBS west-BBS ' ward which neither recognized. BBS "Lieutenant," said Harlow, "wo'ro H going wrong. Wo never camo this BBS way. Tho sun doesn't sit right. It BBS J ahould bear moro to our right. I he-BBS he-BBS ' llevo that wo nro going almost direct-BBS, direct-BBS, ly at right angles to tho camp." BBS They circled again and ngain, but no B traco of tho trnil. Then tho conclu-BBS conclu-BBS slon forced Itself on Tracy that they BBS cro lost. Thoy wandered on until BHJ tho sun went down beyond tho black BBS rocks. Then thoy each drank bparlng-BBS bparlng-BBS ly of tho precious contents of tho B contcens, and lay down on tho gray BBS ( desert to sleep. BBS ,i Tho sun camo up llko a red-hot BBS' round tUrt. Tracy nnd Harlow ate BBS Ao last ot their Mnplo ration, and took BBBk one swallow of water aploro. Then BBS on thoy wont again. Twenty-four hours bT3 'BVflBVMt BBVflVBEPwfllBBMce- '"' - passed. Tho sun came up onro more, nnd with its coming thoy staegerod forward. Tl e canteens wero emp ty. They looked for tho cactus whose leaf yields n Julco thnt helps fight off tho demon of thirst. They could not find It. Tho only vegetation wcro occasional oc-casional clumps of stunted prickly pear cactus, tho Julco of whoso leaves accentuates thirst. Another twenty-four hours. Tho men cheered each other on llko the soldiers thoy wero. Tracy began to feel tno coming of delirium. Oh, for n draught of waterl Ho looked at Harlow, Tho man's eyes woro burning, burn-ing, but they had n courago In them, and something else In their depths which Tracy never before had seen thero. On and on nnd on. They could go no farther. Suddenly Harlow turned turn-ed to Tracy and said In n voico that was choked from tho clutching of thirst's hand nt his throat. "I.leutcn-nnt, "I.leutcn-nnt, I was afraid that wo might bo tempted to drink tills long ago, so I sin oil It for tho last oxtromlt). l.lcu tonnnt, I havo one good drink of water nfleco left in my canteen. " Hailow shook tho canteen, and Tracy heard tho splash of tho water within. "Drink, Harlow," said Tracy, "drink. You saved It, and It should bo jours. Drink, diink It. I say. It may glvo you Btieigth to go on. If you get back, boy, and tho men strlko water, ask tlioni to como after my body." Tracy was reeling. Ills brain was awhlrl and his wholo system on fire. "Lieutenant," said Harlow, "I had moro In my canteen than you had In jours when wo started. Slcn In nn extremity llko this should sharo and slinro alike. 1 II tako my cup nnd wo'll dhldo tho water." "Is thoro enough for tho two and to do any good?" asked Tracy. "Yes," said Hailow, "ono good drink for each." "Dilnk first," said Tracy. "I'll not touch n drop till my command Is served." "All right, sir," said Barlow. Tracy turned nway for a moment. Ho heard tho gurglo of water. Would It never como his turn to drink? Harlow Har-low spoke. "Lieutenant, I'm nfraid 1 took moro than half. Hero Is what's left." Ho poured tho water gurgling from tho canteen Into tho cup. "Tnko It, lloutonnnt," said Larlow, "I had more than that." Tracy seized the cup and drained It. Oh, tho Joy of It. Now lifo went surg ing through him. His eyes cleared. Ho looked at Harlow. Thoro was no new life in tho man's eyes. Ills lip w-as drooping. "Harlow," bald Tracy almost fiercely, fierce-ly, "you deceived me. You never drank a diop." Something llko a smllo camo Into Harlow's faco. "1'orglvo mo, lieutenant," ho sold, "hut thero was only enough for one," and then bo staggered and fell forward. for-ward. Tracy caught him In his arms, and, weak though ho wns, managed to support the burden. "Lieutenant," whispered Barlow, "go on. You are strong enough and may reach tho camp. If jou do just come back mid bury me here." Then tho man drow his officer's head closo to him nnd whispered something. Tracy almost let fall his burden. "Yes, It's true. I was the guilty ono and your brother wns Innocent Inno-cent nnd a sacrlllco Tako this," and he drew n papor from his blouso nnd put It In Tracy's hand. "Forglvo mo, lieutenant," ho said, and ns ho spoke ills empty canteen swung from his sldo and struck ngninst Tracy's knee. 'Torglvo you? Yes, Barlow," ho said. Tho enlisted man looked up, smiled nnd then thcro was but ono living soul In tho desert. Trncy let his burden gently to tho earth, and then ho pressed on, for now thcro was an ndded life In his veins and nn added Interest In living. Ho reached the top of tho rldgo and looked look-ed down. Tho camp wns below him. Not tho old camp, but tho old troop and n now camp and by tho bank of a stream. Ilofroshod with food, sleep nnd the jet moro precious water, Trncy recovered. recov-ered. Tho paper which Harlow had given him contained proof of his brother's Innotonio. Tracy lod n squad back to the point whoro ho had lett Harlow. They found his body. There was peace In (he man'B faco. Ho was given n soldier's burial, ,ns on the littlo wlldornes3 grnvo I.leu-terant I.leu-terant Tracy planted n cross and a little, fluttering flag. Edward C. Clark In ltecord-Herald. |