Real and False.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8009, 21 December 1905, Page 4

Real and False.

M Oace oitt the ridge, we are safe/ 1 said Malet, as he and Peterson gtoo4 on the summit wailing for the lwt too af their part; «o #otne ap. While lie was speaking, ballets still sang hi the air &fove them, striking with sharp, crackling noises against the baked fcoil aird hard stones beneath them. Dust and rock iplinte/s and battered ricochets sprang up around then), while from the distant ridge came the report of the enemy's volley out of i faint, fleeting cloud of smoke. Two seconds of shock and suspense seemed an age; but at the end of it they looked iu> to the dip and saw the two stragglers grovelj ing-—one close to the ridge fifty yards to I their right; the other, two hundred yards straight below them. "Who's the sprinter, you or I?" asked Blalet^ alert and practical. "I fancy you are. Yon go for the fellow down there, while I scramble after this chap alongside—seme risk to both," he added, starting on his way, and flinging his cumbersome sword over tue ridge Into safety. M You've further to go; my ground's more difficult, and I'm on a level with tbeir rifles the whole way." Crashing over th« rocks, he met a quick conTitlsivt death erv he had travelled twenty yards. Peterson had assented, with what pride and ooorage had remained to him after the tfcock of the volley, to the fact that ha was the faster man. This appeal to his vanity had steadied his nerves better than brandy. Like brandy, the effects of the fillip were short lived. Malet was lighting for his last ofeath with three bullets in his lungs, before the other, with bended head and slinking gait, had covered a third of his distance. Then his spasmodic burst of courage spent itself. Beaching a boulder that jutted out on his course, he flung himself behind it. ttavyiiig bis fra ir his hands like the hunted ostrich, he qciv«red and sobbed, and prayed to God in his agony and shame. Like the haatri ostrich, he cared not, now that his face was bidden from the enemy, what part of his body was exposed. A bullet glancing off a neighbouring rock struck him in the ankle. He roared with pain and fainted away. Then the man whom Peterson bad souplit to rescue opened his eyes and saw the boulder ftboro him. Cruel was the pain in bis thigh as be moved, and far away seemed the boulder; but crawling doggedly, painfully, with many rests by the way,, he at length reached the haven. Falling alongside Peterson, he fainted again fvom loss ot blood. The men, who had reformed behind the ridge, had answered the enemy's fire. Seeing nothing left in the dip. save the two corpses near the ridge, an 4 not caring to face tlte bullets that poured upon thein, the Puthans had retired. The sergeant upon whom Millet's command had devolved Rent a picket bark to hold lite opposite heights, and & party to find Malet, Petenwn, and the two straggler*. They fonnd what remained of Malet and onf 1 of the stroller* neat: the ridge. After a search they upon Peterson nursing his ankle behind the bouider and binding up the • tht-r straggler's thigh with one of hi* juitlies. carried the two dead and thi_ two wo:tndti! hack to camp. Ar the bw at No*.<h»ra, 'lo.-'ors .md mining sister? fought ti:vii" bitirr light Ariti: dttilh, sometinu'i* winning, .sometimes 1 The X ray searched out the hidden 'mIIkI : the water »<•'! the jolting lo<r.lvl*nl sore; morphia bto.ight sleep to ,trtd •■ye.-' Owl woubl not close. M»-.f;.-ine' playt-l its part equally with ,jhu''-rv and n:»V:ng ; for to fun, md m'iii. and e>id, and i'-iij dvpftiidencfl ipon dmib:[nl f*\«l ;ta.l iiior-' Joub'.iul •»r:ngci»rtoin-har\ , *t*pf .malaria, dysentery, • ;:«i itplicid. Disuse and u>e Afritli bullet hand in bAOd.

No jrtive mpre Mixieij than ittai of IVterson. fii.Tght down from tie frunt with a shattered tinkle, his had •-tn looked upon as a simpU- <*nse ; but he .iad not been in hospital a treck before be Hiteric fever. Tin medical men give it as a maxim that >»xrept in liie case of certain comnuenJions, tuwric is a matter of nursing. Poteison'B ■A** iufJittl them. The doctor, the nurse, ad the orderly on duty stood outride the -rani on*. morning, discussing the jaiien; r.iuiiu "It i> an .ib-o!uM? typical case." said hcdor'.or. "To*- wound in his ankle is a iere hU cmslituiion is splendid, •ut he rn no lor life." "Tjmw is sorm ihidg nti i:i's mind." s'lid he '* 11*2 s f rto t'-li it. and y»fc mji'i, I -vi! <rit'-i h'vw vn.ir hours hi:* night •..id he Jilted wild!\. ti::ios delirious, •tM-JiTj- vi 0- r.-:rdor o{ delirium ; but i:.i:i i.t..d'!c u-iih him. •No one ••-vs: »]; it's {he wo:.-; of i!.' lie kept v! i. ■/. T ;, "n. ni:! !, I h.r»>f»d he \V;t.- £«t----r. is- vx'l out, ' a^lOr, • .to-, i in n.i t'f'd ;ts M.ilflt, because |*i i i-o:. i •3; iie! ;t m: shouted, • p., , r ■ - -I. ;i t":t ! l\;i th.-m I'm a at ! ii.Mr ili'js t-H yon suiythiug else, • [ or-'V p:m !v t:>ot Iit»1 ! M com- • ;t'.d i!h dit-Un. " Cheer him tip and :i. • i-< m" hss mind at re:A. \\ hat state is -• ;n now ? " "II- i- <ju:et, and rroogmged. mcafew ■■ u ' !ir fir, 1 ' rhi'jifd in !ho " hot have you seen this? do iu cheer Mr. Peterson ."* il. !.-"d out 5 two days'old "Pioneer" • " c-i'stimtd the doctor as he . ( .■ ;:.-tr:iur;iph. '*l']! read it to him i i i. lot ionic lie wants." j a\z owi the palient, the doctor ! ~j...,i; "J.Umi to thi«, it's news for i »; i; i.l do you good," aud holding thu ?«.iSte hint he read : "We arc authorised to state that LieuPcftrson, of the Ist BanLshire 11 has been recommended for ?:.< DistingiiUhed Service Order for his /aiUntnr in rescuing Private Watson, of thai r» uiment, in the Sara Valley on the 1.-sl infant." Thru the doctor stood back aghast; fcr; ■ U patient, who. a moment since, bad been fining intelligently to what was read to >.ii, now lay motionless wich the pallor of ;tt : ! liira. As he died, bis face los% look of and shame that it had worn i>' iiiv dny«. and \m spirit fled joyfully ihe torment of an undeserved reward.

•• I uiu't no wined hero! " liit* \i-itor nt the hospital gave ft little Site had just left tbe cot of a wan ;i :< «{ child r.-itli the transparent temples ml .v.-lc lilce eyes of the expectant angel. After ,ach a tender vision it was something of a tomeot a pair of bloodshot, lashlesi, browtas orhs glaring defiant); from i s:.a'i«e}j contorted face. "Wniitis the matter with that man?" the visitor asked. '■ Homed—mine accident/' the attendant aniwe«*ed. "Not moch ekin on his back, ihry say." •'Wonder why he Bays he isn't a hero 7 Why should he be a hero ? " Sbaft No. 1 of the Columbia Coal Company wm a gaseous mine. John D&vies, miner, firing * blast in the face of the west gangway. saw the gas blowers ignite and a flume dart back several feet into the paisage. That was one of the things likely to happen when a shot wu fired in that part of the works, * A water pipe and a hoi* were read}

for Just such an srcergency. When D/iv;»s attempted to turn on the water the huso ' burst. In the delay of sccurinjr a second length, brattices nnd timbers caught from the lli'.mrng g;\R, and tho lire made fierce headway. The mine bos? was summoned, ar.u pi.-? succeeded gang in the desperate fight against the advancing tlamns. Scorched, choking, f-shanstrd, tlie mint boßs and his men were forced at last to turn and run for safety. «' God help the men in the Enst Slope / r; gobbed the boss as lie Hod. Torry Murphy, running with the rest, stopped as though lassoed. The men in tiie Bast Slope! While he thought of the death trap Torry Murphy was drenching his clothing and his hair with water from the hone. "Torry, lad, you've got to do itl" the men heard him yell. One strong gasp filled his lungs, then with u bound he plunged into the bl.iz'nrfurnace. Like ft stone fiiun a volcano he dashed out into the East Slope. Scorch w 1 blinded suffocated, he clutched and c!r.tve« at the air, heaving his broad chest and gasp ing like a dying fish on the sand. The charred remnants of his clothes fell from his back, and the coolness and darkness of the slope were a 6 a taste of paradise. But mine doors and brattices bad been carried away by the force of the explosions and the air about him was already heavy with emoke. An explosion*far behind, driving the air down tho slope, lifted him from his feet and rolled him over and over along the passage. " Sure, I'm glad the wind'B with me ! " muttered the miner as he picked himself up. Torry Murphy was the swirtest runner in the coal regions. He had need to be swift. There was nearly a mile of winding underground passage to be traversed, and he raced with death. The air currents and the miner's iostinct guided him in the blackness until he caught the glimmer of the lanterns. ° Bun, run—for your lives 1" he shouted as he dashed past the mouth of each breast. Men who daily took their chances with death needed no second warning. They threw down their picks and rushed to the slope. Escape by the usupl travelling way was impossible. Torry remembered a shaft recently sunk to secure better ventilation. Towards that he Jed the way, through a maze of passages, and the miners followed the ghostlv white figure without question. The shaft had not been completed, but there was a ladder for the use of the laborers. At the foot of this stood Torry Murphy, steadying the ladder, ordering, directing, while the others climbed silently apward to safety. Meanwhile the steam rose from the young man's body as from a racehorse at tho end of a heat. Dennis Martin, waiting beside Torry for his turn to mount, bubbled for gladness. "It's Missus Dennis Martin 'll be afther savin 1 the koind word to yez, me bhoy! Sure, me ould woman 'll be thankful her man—what's mesilf—is out aloive ! " Torry laughed joyously. "Sure, and it's mesilf that's hopin' there's somebody'll be thankful Tnrrv Murphy's out aloive." Afterwards Dennis told his wife how Torry said that, and Mrs. Martin told Mrs. Flaherty, and Mrs. F aherty told fold Mrs. Deinpsey, and Mrs. Dtmpsey told the mine boss's daughter. Maggie, and Miiggie turned as red as the roses on her Sunday hat and told no one but Torry. When Tony Murphy crawled up the ladder—naked as God made him, scorched and • blackened—the stupor stricken miners awoke from their trance, and cheered and laughed, and cried as though it had lieen Sfc. Patrick's Day with a green ling in sight. Torry, too, tried to cheer, but something dark came before his eyes as he dropped £6Dtlv forward on bis face.