RECREA TION. 



9* 



three. Her heart at least grew lighter. 

 She even smiled in the darkness ; for 

 she had decided to write a word to 

 Jack that day — one little word — 

 " Come." He would obey, she knew, 

 and, O, for peace in his arms one more ! 

 Ah, Helen, many a girl has waited 

 too long. You little dream as you lie 

 there by sweet Ethel how near to your 

 heart gaunt sorrow stands. 



There is a clatter of hoofs on the 

 roadway ! She starts and listens, and 

 her heart stops beating. She feels a 

 premonition of trouble. There is a fol- 

 lowing of hurried footsteps. The quiet 

 of the garrison is broken by the sound 

 of many voices. Her father is called 

 and Helen and Ethel spring up. They 

 know too well, those army girls, what it 

 all means. Their hearts are too full 

 for words ; but calmly and resolutely 

 they get ready Captain Raymond's 

 scouting equipments. How little the 

 world knows of the bravery of these 

 American women, whose fathers, hus- 

 bands and lovers guard our far frontier! 



Helen looked into her father's eyes 

 as he took her in his arms just before 

 daylight. They had orders to move 

 at the first streak of dawn. Her trem- 

 bling lips uttered no sound, but the ques- 

 tion lay revealed in her eyes, and the 

 father, whose heart was so closely akin 

 to her own, answered softly, ''The 

 whole command is going, Helen." He 

 saw the quiver pass over her, he held her 

 firm against his heart as she whispered, 

 "Tell him I love him, papa." 



Blinded with tears, Captain Raymond 

 bade her and little Ethel good bye as 

 the bugle sounded clear and sharp on the 

 still morning air. A moment more and 

 his spurs rattled on the porch. He 

 spoke to his horse and the striker 

 handed him the reins. It was too dark 

 to see, but Helen and Ethel knew he 

 glanced up to the lighted window and 

 saw them ; and a prayer went up from 

 two motherless hearts as the brave man 

 rode away to duty. Helen listened on 

 the porch for at least a sound of another 

 voice so dear, but it came not. 



At dawn the little band marched 

 away after the Indians that were doing 

 such bloody work down in the San 

 Simeon valley. Many a tear-stained 

 face gazed out in the dim light watch- 

 ing the loved ones off. "Will he ever 

 come back? " many a heart asked itself, 



never answering the dread question, 

 yet fearing the reply that might come 

 when the scout was over. 



Ere the command turned out of sight 

 by the hospital, Helen saw the loved 

 form sitting erect on "' Dash " and, by 

 a strange impulse, he turned, too, and 

 raised his gray scouting hat. It seemed 

 to her that her heart would burst for 

 joy as she waved her handkerchief in 

 return, and then he was gone. 



Up the long dusty road, marked out 

 by the line of telegraph poles, went the 

 column, and affectionately it was 

 watched all morning, with field glasses, 

 by the women at post. Helen went 

 about her duties almost gladly — they 

 would come home safe and soon, and 

 then ? Ah, then ! 



Several long, dreary days passed and 

 no word came. At last, however, 

 almost at dusk, a dusty, travel-stained 

 courier rode up to the infantry officer 

 in command, who happened to be on 

 Raymond's porch with several ladies. 

 The rider dismounted and saluted as he 

 handed his packet to Captain Mason. 

 All knew it was from the command and 

 they watched Mason's face as it paled 

 over the dispatch in his hand. He 

 sprang to his feet : " My God," he 

 exclaimed, " they've caught the red- 

 skins, but they've lost one of the 

 bravest men in the army ! " To each 

 woman there, this meant the man 



HE TURNED AND RAISED HIS GREY SCOUT 

 ING HAT." 



