BILL BRANDON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16744, 28 December 1914, Page 9

BILL BRANDON.

(By E. HOLSTEIN.) [Alt, Rights Reserved.] The men were seated around a blazing fire in camp. AH had been telling varns—all but Old Bob Martin. When asked for his tale, Bob smoked in silenco a while, and then, raising his hand and touching a scax above bis left eye, said slowly: "Well, lads, I'll toll ye about this." A few 'minutes' silence, and Old Bob sat looking into the blazing logs, then, rousing himself, ho began. " Well, boys, this gash was given me by my very best friend, nigh on fortyfive years ago. Maybe in —■ ■ churchyard ye have see'd a little marble cross set on a granite block, on which yo can read: "To the memory of Bill Brandon, whoso hand was as lead—but whose heart was of gold." Bill and me was mates ever since wo was boys. Well, when tho war broke out we were in the same regiment, and old Capt'in Jackson was our commander for the time. Now, Bill and me were never chaps as was always after the gals, and we made a vow to stay single all our lives. Then along comes Polly Marsden and knocks us all to pieces. She came to tea-at • tho-vicar's one night when Bill an' me was there. I was a shy ohap, while Bill seemed always at his ease. A big, handsome chap was Bill, stan'ing six foot three ill his socks. Bill an' Polly was talking to each other all the evening, and when she was going I up an' says, "I am goin' your way, miss, if you'd care for my company." Polly smiled and thanked, and wo went off together, loavin' Bill to como by himself.

When next we met, somehow Bill and mo didn't have much to say for ourselves, and we seemed to avoid each other. We went on like this for some time, and then one day 1 says to Bill,, "What's «p, Bill?" J

" Er—that girl as was at the vicar's the other night," says Bill. "Well, what about herP" says I. "I likes her." says he. " So does I, Bill." Ho was quiet a bit then, and then presently he says: "You know .where she lives, doesn't you, Bill?" " I does,!' I says. "Suppose you wouldn't care to tell a mate?" Then sudden like I notices he looks awful pale and worried, and I feels myself a beast, so I ups an' stretches out mv Innd, an' he grips it hard. *" Bill, says I. " we're been mates for long years, an' you've always been i square with me, Bill, an' I'll tell you all 1 knows. She's a newcomer, an lives about half a mile from the vicar s. I'll show ve the house any time you likes. Now, listen Bill." says I, again grippin' his hand tighter, "loure square, Bill, an' so am I. You spoke her first, so I'll stan' by for you. You court her. an' if sho accepts you, well, I wish vou luck, but if she don't, then I'll have my try, not as I'll have muoh chance after you. That's what I swears, Bill, an' I meins it—so help me!" At first Bill just wouldn't hear of ! it. an' said lots, an' I said lots more, till at last he comes round, and takes mv offer. So that's how wo left it. . "Often then I see'd them out together, an' I used to creep away round some rocks on tho sea. shore, an' sit an' think. Sometimes I wished I never was born, an' then again I'd hope she wouldn't have Bill after allSoon we heard as our regiment was to be sent to the front, ah' Bill spends as much time as possible with Polly. Then we were sitting round tho fire one night, a fearful storm was blowin' an' tho rain just pourin' down. Bill seemed upset and uneasy all the evening, and kept looking at me and started to say something, but stopped. At last he' got up an went out in tho storm. I didn t see him again till next morning, and bo looked awful miserable aaid tired. That tame day our regiment was ordered off to the front. Soon after this we were one day lined uo, and tho General came out and addressed us in a most friendly manner, and then called for volunteers for a stormin' party. Ho told us as it were a forlorn hope, and he would command uo man to go if ho didn't want to. Well, several of us volunteered, and Bill and me too. "When I come forward Bill put out his hand and pushed me back. "You stay there," says he. However, I didn't take no notice, but come forward' with the rest. The stormin' party was to be fourteen men only, and fifteen of us went forward. So one of us was ordered back. Bill pushed me back again, but I hung on to him, and wouldn't go. Well, # we all went off at last,, .an', climbing over some rocks in the evening, we was fired on by the enemy. We took cover at once, and blazed back at them. Then four of us was ordered to creep round to the rear of them, an' Bill an me and three other chaps sets off. Well, Bill was mad with me for goin', an' told me that I should stay behind " for Polly's sake." "What do you mean?" I asks him. j " She likes you best, Bob," he said, I sad like; "she to.d me so when 1 I asked her to marry mo." I didn't know quite what to think, but kept goin''on till wo gets close up behind the enemy. I was jus' creepin' up close to Bill when he shoots out : Ins fist and knocks me clean over. I got cut bad' on a rock, that's this scar, but Bill had just saved my life. Poor Bill! I never spoke to him again, for the bullet as what was meant for 1 me reached him instead, and killed him outright. There was just two of us left of the party when the relief come up an' saved us. Well, poor Bill's body was buried in ■ churchyard, an' when I was well enough again I sets off to see Polly. .Mighty pleased she was to see me, an' real sad about Bill. However, when I asks her to marry me sho says ■'Yes, but you must wait a year, becau.j I cannot leave father just yet." Well, I agreed after a bit, not as I thought her father was worthy any consideration, but it pleased Polly. Old Bob paused to re-light his pipe. j Then ho went on: "Ah! he were an old scoundrel, that Marsdeh were, and when Tom Blake come along with all his money, ho thought it would be a good tiling for Polly to marry him. Polly didn't like him, though, an' wouldn't have anything to do with him, an' then old Marsden got real mad and threatened all sorts o' things if Polly don't marry him. Ono night whou I wont up there Polly was sitting in a chair by the table, cryin', and old Marsden struttin' up an' down the room yellin' at her at tho top of his voice. Well, when I walks in he turns on me savage like, an' tells me never to como there again. Polly signed to me to go, so I just looks at old Marsden an turns my back an' walks out agaiu. Next day I gets a letter from Polly saying as she was going to run away. Tom Blake was goin' to marry her in three weeks else, an' she hated him. Well, I writes an' tells her to meet me at a clump of pines at seven next evenin', and wo would go an' get married at once. " I went an' told the vicar all about it, an' ho agrees to marry us. Well, we was married three days after, and just as we come out from signin' our names old Marsden and Tom Blake comes along." "Here, that's my Polly," old Marsden yells, makin' a grab at her. But I steps up to him, an' tells him we was married. My word! he were mad. "Married! mnrried!" he yelled. "To you 1" an' he threw up his arms an : rushed about like a madman.

The minister steps up to him an' talks quiet like, but old Marsden wera fair wild, an' told him to go to hell. Well, we walks on an' takes no more notice of him. Polly an' me had tea at the vicar's, an' then we went over* to my house, that was once mine an'. Bill's. Near morning I waked up sudden, with Polly scxeamin', " The house is oh lire!" It were, too, and blazin'' something awful. I tries to open tho window, but couldn't get it up, so I smashes it with a boot. The smoke an' heat were terrible, an' Polly fainted. So I picks her up an' wraps a blanket round her, an' makes my way out. Just as I was about to slip off the window-ledge, part of the roof an' wall fell and covered us both up. A heavy piece of timber knocked me senseless, an' when I como round I were in bed at the vicar's, aa' a doctor an' two nurses were at the side of the bed. It were some time 'fore I remembered what had happened, but when I did I asks for Polly. "Never you mind about Polly." says the doctor, quiet like. "Polly's all right. Just you go off to sleep and get well quick." Well, one way an' another, they put me off for nearly a week, hut at last they had to tell me. Hero old Bob paused, took out hi 9 handkerchief, and wiped his eyes, which had become misty. Then he went on in a broken, catchy voice: . "I 'spect it's silly of me, lads, but I do feel a bit knocked up when '1 thinks on it. My Polly was dead. The wall that fell an' almost buried us had crushed my wife, so that she only lived an hour after the neighbours got us out."

Anothsr long pause. "Bill's and Polly's gravefl is close by, an' there's jus' room for mine between when I goes." * Bob eat still for a long time looking into the fire. The boys/were silentAll felt the greatest sympathy for old Bob. He was always a cheerful and most unselfish comrade, characteristics which are so much appreciated in the bush.

After a time old Bob spoke again. " It was old Marsden's doin', settin* the house afire. He were quite mad for a time, and one day he was miss* in'. They found his body in the* rivef a week later, an' that were the end of him. Now, boys, it's rather late, so I'll torn in. I ain't so young as I were in those days."