TWO BITS.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 856, 21 February 1901, Page 3

TWO BITS.

" Halls! Yosts got a giant tier#." I laid to my blua Boated guide as 1 wandered through thelitllo military grareyurl ai Camp Downing, and (topped by » wy mound all' alone ia one corner. The old fellow tooohed m> cap in saints before the tall, white headaloae.and dropped a handful of amoke-bush blossoms aa the grave. " 'Taio't no man, a{f, it'a a horse; it'a old Two Bits." " But why is be buried here witb the soldiers?" I questioned. " Boned here, sir? Well, yon most be a stranger, sure. I thought everybody koew about old Two Bits, as' bis savin' Company A. " It was two years ago when them Apsohes that Eastern folks think so much of was raisin'tbe dovil. Tbey raided the ranchea below here, an' killed a lot of womeu an' children, an' tun oil all the stuck. Company A was sent after 'em, ao'they ambushed us at Dirty Creek—more'n twice as many of 'em as we thought was this side of Sao Carlos. We got into a lit tie clump of sciub oaks aiC held em off till sundowo; Him our captain see it Was all up with us if help didn't come from the poet, an' lie vailed fur a voluoteei to tide old Two Bus past theui devils, an' carry tlie word. . " Two lilts lisd been on the truck in his yftUDg days, au' held (he LielL fur longwinded tuouin'; many'a li)e lime I've «reu Cap clean up a hatful of Mexicuu dolluia facin' him ag'in the cowboys' poi icn. He was a big chestnut soirel with four white fret an' a white face, au' hiiu an' (Jap loved t-ai-h other like twin brothers. I've knowed Cup to go hungry lota of limoa scoutlu' ao'a old Two Bits could have his hard lack, an' he'd lu lil up Ilia head an' drink out ot a canteen like a reg'lar— you bet it wan mighty hard limes if that old horse didn't git hin ►hare. " Moio'n a dozen of the boys ollcr«d In go. but Cup picked out 'Curler' White, the lightest an' toughest man in the lot,to do tbe ridiu'. " While they was getttn' hitn rPit'ly Two Bit a just stood an' rubbe'l his uosn on Cap's arm. like he was ssyiu' Unit if wc diiln t hear the old troop bugles beforj mortiin' it wouldn't be his fault. ' " Then ' Curley ' grabbed his gun and swung into the cuddle, an we i>ll lu.lk twl an' yelled an' inndo a bleak like we was bound lo go thru the Injun lines on Ihe niuu itwuy from the potit. That give * Cudey ' a chanuo, an' lie took i(, you bet. Old Two IJHn shot up thnt valley like a streak, but tlieio was a trail of Apaches behind him. " Wo see ■ Cuiley ' diop the roins au' turn in bis Buttdlo an' go to shooting, an' the Injuns fell back a little. " The race was nip an' tui-k for a mile, an' once we see old Two Hits stagger like he was bit; but ho kept his feet au' passed out ot sight in the hills. Then the daik came dowu an' we waited. " No, ire wasn't Injuu bait thai time; ths bugles of tlm old 3rd was a rin«iu in (be valley by duylight, an' them Apaches got a Icssou they'll be a loug time forgettio*. " An* ' Curley ' an' Two Bits ? Well, ' Curley ' was shot clean lino, but he livod an' is wearln' shoulder strap* to day. An' Two Bits? l'ore old Two liits! llocuiried the word an' lie carried two big balls from an Apacbe rifle till be fell dead ul the colonel's door. " Tbe men be saved put him here, an' I don't reckon none o' them that's oleepio' longside grudges him his room."