In Barracks and Wigwam — page 178: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

168 ——s An Errand of Mercy. was little chance of his living through the night. Hies- ter, the other wounded trooper, had taken a turn for the worse, and was no longer able to share in the defense. The ball was imbedded in his thigh, and the wound was badly inflamed. His comrades had carried him to the rear of the parapet, and he lay on the hard bed of rock, tossing from side to side, and babbling to himself in the delirium of fever.. Linn frequently crept back to the suffering men, in hopes of being able to do something for.them. He had bandaged the wounds as well as he could, and had tied up Pomfret’s arm. ‘The latter made light of his hurt, though it was giving him not a little pain. | “Don’t you worry about me, corporal,’ he said. “I’m all right. Luckily it’s my left arm, and though I can't easily handle a carbine, | can manage a revolver well enough with my right hand.” “I hope there won't be any more fighting,” Linn re- plied. “The Sioux know that they can’t catch us nap- ping, and it’s only a question of holding out until relief comes.” 3 “About what time is it, corporal?” asked Dawnay. “Have you any idea?”’ “It must be close to nine o'clock,” said Linn, “and that’s what puzzles me. Surely by this time bs “Hist! listen to that,” interrupted Reily. | As he spoke the hoot of an owl rang from some dis- tance up the gorge, and it was quickly followed by the weird bark of a coyote, down by the mouth of the val- - ley. The sounds were repeated several times. “What do you make out of that, men?” Linn ques- tioned. “You know I’m not well booked on frontier woodcraft. Is it a real owl hooting and a genuine coyote barking? It sounds so to me.” | _ “That’s a hard question to answer, sir,” replied Daw- i 7 ape.