St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-08-05
4 Story Of til" Late Var.

And they hall fight ever ,g,in-t lis brother
/ DO | carry on this farm l. tnat a
Ialr question to ask Il man with "a cork
leo and Il bullet i'll the back which will
stay there till the worms gnaw it ou:
iiowesc cr, / do carry on this place, in
some sort OF way. You never saw i
ome-lc9gcd farmer before! Very likely
it takes my pension 10 make both end
meet. But | love the Ioncincss Of these
wild woods, only relieved occasionally
hy somc queer visitor like you, sir
Won't you come in, sir! Tie your horse
to the fence. He'sa sad looking animal,
and TO tell the truth, 50 are you, sir
Both of you have seen better days, per
haps. So have |. More, perhaps, than
my share OF the shadows that darken 50
many lives have fallen to my lot, but it
is sometime since they tell 50 thick and
fast that |, to use Il homcly phrase, flew
off the handle, and have never been what
they call "well-balanced' since.
NV hosts manner changed suddenly
as he uttered the last word ; the hall
comic look upon bis lace vanished, and
one OF intense pam took It's place; h,
seemed ublIvI"us oi my presence and OF
everything but the bitter memory upon
which he dwelt presently he began &c
speak, rs to himself, with intense earnest
ness and emphatic gesticularion. evident
iy telling .ls story just as 1t had become
familiar to his mind by constant dwell
my upon it.
lie started as though lie was shot
and 80 he was, poor little tellow-killcl
80 qucl that he had not time to bill hi:
brother good-bye. | thought when h,
fell over, his hat covering his face as he
fell, that lac was toolng.
''Gei up, Tommy" said. "Recol.
ect you are Il soldier on picket duty
and then saw spot OF blood, auC
,natched hi, hat away just in time t,
see the death quIvcr on his lips. Tn,
cursed bail had struck INN in the fore
head and left It's lcadcn mark upon til,
air >kin. Ii God had been pleased jus
then 10 have aimed a thousand thunder
bolts at me. and shivcrcd me to atoms,
would have thanked him, as | >hal
thank him now when he sends his mes
-enger. My poor l.ttle brother, whom
loved 50 much, wa, dead, | put hi:
blanket under hi bead, and spread m,
handkerchief over his face, and was iu>
trying to think what to do next, wher
another bali, aimed at me, struck til,
ground | turned like Lightning, AN,
SAW the ,mokc OF the dlscharge-saw i
Just curling away from the foliage OF al
elm tree, standing III the open field, no
Il hundred yards away, and | knew, tn,
moment | saw it., that the man cuul,
hardly escape me, for ] had learned It
shoot There was Il lI.tlc hiiIork som,
twenty yards i'll advance ot the bru-l
which was supposed to be our cover
Snatchiug up my rifle | reached it i'll
dozen bounds, but Just in time TO rcceiv
third discharge from the tree. Th
bali struck my left arm and made fic>I
wound in it. 1t was very unlucky;
made me feel less sure Cl vengeance
bothered me about loading, crouche
down 10 bind il up with lint as well as
could. 1t was not very bad. The ma
in the tree saw that | was wounded
He laughed derisively he was not
coward.
= No matter about binding it up,
said he, Il will send you a tinlsher in
minute" | could not see him he coul
4, not see much OF me L made no reply t
his remark, but leveled my rifle, uslrl
the summit OF the hiilock for rest, an
hoped that fate would give me speed
. chance to take his lie. | waited twenl
minutes, half an hour. Not soun
from the tree he was wary. l pullc
the trigger. A few leaves tiew-nothin
more Now was the time of my DANCE
How could | load without exposing M
self? 1t was difficult, but by takln
my time, by great care and great car
ton, had the ball rammed home ; whcl
c. in Gaping the rifle, my right arm al
peared for Il moment above the hillocl
and that moment received ball. Lucl
ily this 100 was flesh wound uniuci
lily my eyes had been fixed upon the Iii
pie OF my gun, and when l turned the
d on the tree the puff of smoke was f;
g above the spot where it issued, and
dared not risk another shot just then.
- bound up my second wound as well
| could bleeding SO much here mat
It me feel a little FAINT.
c. Hitherto the advantage had all beC
with my antagonist. But for somethil
:. inside that told me | should have his lii
| should have been discouraged. As
F. was l waited patiently another ha
n n, hour, cursing with some vehemence II
. stupidity OF our captain, who had be'
- tailor six weeks previous, in thrown
out detached sentinels SO far in advan
y OF the supports. But my opponent W
IT patient, too; he was more patient t.;
NJ L; he had reason, perhaps he knew
was bleeding in two places, at least
Weary at last, with so much waiting,
ID suddenly threw my foot up above +
HS hlllock, TO draw his fire. He fired al