The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-04-16
FOUR DREAMS.
\ Very Curious story.

The evening shades were falling over
n deserted battlefield: the victory was
won, and four soldiers campcd in lone
ly corner were enjoying a tardy meal.
Seated on the grass in front of roar
ing fire, before which few slices of
lamb were cooking, the red light east n
strange shadow around, and the pale
flicker revealed many sleeping their last
sleep. The soldiers were laughing bOis-
terously, scarce noticing the glazed eyes
fixed on them. The days work had been
severe, and the living were resting, not
knowing what the morrow might bring.
Dealt and night were spreading their
wing over the blood-stained earth where
terror and silence were standing side by
side
Their feast ended, Gneuss began to
sing; lis deep voice sounded hoarse rs it
fell on the desolate and mournful air
the song so Joyous on his lips echoed but
a. sob; astonished mt the strange accents,
he b. an singing with redoubled ardor,
when n piercing cry, issuing from the
shadows, disturbed the little group.
Gnenss was silent, and with troubled
expression said to Elberg:
$50 see which corpse is awakening"
Elhrrg went armed with n sword and
lighted torch. His companions could
Just p receive the outline of his form rs
he bent over the dead, but he soon dis
appeared.
"ClcTian, said Gneuss, after II short
silence. "thc wolves are about tonight,
go look Tor our friend"
And Clelian went, and was in turn
soon lost in the darkness. Gneuss and
Elem, tired of waiting for the return of
the wanderers, rolled themselves in their
cloakS and lay down by the smoldering
embers- Their eyes were just closing,
when the same dreadful cry rent the air.
Elem rose, walked silently to the spot
from whence issued the sound and was
soon lost III the gloom.
'Gneuss sprung to his feet, terri
and ut the sight of the black
gulf where the agonized gurgle
fire. He threw few dried leaves on to
the burning logs, hoping that the bright
ness would dissipate his ferris. The
fame rose, shedding It's light in ghast-
ly red circle on the ground; i'll this circle
The shrubs looked unreal, and the dead
seemed reused by invisible hands
Gneuss' terror increased; he shook the
flames. As the thick shadows fell
around him once more he shuddered,
fearing TO be again overtaken by the
death shout He could not rest. He
sat down, then rose again to call his
companions, but the sound of his own
voice made him shrink and fear that it
had attracted the attention of the sur
rounding corpses.
Suddenly the moon appeared, and
Gneuss trembled to see it shedding its
pale beams over the battlefield. Night
no more concealed its horrors. The
plain, strewn with dead and diving,
seemed TO extend under the shroud of
white light, and this light seemed to
give an unearthly touch to the scene.
Gneuss, now thoroughly reused, won
dered whether he could ascend the
mountain and extinguish the pale night
torch. In his excitement he thought
the dead must rise and speak to him now
that they could see him so plainly.
Their perfect calm was terrible, and, ex-
pecting every moment to be overtaken
by some dreadful catastrophe, he closed
his eyes. But rs he was standing there
n strange heat touched his left heel. He
stopped, and saw thin rivulet of blood
flowing past his feet, leaping over the
stones and causing n gay murmur. 1t
came out of the shade, meandered i'm the
light Of the pale moonbeams, then fled
and returned to the darkness like n
snake in its tortuous windings Gncuss