Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-02-03

low voice; now he looked suddenly
up and said with deepest emphasis: II
would give my life to know that she
loves me still as l love her! She did
love me once! There no other woman
in the world for me-"
you must bear in mind that she's
a red-hot rebel" 1 Yentured to remark.
ION the contrary, she's more than
half inclined to our side" returned
Camllon eagerly. ''She told me almost
as much. In her heart she loves the
union best"
This unlikely assertion increased my
misgivings tenfold; but before l could
make up my mind what to say was
summoned to attend another victim of
our mysterious enemy on the opposite
bank. The man was MORALLY wound
ed; but before he died he was able to
state that he had seen his executioner
"a young fellow, with a dark blue
jacket or shirt, who parted aside the
bushes and looked across at him. the
smoking rife in his hand.
IF anyone with a good aim had been
with me-" added the poor chap. "we'd
had him spotted then, sure ~
They were his last words. But it was
not the first time the terrible sharp
shooter had been said to have shown
himself under similar circumstances:
but it set me to thinking again of Bel
toms scheme Of the night before.
At o'clock that afternoon, the Of
ticers and nOn-cOmmissioned officers
Of our company were summoned to
meet the colonel; [ was also present.
As | anticipated, it was Belton's scheme
that was the subject of discussion; the
long and short of it was as follows: A
volunteer was to be found to show HIM
| self on the bank and take the enemy's
fire. Bolton meanwhile was to conceal
himself close at hand, and as soon as
the young fellow in the straw hat"
peered ont of his ambush to see the
effect Of his shot, Bolton was to put
Minnie ball through his head. Tcere
were only three things that might in
terfere with the successful prosecution
Of this plan; the lack of a volunteer
prepared to meet slmost certain death;
the possible omission on the enemy's
part to reveal himself; and finally, the
chance that Bolton might, after all, miss
his aim. Nevertheless the colonel
gave his consent that the thing should
be tried, in default of any better sug-
gestion; and the following morning
was appointed for the experiment.
AT o'clock l saw Camlion leave his
tent and set off in the direction of our
left | had already noticed Bolton
heading the same way about quarter
of an hour previous; and, putting this
and that together, awaited the issue
in some suspense. But before Z o'clock
Camlion returned, passed me with a
strange look on his face and without
returning my greeting, and immedi-
ately re-entered his tent, where, as was
afterward inferred, he must have spent
a great part of the night in writing and
arranging some papers. What had
happened, as near as [ can Judge from
subsequent developments, was this:
He had started with the intention of
calling on Rosalind Capel at her house.
The way lay through a wood; but just
before emerging from it into the open
ground in front of the house, he saw a
man and woman standing beneath the
shade of some trees about fifty yards
away. The man was Bolton, the wOm-
an Rosalind. Bolton was apparently
speaking eagerly and excitediy, Rosa
lind occasionally replying briefly, and
moving her head as if in assent After
a minute or two Bolton ceased; she
extended her hand to him, which he
grasped in both his, and raised to his
lips. The next moment he had drawn
her to his breast and kissed her face
passionately and repeatedly, she not
resisting. When Camlion saw this a
hoarse cry broke from him, and he
strobe forward a step, with fire in his
heart. Then he stopped; cold and
torpid feeling came over him; he turn
ed about and sluggishly at first, then
more rapidly. made his way back to
the camp.
A little before noon next day Cam
lion, Bolton, and myself, and another
man, Hayden by name-a reckless,
daredevil fellow, who had volunteered
for the post Of danger on the occasion
moved silently and cautiously down
| toward the fatal spot on the rivers
| brink. The adventure was kept a
| strict secret, for since the night pre-
vious, there had been whispers of
treachery in the camp, and we knew
not where to look for the traitor among
us. TWAS, CT course, indispensable to
the success of our plan that the sharp
shooter should have no suspicion of
the being more than one person in the
neighborhood. Keeping heedfulIy be-
hind cover, we crawled along, and at
length lay hidden in the bushes a few
yards from the place. Then Camlion,
with Hayden in his charge, slipped a
little way down toward the left, until
they were concealed from our sight by
the intervening shrubbery. Bolton got
his rifle in readiness, and made my
preparations to do all that could be
done for Hayden, as soon as the
enemy's bullet had struck him. When
L last caught sight Of the poor fellow
there was a droop about the corners of
his mouth, and a yellow pallor in his
cheeks, which showed that he was not
insensible to the gravity Of the situa-
ton. But Camion had taken care to
bring flask of brandy along with him,
and quiet, steady cheerfulness of de
meanor that was, perhaps, better
cordial still
Left to ourselves, Bolton and | had
nothing to do but to wait; and we did
walt for what seemed to us many in
tolerable minutes. The river lapsed
smoothly and silently by; bird skim
med over the surface; breath of wind
rustled the leaves over our heads. |
began to fear lest the suspense should
make Belton's hand unsteady. Just
Ill