The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-17
On Picket.

| Plchel. D'CWcen the reserve and the
camp, where 10000 men arc slumbering,
Is half d mile of woods; fields and broken
ground. Between the reserve and the enc
my is a thin line Of pickct-a man stationed
here and there to give advance warning of
any movement.
Follow the relief and you will notice how
cautiously the men tread. The dark line
winds around through the trees, fits across
open space, and halts here and there for a
moment TO relieve the old picket. Musket
shot away arc the pickcts of the enemy,
and loud word may bring a volley OF
bullets. The line might pass you twenty
fcet away and you would hardly catch a
sound.
Sit you here On this bank where you can
LOOK down upon the pickct-aYc, almost
touch him. A little creek runs between
you. There is an open space of thirty
feet, and all around it are trees, stumps,
logs and brush. 1t would be a lonely
place III Which TO pass two long hours even
in times of peace. There is warning IN
the midnight breeze Us it rustles the
branches, and the waters of the creek have
more than once been colorcd with blood.
| The lone picket takes his station under
tree. In the dark shadow you can hardly
make him out. AS he finds himself alone
his eyes arc constantly searching the dark
ness Ill front, and his ears catch cycry
sound. They tell of men found asleep on
picket. IL must be u strange man who
could close his eyes in sleep with the night
wind whispering IN his ears "Bcwarc
beware In the bushes to the left is foe! !"
and the waters of the creek are plainly
saying, " Keep watch to the right right
right right !"
l n hno1 Z, i
and has been wounded three times. Don't
call him coward, and yet he trcmbIcs
and turns pale before he has been fifteen
minutes alone. The skrmish line with its
deliberate murder is not as bad place as
this. If that man Is dead when the relief
comes again it will be worse than mur Ter.
Call that babbling creek company ? uarkl
hear what 1t is saying 10 him, every word
as plainly spoken as If their language was
| the samel
LOOK out! Look outl There is q
nerce-faccd guerrilla crawling through the
bushes toward you'll He has knife in
his teeth and he Is coming to assassinatc
you'll"
Ii the creek did not say so, and if the
picket did not understand, why did he
give that sudden start and change his no.
sition7 Why does he knccl to get a clearer
look around"him Why docs he keep his
eyes fastened upon that stump until the
intensity of his gaze brings out every knot
and splinter? If fifty men were aslccp in
that space and one other were awake he
would feel the loneliness and danger. By
daylight school girl might weave ro
nance from the babblc of the waters.
Harkl Is there any romance IN this:
Bowarcl bewarel That man with
tangled hair, fierce eyes and savage face is
still advanclngl Be on your guard, watch
listen l.!
Cowardl count the scars on his body
look up his rccordl No, not a coward,
and yet his pale face comes to you from
the darkness almost like candies light.
If it was fear he would crouch down. If
it was cowardlce lie would hide, or desert
MS post NO, it Is not tear, and yet be
thinks 1t feeling unworthy of HIM, and lie
braces against it. lie turns deaf ear TO
the whispers of the creek. lie refuses TO
hear the warnings of the breeze. You can
almost sec him rs he shuts his teeth hard
together and tries to force his thoughts into
another channel.
"Look out look outl" whispers the
creek, but he refuses to hear
Something is moving over the ground
behind him. You can see it from where
you sit. 1t Is something darker than the
dark ground beneath. Now it moves
now it halts-now It's fierce eyes almost
light up the darkness. as it makes out the
mu1ned form of the picket leaning against
a tree.
Murderl Murder Murder! gurgIcs
the creek.
You hear il, but the picket is thinking
OF home. A thousand miles away is a
qulct farm house. If the same night wind
blows there it kisses the apple blossoms and
lulls the wife and children to deeper sllm-
bcrs.
You sec that dark something coming
nearer 1t is creeping up behind him. x
tiger would rustic the leaves or snap a twig,
and his victim would have time to cali
Gods name before the spring. This is q
human tiger. God put mercy IN his heart.
but 1T was driven out by hate.
"Savc him Save him!" cried the
creek.
You start at the Call, but he docs not
move. lie is thinking of the wife whose
tears wet his chcck-of the curlcy-hcads
who clung to his arms--of the miles and
the dangers between him and them.
That something rises behind HIM. That
terrible knife Is transferred from mouth to
hand.
"Murdcr Murder Mur-l" but it
was done. Not a cry-not even groan.
The head sank down with only sigh.
The picture of wife and children was hard
ly hidden between earth ami Heaven
Zone lcssl" Kissed the human tiger, as
he pccrcd into the blanchcd face, and with
a gurgle in his throat, as If he had lappcd
at the hot blood flowing toward the creek,
he crept away to seek another victim.
"This is warl" whispered the creek, as
1t shrunk away from the blood, "and war
Is murder !"
| italian Poison Antidotc.