Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-11-07
IN HONOR BOUND.

with sound" Now the French are in
full retreat, and the foe following them
as best they can. A young man hurry
ing along the dusty road stops sudden
ly, hearing o shot whiz by him. lie turns
in time to see two men fall heavily in
the white dust Then a faint voice calls
out: @+''
"He is dead, CASTOR! Waltz"
The voice ceased, but CASTOR La
Fargo knew it we'll, and his heart
seemed suddenly to stop beating as he
heard it. He sprang back to the side
OF the fallen man, who opened his weary
eyes as CASTOR clasped his hand. y p
lis it possible, Rafe?"
eyes," said the wounded man. ST
was just in time, dear old boy. He
would have picked You off in another
second"
And you saved me?"
$50, we are even now. You know
when You plunged into the Seine
for me the day I took cramp in the
water. We were only boys then, but I
never-I neyer.---" and tho speaker
tainted away.
CASTOR lifted him from the dust. and,
with much exertion, bore him for some
distance down the green lane, He
thought there must be o stream near
by line of dense 7erdure that he saw
in the waning light. He found the
water, and brought it in his cap to
battle the wound Then he took out
pocket-hask and forced some drops of
brandy between the set teeth. With a
shuddering sigh, Rafe opened his
eyes.
"Oh, you have brought me back. I
was with Claire" he murmured. "Poor
Claire she Will be sorry. You must
tell her." ~
"Tell her?" exclaimed CASTOR.
%'How died" faltered the other.
"No! 10! You are not going to die ="
cried CASTOR, aghast at the thought.
"Let me go and find a surgeon. How
could I live and know that you died for
me? Why did you risk your life in
this way? You have a young wife wait
ing for you.
"And you have a mother?" murmured
Rate. eve cannot weigh such things
Perhaps if l had thought of Claire it
would have madea coward of me- You
never saw her, CASTOR, or you would
know she is one for whom man might
barter his soul. You were off with your
regiment, dear old boy, or you would
have been best-man, you know"
IT know" said CASTOR, half choked
by his emotions, and still bathing the
brow of his friend. It seemed to grow
colder and colder, and the temples
throbbed in slow beats irregularly.
"You must not leave me- RATE
went on, clutching his friends hand.
III have something to say to you. All,
what is to" he said, witch shudder,
pointing to an apparition that seemed
to stand upa few yards off. "There is
some one istening!"
Castor peered eagerly through the
gloam1ng light, and saw strange fig
IRE that shone forth with costly CLEAN
in the shadows. It wore no uniform or
clothing of any earthly fashion. The
arms were extended and bare. The
limbs, straight and rigid, did :. not
touch the ground, and upon the white
brow rested the semblance Of kingly
crown. In an instant the truth flashed
s1rs,,-
The white presence was a carven image
of the Man of Sorrows. The shadowy
crown was one of thorns.
Dear RATE, he whispered, it is no hui
man ear that listens. 1t is Christ on
the cross, don't you know, like the one
near your home at MEDIUM, where we
swore eternal friendship to each other
before we went to college. You have
kept your oath--oh, too well, my dear
boy" 4....
"Take me there, move me there, in
the shadow of the cross" he faltered.
"Now want you to swear something
to me, and you must keep your VOW as
7 have kept mine"
CASTOR said no word, but once more
raised his friend in his arms He felt his
heart beating like muffied drum but it
seemed to stop suddenly as he put him
down at the very foot OF the rudely- cut
cross. In the cleaning the Christ above
them seemed to be extending His arms to
bless them. Once more few drops of
brandy brought the color back to Rates.
face. He cast an upward glance at the
cross and murmured, "He hears us!" -
Don't think it deirium, Z he said; II
have my senses yet. T know they will
slip away from me in d little while into
utter darkness, sol must make haste,
You must listen. You must promise to
do what shall say--all-an. Do you
swear it?"
cot course, answered CASTOR, eager
1y; you could not ask anything Of ne
that would not do. But you will live
to do all for yourself"
enc; they say it is given to nortals
to know when the supreme hour APP
proaches, and / can not be deceived!"
Rafe said. $50 you will promise? 2"
eyes" Es. III %4#I IT, ~ 335
"You will swear by it-by the Christ
upon the cross?'' Sss ri.
"If that will make my oath stronger,
I Will swear itw exclaimed CASTOR. "
The wounded man paused q moment.
and his breath came hard. Thena new
strength came to him. The blood kin
died in his veins, the pulses Of life beat
fuller and higher, and something Of the
old fire came into his eyes. a g Such
brightness dying suns diif1se. Gas
ton took heart from the change. All
might be well yet. E.
RATE began talking hurriedly. f.
I've never told you muchsof her. ) +