The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-05-22

eyes. he surely saw something move
Frenchman or Englishman, he nigh
still take some part in the battle b,
saving life. to make up for havin,
taken none.
So thither he led his horse. rs gentl,
as before. And if he had been horrifies
before, it was rs nothing to his horro
now.
He saw woman. veritabIe woman
of the sex whom he had loved only to-
well. crawling about on her hands an,
knees among the corpses and-robbine
them.
Nor was the ghoul q hideous bag
such rs might be supposed She was
strapping Spanish peasant, come.
enough in a coarse way. She had no
seen him approach: she was far too
deeply engaged. Where do these vult
ures hide in peace? For peace car
never give them anything foul enough
| to do.
Woman though she was. Dick wa.
sorely tempted to startle her from bel
work with the butt of his carbine. Bu
even that was not enough to expires,
his loathing.
''Iou she-devilr' he cried.
She started and turned round. And
he saw that she carried long knife
with redeemed blade. He guessed
now why the field was without groan
Il search for my son." said she.
| "YOur son! If you want him, YOU
must 60 to the mountains, where the
wolves are, unless there's pack of you
here. can't stay; but l can't go and
leave more murder. maybe, behind.
I've seen enough death; but there mus,
be one more To think that all my
share in to-day's work is to shoot down
she-wolf! But
BAH" said the woman. sulleHly.
I'm only taking back my own"
"Your own?''
YES; from the French brigands.
Is woman to be robbed, and not gel
back her own?''
That is no Frenchman, poor devil!
That's an Englishman-"
bah! what odds, red coat or bluef
And what are YOU here for yourself.
Portuguese vermin' That is my corpse;
go elsewhere. and leave me alone.
There's room for us all here, the saints
be praised"
He was so taken aback by such q
charge that he could find. on the in.
slant, neither deed nor word. He
looked from her to the corpse she was
hanging over; a fine young man, with
a quiet, set face, and closed eyes, bare.
his left hand on his heart. his right
under his head. and his broken muskei
by his side.
The vulture so evidently took au I'M
wounded Portuguese out there by the
moonlight. for a bird of her own
feather, that she paid no further heed
to him. She pulled the young soldiers
hand away from his breast, and felt the
fingers. But even she started. From
the frightened lips came the faintest Of
means as his fingers were clutched by
her claws. Nav. Dick could have
sworn the man struggled to rise.
And the vulture must have thought
so. too. Up went the hand that held
the knife, and poised over the heart;
down came Dick carbine upon her
wrist, and sent the knife flying towards
the moon. She yelled loud enough &c
wake the dead. as they say; certainly
to scare Dick Blackthorn, though he had
heard many woman scream.
But it was a mans hand that clutched
his throat: a man with another knife,
who had sprung up from among the
heap of slain.
dog of Portuguese hescreamed.
"Leave the woman alone. This corpse
is hers
Not Dicks carbiue. but Dicks fist.
went into the scoundrers face, between
the eyes. He dropped like stone.
No Portuguese could have gwen that
blow. The woman turned to run; but
Dick, catching her by the arm he might
or might not have broken-not all his
chivalry could care Wrapped off his
belt and bound hotn wrists behind her
rs tightly as there was need. I'm
hanged if can disgrace an honest bull.
let on YOU said he: .'but now rob the
dead and kill the dying if you can. And
don't. the next time YOU come across an
in a Portuguese coat. think
he's a Portuguese, You Span sh devil.
There. if You can get ont of that strap,
L M done by woman again. No; not
by woman, though. You're no more
a woman than that hound there is
man
He bent over the soldier whom he
had been just in time to save, if saved
he still were. Oh. for thimble-
full Of brandy. or even of Castilian
wine! The man was alive; though but
just alive. And vet what could be
done? 1t was strange, but he seemed
to know the face; but then the M oon.
light PLAYS queer tricks with features,
and the uniform was that which he
himself had worn for q few days in the
course of his rolling. l. must have
been some brother recruit, who had
been more faithful to the Kings shillin
than he. Well, was it not better. after
al. to die like this, like an English
soldier. than to live to be taken for
Portuguese ghoul?
He saw something glittering in the
in the young soldiers breast. |
1t was a ring that the vulture had torn
of Just before the carbine struck it and |
the knife out of her hand-a plain gold |
RING. with no ornament but the posy
round it.
Lore wiU find ont the uau"
That, too, struck familiar chord. |
Dick had heard his own sister Patience
sing it IN song hundred times. Poor
Young fellow! it was wedding ring.
TOO. No doubt some love or marriage |
,oken, though on mans hand. A
lead wite's. perhaps. Poor fellow, any
way! Dick replaced it on the finger
almost reverently, aud-yes,
surely. the pulse throbbed as flesh
ouched gold. NO." swore Dick;
.ka L oas. l-ax<, 4L--s