The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-05-21

eyes. he surely saw something move,
Frenchman or Englishman, he might
still take some part in the battle by
saving a LIE, to make up for having
taken none.
81 thither he led his horse, IS gently
as before. And ii he had been horritieG
before, It was Is nothing to his horror
now.
He saw n woman, veritable woman,
of the sex whom he had loved only toe
well. crawling about on her hands and
knees among the cOrpses and-robbing
them.
Nor was the ghoui a hideou. bag,
such as might be supposed She was a
strapping Spanish peasant, comeiy
enough in a coarse way. She had not
seen him approach: she was far toe
deeply engaged. Where do these vult-
ures hide in peace? For peace can
never give them anything foul enough
to do.
Woman though she was, Dick was
sorely tempted to startlc her from her
work with the butt of his carbine. But
his loathing.
You she-devilr' ne cried.
She started and turned round. And
he saw that she carried long knife,
with a Redeemed blade. He guessed
now why the field was without a grosn.
Il search for my SON, said she.
"Your son! If you want him, YOU
must 90 TO the mountains, where the
wolves are, unless there's pack of you
here. | can't stay; but / can't 20 and
leave more murder. maybe, behind.
I've seen enough death; but there must
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, sullenly.
I'm only taking back my own"
Your ownp''
Yes; from the French brigands.
Is Il woman to be robbed, and not get
back her own?'
That is no Frenchman, poor devil!
That's an Englishman-''
BAH what odds, red coat or blue?
And what are you here for yourself,
Portuguese vermin? That is mig corpse;
90 elsewhere, and leave me alone.
There's room for us all here, the saints
be praised"
He was so taken aback by such a
charge that he could find, on the in
slant, neither deed nor word He
looked from her to the corpse she was
hanging over; fine young man. with
quiet, set face. and closed eyes, bare
headed, in red coat faced with blue,
his left hand on his heart. his right
under his head, and his broken musket
by his side.
The vulture so evidently took an I'M
wounded Portuguese, out there by the
moonlight, for bird of her own
feather, that she paid no further heed
10 him. She pulled the young soldier ;
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. Nay. Dick could have
sworn the man struggled to rise.
And the vulture must have thought
so, too. Up went the hand that held
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 mans hand that clutched
his throat; a man with another knife,
who had sprung up from among the
heap of slain.
Dog OF Portuguese" he screamed.
''Leave the woman alone. This corpse
is hers"
Not Dicks carbine. but Dicks fist,
went into the scoundrel's 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 hroken-not all his
chivalry could care whipped of his
belt and bound hotn wrists behind her
Is tightly as there was need. I'm
hanged if | can disgrace an honest bul.
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 ar
Englishman in a Portuguese coat, think
he's Portuguese, you Spanish devil.
There. if YOU can get ont of that strap,
I'm done by a woman again. No; not
by a woman, though. You're no more
4 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-
ful of brandy, or even of Castilian
wine! The man was alive: though but
just alive. And yet what could be
done? II was strange, but he seemed
to know the face; but then the M con,
light plays queer tricks with features,
and The uniform was that which he
himself had worn for few days in the
course of his rolling. Il must have
been some brother recruit, who had
been more faithful to the Kings shilling
than he. Well, was it not better. after
al. to die ike this, like an English
soldier, than to live to be taken for q
Portuguese ghoul?
He saw something glittering in the
in the young soldiers breast.
1t was 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 pOSl
round it,
"L0re iciH find out the ,cdH"
That, too, struck familiar chord.
Dick had heard his own sister Patience
sing it IN q song hundred times. Poor
young fellow! it was wedding ring.
too. No doubt some love or marriage
token. though on a mans hand. A
dead wife's, perhaps. Poor fellow, any
way! Dick replaced it on the singer
almost rcverently, and-yes.
surely. the pulse throbbed as flesh
touched gold. No" swore Dick:
81 ( 7 L. Il