Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-05-14
FABLE THE FIFTH.-Cosr,srr,

-
1eei Ike dragging lead and vet have to
20 on and on and on. against time and
need with the minutes flying away fast
peIore and vague pursuit behind. But
'ne lights put new life into him. They
meant, at the very worst. d heel of hard
goat cheese and litter of straw. A
mute raFine broke the plain and led
towards the twinkle. He did not re-
member the path, but his mind was in
daze- No doubt he would know it
Well enough by day. At last
Qui ga LAP
lie started, and rubbed his ewes. That
was not quite the way they challenged
In Portuguese.
;" Friend said he '.Lusitanian Le-
gion. Bringing In wounded
g Hdlte-lG -
But by the light of lantern he soon
saw what the language would have told
less sleepy ears. The ears woke up
now and the ewes. too. He looked
round him-stin bewildered. though as
wide awake as weary man could be.
Escalona?" he asked.
. he thinks he is in Escalonar' said
the man with the lantern, holding it
into his eyes. Then, from the hut that
served for a guard-room. came out an
officer, with Frenchman written all over
him, who looked at the swayinC soldier
Cd the horse and then from him to the
Portuguese soldier on foot as if he were
put out by such a combination OF things.
Dick saluted, hand to cap. I'm
afraid I've made a slight mistake, said
he, IN his native tongue. I've brought
this comrade of mine. d ead or alive. out
OF the fight: I'm of the LuSitan:an
Legion at Escalona. and l thought this
was Escalona; but I'm hanged if l think
SO now, unless YOU French have cared
to carry that beggarlv hole. / suppose
L M a prisoner? All right But / sup
pose you We got surgeon for my COM
rade here?''
They only stared Then the officer
gave an order. in which Dick could
make out a word that seemed to mean
Interpreter. And he must have been
right; for after some quarter of an
hour. with the English soldiers head
reclining on his shoulder. n woman.
dressed Spanish fashion, appeared, and
talked with the officer some five MN
utes more. Then the lantern was again
thrust into his eyes, so that he could
hardly see for blinking.
'-Sir-" said she, in English that star
tied him, 1.-The Lieutenant here desires
me to interpret your story for him
What shall / say?'
Madam kraSinska! Madam Kras-
inska, by all that's
''Hush- We have no names here, if
you please. Remember two things,
and we shall get on very well. One
none here knows English; not one
word. Two, say what you Ike to me.
and / shall turn it into any sort of
French l please. Only. do not lie to
me. 1t Is l who shall find the lies
The EeS-I should think YOU will.''
She spoke to the Lieutenant. a if in
terpreting; and afterwards. whenever
the prisoner spoke-no doubt quite as
faithfully As sh pleased
''1ou were more gallant on Wednes-'
day." said she But it is all equal.
1 quite comprehend you will never be-
Geve in n woman again-until the next
time
Him. Is this Escalona?'
..Escalona, No; this is Santa Olalla,
do you not know Have you not then
taken my counsel, and come
LAS a spy9 So that's what YOU
think. Good God, to be taken ali in
one night by Spanish she-wolf for
corpse-robber and by spy for spy
Then" asked she. sharply. what
brings you here?''
My legs; l know not what else
said he
But you mast have crossed the
river. How could you think Escalona
to be on this side?@
i crossed no river"
Il said-no lies 10 me-
..Lies?''
Pardon. sir. I know YOU tell no lies.
If YOU did / should know. Besides |
see. You must have crossed the river
by the pontoon: taking it in the dark
for the track. That was not clever, sir.
But what Is to be done?"
..Get a surgeon for this man. He was
alive-some hours ago"
..Ah-vour comrade. And he was a
handsome comrade. too said she
taking the lantern and holding it up to
the dead or diving man. AN English
sergeant. All. well He will fight no
more.
He is dead, them
ALAS, YES. You need hold him up
no longer. Lift him down"
Dick could not help a sigh. True
the dead man was no more to him than
the hundreds upon hundreds of brave
fellows. English and French, who had
died that day. Bat he had made him
his own. in a fashion, and he would
have given his whole wealth, which was
sixpence. to have brought him in alive.
The English sergeant was lifted down.
ghly-for what was one man more
but not irreverently, and laid aside, as
dead and done for.
Now for the living said madame.
MIR Backbone. you are great.
bic. big fool. but | like you; it is nice
to meet with a great big fool l fear /
have done YOU harm; but, in fine. war
is war Now you shall 60 free if you
will tell me which side has gained this
day; and. mind, what you say | shall
believe
IL don't know. And if l did. should
not tell But those eyes and that
voice with the smile in both, Were
making more play with him than he
cared to own Countess mean
madam. you have done me more wrong
-than-than a man who is not quite a
coward ought to bear. / ought TO be
in the place of that poor fellow there
You've made me spy and a skulker
besides.
"A .shulkert can not interpret that.
But 1t sounds bad. very bad; and so L
am very sorry. indeed. Mr.. Black
thorn, when You go back to your En-
plish or your Portuguese. and ask about
Madame Krasinska- ams Poland. you
shall hear great deal, you shall hear
her called spy, and adventures, and