Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-01-09

otcu LIS cye Ou MASS Vi tEOopS ho'i"S
toward the woods. 1t was Rockers
eighteen thousand falling upon Jackson's
four.
As Nighthawk gazed, look of tiend-
ish exultation distorted his face. He
showed no sympathy for either side.
Hooker and Jackson's corps smote to-
gether like two barrels Of dynamite.
Nighthawk smiled grimly, and muttered:
when the ship is wrecked, the shark is
filled"
Hour after hour he stood watching
the changing fortunes of the fight.
HookeI's corps soon melted away.
Mansfeld's was sent to its support, fol-
lowed by Summers. 1t was clear that
the whole Confederate army was concen-
trating on its left.
corps had been paralyzed. Sedgwick's
division of Summers corps had been
swept away by these troops drawn from
Lees right But the enemy had suffered
severely. Jackson's command had been
almost annihilated, and by nightfall the
Confederate left was forced back by
Franklin, near Sharpsburgh. :.
As the sun set on the closing battle. a
look that would have made were wolf
blush, passed over the face Of the Night
hawk, who smiled and muttered:
81 am going to fish in q sea Of blood. !"
At the word, he fastened down tho
height toward the knotty points Of the
battle field. As he left his watch tower.
two crows sailed away from the ragged
top of q neighboring pine tree, and
sawed the air with their harsh notes.
Nighthawk fastened over fields fur
rowed by strange plows. He passed
through red corn and wheat, heavy with
beads of blood. What a sober change
from the freshness of the morning!
Only the murmur of the yet untainted
wind mingled its soft cadences with the
groans of the dying; and the silent, I'M
changing stars looked down in wonder
on the swift harvest of the sword.
Nighthawk. as he moved on, was not
idle. Whenever tie dress Of dead
soldier showed that he was an officer. he
stopped and with rapid hands robbed
the corpse Of watch, ring or purse.
When he had collected dozen valua-
bles, he hid them in some spot easy to
be found, and continued his infamous
work. The grizzly shallow of glory,
this phantom of greed. lowered over
heaps Of slain like q familiar Of the
night.
A little after midnight the Ghoul had
reached spot near ''Dunker's Church"
west of the turnpike, which marked the
last success of the Federal troops.
He was moving boldly but warily, for
his profession, though common. was not
favored, when he caught sight of man
whose actions argued that his business
was the same.
The Ghoul moved toward the new
conner, and asked him how he was far
ing. The tlanger looked in the Ghoul's
face with vacant expression of love;
it was clear that he was out of hiI senses.
~ am General Blake" he replied. II
am searching for my brother"
A strange chord seemed to vibrate
deep in the ghoul's herrt. Il, too" he
muttered, lam searching for my broth
er." AS Nighthawk spoke the general
had turned up the faces of two men who
lay little distance apart from group
of slain. Nighthawk, whose eye had
no sooner caught sight of one Of these
faces than he sprang toward it.
There was something strange about
the positions of the two dead men. The
younger one held letter firmly clinched
in his left hand, and it looked as though
the older man had been killed by the
other " lille trying to secure this letter.
Both, it was clear, were Union officers.
An expression Of almost human interest
came over Nighthawk's face. He seized
the letter, and. with the eye OF cat, read
its words. He trembled violently. sis
there God in Israeli he muttered. He
searched the body of the second officer,
and found his name, Colonel Gallatin,
on his letters. He placed the letters of
both in his pocket. but did not offer to
further rob the dead. Then, through
the small hours of the night. he stood
like statue watching the two faces.
When the morning dawned the expression
wolf. He had spoken but one word,
''rerhaps.'
At daybreak, with a step that defied
fatigue, he was making his way swiftly
toward Washington.
On reach ng that city he learned where
Colonel Gallatin lived, and at once pre-
scented himself at the door.
Tell your Mistress" he said to the
servant, "that l have news OF David
Double" In answer Mrs. Gallatin ran
down the stairs and drew the strange
guest into the drawing room. Without
a word he placed the letter in her hand.
and looked in her face. It was face
which told of many joys and sorrows.
No sooner had Mrs Ga latin read the
letter than she darted upon Nighthawk
look that forbade disguise.
David. forgive mel" she cried, and
saHk at his feet. 1t was strange sight,
the lady in rich attire kneeling to the
Ghoul-n sight that would almost call
for explanation on our sent stage.
The letter was simple and contained
but these words:
"To-morrow shall be free. shall
fly to YOU on the wings Of love.-DAvID
DoUBLn"
Edith" said Double. looking stcrnly
at the woman at his feet, "you Fever re-
ce:ved nv lcttcrt"
"Alas" she sobbed, "they showed me
letters from the warden of your prison,
saying that you had been killed in try
ing to escape"
"Forgerics cried Double, fierccly.
II fell sick n. the news; bit l did not
doubt. They took me abroad; and long
afterward, thinking you were dead, ]
married"
"Your hushand-"