, 1888-03-18

''Tell itf' shouted Horton, like one sud
denly Weakened in alright. ~ can't tell
It," he add ! controlling his voice with
an effort. 9TH major was in the brush.
III go out and smoke; this place is
sitting"
with evident suffering Horton hobbled
ont.
Hes done for, '.remarked Tom. "I've
promised him to 90 on to Fairfax Court
House for the wagon as soon as my pipe
is finished. It's seven miles of, but 1
don't mind that. Tell me of the fight"
'THeIl, in the first place, Blake, the off,
Ger killed here, was the best friend / ever
had. We were boys together, went to
New York at the same time, and when
the war broke out took service in the
same regiment of New York cavalry.
Blake had some reserves which / never
Acknowledgement the pity-they have tor
mented me ever since. Our regiment be-
longed to the army Of the Potomac. One
day when Gen. Mcclellan was in com.
mnnd, the enemy aggressive, times dan
gerous and orders had come for a quick
march, Blake said to me:
"'John, IN never come out of this war
alive
Nonsense l laughed. you have
the same chance we all have
"'Yo are mistaken, he interrupted, Il
have not the same chance
"Fwhy;'
because an enemy is beside me, an
enemy bent on finishing me, a p%itiless,
determined enemy in my own regiment
I'VE were sitting on our horses ready
to march, but / came closer to him and
said: What do you mean, Blakei'
~ wish | had told you long ago, John;
there is no time now, but you shall know
some day
You are gloomy, that's all, one does
get downhearted without any particular
reason for it. You'll be in better spirits
after a Bit
My words were soothing and sympa-
thettc, my tone skeptical and indulgent,
but all the same, 1 saw that Blake was
neither downhearted as 1 said, nor fanci-
full as I thought.
81 am not gloomy he rejoined, in the
same emotionless manner, but 1 know
that, sitting in his saddle at this moment,
Is a man OF my own regiment secretly
watching his chance to put a bullet
through my heart
Don't give him the chance
He'll find 1t for himself went on
Blake, with quiet conviction. You shall
know it some day, John. There is no
time now, but you shall know and see for
yourself my deadly enemy
Forward, ordered the colonel
We uAbNEA Ous anu lnt opportunity
was lost. 1 am positive that Blake meant
to confide his secret to me. Naturally 1
thought a great deal Of what he had said,
and recalled many inexplicable trifles as
corroborntive evidence. Our regiment
was sent here 70 watch these crossroads,
and WAS quartered in this church. must
admit that the building was comfortably
supplied with seats, which fell a prey
later on TO more predatory occupants.
Ntuhf am IN FNnHn thn rnf1nI nf
guard and outposts. The enemy was com
paratively distant, nobody knew of any
raiding parties in the vicinity, the scouts
brought reports tending to an unexpected
degree of security. Still our vigilance
never relaxed.
about midnight l walked down the
aisle again. Every one seemed in a sound
sleep except Horton, whose eyes met
mine as | passed the pew serving him
as bedchamber. The night had become
raw and chilly, but l made no long halt
before the fire. In spite of the pleasant
report of scout and picket, q vague, in
definable anxiety oppressed me. / left
the church at once and went out yonder
on the crossroads, unconsciously straining
my ears to catch sound or sign of a willy
foe. Intense, breathless silence reigned
abroad. Not n football, not the crackle of
n twig, reused the faintest apprehension.
Suddenly through the stiffness came
the sharp, cutting rattle of swift shots, a
rush of heavy, reverberant hoofs, mingled
with cries and shouts.
INSTANTLY l knew that the enemy was
driving in our pickets, and l knew, too,
that our pickets were only one mile away
Rushing into the chapel l ran along the
aisles calling up the men. A vidette
dashed up to the door, yelling 'Mosbyl
Mosbyr We could hear them laundering
down the road in a mad charge. Conster-
nation and confusion demoralized the men.
A wild rush for horses, n cowardly break
for the bushes by some, and in less time
than 1t takes to tell 1t the church was
cleared. l happened TO be among the last
to leave, and was about to put my foot In
the stirrup when two pistol shots, one
after the other, at my very elbow com
pleted the panic and sent our troopers
scudding down the road. In one swift,
instantaneous glance l saw n man falling
and another half bent over him, firing the
second shot. TIL fallen man was Blake,
with a bullet through his brain, but the
dastardly assassin vanished in the engulf-
ing stampede. neither saw his face nor
recognized him in that one electrified
glimpse. Springing on my horse 1 gal
Hoped after my comrades. A momen
more and MOsby was down upon us. He
drove us four miles, fighting hotly, until
at the next crossroads the guerilla band
turned off and ambled away with n goodly
number of captured horses and some
prisoners.
"Horton was among the wounded sent
back to Washington. He went west as
soon as he recovered
Did you find Blake's body" asked
Tom.
"Yes; we returned here the next day
and found him just where he had fallen,
with a bullet through the brain and
another through the heart. His enemy
was, rs Blake had said, 'pitiless,' and HIS
moment had come when Mosby Numbered
down upon us, that night Of Dec. 10,
1862"
"And the criminal has never been dis
coveredf" Tom said, i~nterrogatively, while
he glanced around the dismantled chapel.
"Never. 1 did my best, but Blake and
his foe had kept their secret too safely,
and the times were %troublous. Poor
Blakei he had said; you shall know It
some day, john but that was Dec. 10,
1859, and this is Dec. 10, 1870, and / am
one the wiser"
Tom emptied his pipe and slowed 1t
away in his pocket. "Irn go now. Hor-
ton 90 arnop{p, ont thnro - a. lo.- nm