San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-26

foe, who sent leaden messengers whizZing
past their heads. So pursued and pursuers
galloped out of sight, leaving tho poor fellow
MORALLY wounded by the wayside, with his
faithful horse standing near.
Paul sprang over the low stone fence and
approached the wounded man.
The Confederate courier, for such he was,
lay on his side, one hand supporting his head
and tho other elasped tightly to his heart.
His face was ghastly pale, the dark eyes
quivered, his breath came slow and pain
fully and violent tremor shook his frame.
From wound near the right temple q Ett!e,
stream of blood trickied slowly down, stain
ing tho gray jacket and settling in a crimson
pool i'll tho road.
Paul knelt by his side, raised his head ten
derby and rested it on his knees. The i22a
closed his eyes for a moment, then opened
them and fixed them on Paurs frightened
face.
"Oh, SIR" gasped Paul, family, sis there
anything can do for your
Nothing, nothing" murmured the man.
ats all over with me now" and he pointed
to the wound in his forehead.
"Let me run to the house and get some
thing for you or have them bring you UP
home on a wagon" pleaded Paul, as he wiped
mo, no; let me lie here. haven't long to
live," he gasped. "But the Yankees will
soon return and they will find my dispatches
on me- They are important ones and had &c
be delivered by 10 o'clock tonight or else
we would lose the battle tomorrow"
Couldn't they be sent, sirF' queried Paul,
anxious to relieve him.
There's no one to take them-at least, no
one / could trust" murmured the soldier.
"And besides, the distance is over thirty
miles, and the Yankees are before us on the
road "
A bright thought struck Paul.
Il viii take them, sir" he said quickly.
"To whom are they TO be deliveredp
Col Raynor, Forty-third Virginia cav
airy, at Rockville. But could you really I'M
dertake such a ride-thirty-five miles in four
hours" and the dying soldier looked anx-
iOusly at Paul.
Yes, sir; promise you | will do it," an
swered Paul bravely.
The man pointed to his vest pocket. Paul
drew out from it a blood stained packet Of
dispatches.
The man was very near the end now. With
grateful smiic at the yoing face bonding
over him be whispered family:
Thank you, oh, thank you-you will save
The men. Tell them why / could not come.
Send my watch TO my mother, whose address
is Oh this letter Tell them how ded-and
bury me here-here."
The eyes closed, the hands dropped, the
head fell back, and the brave courier lay
C!c@d by the roadside. Paul spread the cav
airy cloak over the still form, thrust the dis
patches in lis pocket sprang OH the waiting
charger and started down tho road.
1t was now about q o'clock. If ne wished
to keep his promise there was no time to lose.
Should he 20 home first, it would be delay
and perhaps they would not let him go at all
So he determined to start Immediately. He
called negro man who stood IN field near
by, telling him to run to the house, inform
tho family Of what had happened, and haveI
the soldiers body cared for Immediately.
Then touching the fiery horse with his heels,
10 d"sred off down the rold.
The horse, blooded animal with arching
neck, slender limbs, plunged forward as Ii
stung and swept on at hard gallop Down
the road they clattered, past the farm, over
the wooden bridge, then out into the level
road once more. 1t was growing dark
rapidly. Low in the east were great banks
of dark clouds through which the lightning
flashed, and in the distance could be heard
the low rumble of thunder.
They neared dark forest that doomed up
before them
Paul was a brave boy, but he could not
help glancing anxiously at the deep shadows
of the woods, at the tall trees fitting by and
listening to the dismal echoes his horses
footballs awoke. Suddenly there came 4
fash OF lightning, and a tall oak, shivered
from top to bottom, fell across the pathway.
At the same time q loud clap of thunder
shook the ground and died away in low 70
verberations over against the distant noun
tainS
Paul's horse reared on its launches, para
lyEed with fear; then, trembling in every
limb, with a wild neigh of terror, it madc
flying leap over the PROSTATE tree and darted
down the road with flying feet.
Paul knew his danger but he was accus-
toned to riding, and he chung to the saddle
with his head bent forward on the horses
neck. To keep the horse straight in the road
was his object, and each moment bore them
nearer to their destination.
The dispatches must be delivered In time;
they were Of vital Importance to the army,
and the boy was true southerner at heart,
ready to die for his country. He would do
his duty; no one should ever say he was a
coward
Suddenly the rain began to pour in tor
rents, making a binding sheet of water. The
lightning flashes Lit the wild scene from time
to time, and boom on boom Of loud, rum
bling thunder echoed among the hills.
Onward the horse few, each peal Of thun-
der lending fresh speed to his feet On
through the rain, the darkness Of tho dismal
forest, with outstretched neck, quivering