Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-09

@Ea of lightning, and tall oak. shivered
from top to bottom, fell across the pathway.
At the same time @ loud clap Of thunder
shook the ground and died away in low re-
verberations over against the distant noun
tains
PauIs horse reared on its Launches, para
lyzed with fear then, trembling In every
limb, with wild neigh of terror, it made
flying leap over ths PROSTATE tree and darteo
down the road with aging 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 nomenS 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 be was
coward
Suddenly the rain began to pour in tor
rents, making 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 the dismal
forest with outstretched neck, quivering
nostrils, limbs trembling with fear.
Out of the woods into the open road again,
and Paul drow sigh of relief. Before him
were the twinkling lights OF village. Up
the hill he came and down the long, narrow
street, the iron hoofs striking fire from the
stony pavement. The shop windows looked
like patches of light in the darkness, and be
could see tho clerks run to the door to see
who the mad rider was.
As he left the village behind and trailed
out into the country again Paul heard the
town clock slowly Ginning seven. He had
ridden ten miles in the last hour.
| Still the mad pace was kept up rs the horse
| flew past fields of corn, through low pasture
lands and by farm houses perched on rocky
hills, over rustic bridges that creaked beneath
the beating hoofs, up muddy hills and down
! in low valleys through ankle deep water that
/ splashed horse and rider from head to foot.
He must have been riding at least half an
/ hour longer, when at the turn Of the road
! Paul caugh t sight Of a man on horseback.
| 1t was the picket of the Union cavalrynen,
| who were resting and eating supper in O
! small cabin a few feet from the roadside
s'Halt!n cried the soldier, as Paul came
| gallopiug up But the horse and rider dashed
! by without needing the command. The
picket raised his pistol, there was a crack
and a bullet whizzed by the boys ear.
The soldier started in pursuit and the rest
| of the men ran to their horses and darted
away after him Paul heard them coming,
heard the heavy splash of their galloping
horses on the muddy road. But the pursuers
were soon left behind, and Paul sped on alone
through the night
Just as he crossed the railroad track he
heard the heavy rumbling Of the approaching
express, and the bright headlight burst in
view around the curve. With bound the
horse cleared the track and sped onward.
1t was five minutes Of S, Paul knew, for at
that hour the train was due. In few min
utes more he was at the station, which was
eighteen miles from his home.
AS he left behind him the long line Of light
from the car windows the horse began to
slacken his pace, and his rider could hear the
heavy breathing that was the first sign
of exhaustion He galloped still, but it was
in a labored way, and Paul could see that
his strength would not last much longer, SO
he pulled in the reins a little The horse
relapsed into a swinging trot, and Paul sat
upright in the saddle.
The storm was now past, and the dark
clouds drifted by rapidly before the rising
wind, leaving the drenched landscape flooded
with silvery moonlight. Paul could see the
corn lying PROSTATE in the flooded fields, the
meadows cleaning in the watery light, with
the OVERLOOKING brooks that washed over
them. and now and then q fallen tree OF
overturned fence
The horses trot grew slower and slower.
Paul could feel the trembling limbs totter as
they staggered onward. The heavy breath
ing grew shorter and quicker, the smoking
TANKS were covered with foam, and from
the distended nostrils trickled tiny stream
of blood.
One mile, two miles, they crept on. The
trot relapsed into walk, the walk into a
stagger. Then, with a loud half neigh, half
proan. the exhausted animal fell to the
ground dead.
Paul sprang of as the horse rolled over and
set out down the road at run Up and
down hill, splashing through the streams, be
hurried, with but one thought in his mind
to deliver the dispatches in time For more
than a mile he ran, but his exertions began
to tell on him and his legs began to weary.
Once be slipped and fell, then sat for mo-
ment breathless, but he sprang up and hast
ened forward.
His strength was beginning to fail HIN
when before him he saw light twinkling in
farm house. With the energy Of despera-
ton he ran forward and opening the door
fell PROSTATE in the room.
A woman who was knitting near crib
screamed at the sight of the boy drenched 70
the skin, spattered with mud and sprinkled
with blood, iying ON the floor, but a soldier
in the uniform of a Confederate colonel
sprang I'D from the chair In which he sat
smoking, and lifting up the helpless form,
laid it tenderly on sofa.
''Oh, sir" gasped Paul, jerking the dis
patches from his pocket, take these, take
these quick to Col Raynor. His courier was
killed and IL brought thernr
Col Raynor, for it was be, opened the pa
pers, reed them hastily and, calling an or
DERBY from the next room, issued some hur-
ried orders.
In the meantime the woman had poured a
glass of wine down Paurs throat, and he soon
regained strength enough to tell his story.
The next day he returned homo on fine
bay horse, Of which the colonel had made
him a present Cor his services. The horse
lived for many years, and was always pointed
out By Paul whenever he told the story
of his terrible ride when be brought tie dis
patches that saved the battle.-V. Stuart
Mosby n Philadelphia Times
Gen. Sheridan's Hard Thinking.
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