The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-08-02

was daY to shoot rebels By n BY some
rebs came in wild her brudder n she made
me hide my gun. De shootin' could be heert
down heah, an all lowed a. dar war Q sw
full big fight ergoin' on. Nassa Albert wal
in . heap o. trouble bout dat secesh gal
Elsie Morgan, who couldn't be found, but
by n by she came wild her father-an'
wush I'd my gun T. kill 'um, but promise
Miss Lille won't, n I won't Den dar wal
q lot OBJ sof. talk n lkissin' tween Miss Elsie
n Massa Albert n he go away wild all dc
to take keer Of de wounded.
81 got my gun an went to de woods tel
fight, and spent two days shootin' men
hated. l didn't know zactly which'd
whipped, when I meets de leetle Missus
Elsie comm fur dis chile. She say fur
me to come to lone cabin in de woods an
l go dar wild her. Iknowea it, cos it war de
cabin stayed in many, many vars ago. I'd
been dar since an it had two beds and
cheers dar. When come dar found Massa
Albert lynn on one bed wild big shot in
his side, an Massa Colonel Morgan on
anudder wild q rifle bullet through i'm.
Elsie Morgan war dar tendin' boff ov 'em
an cryin' all de time. Miss Lille AK um
sumfin', and dey all say yes, den she wrote
de lettah for T. fotch ye.'
Luke asked his guide several more ques.
tions in regard to the wounded men and
Lille, but Blackhawk seemed to have sud
denly grown morose, and either answered
by negative grunts or sullen silence.
For some strange, incomprehensible rea
son, Colonel Mason found himself nervous
and trembling. Itseemed as if the vail OF
the past was about to be lifted, and he was
to gaze upon what he had so longed to see.
Could it be, oh I was it possible that that
dark mystery would soon be explained
They ran two or three narrow escapes from
small parties of thieves and army vsndals.
who were providing about the battlefield
numbering the wounded and robbing the
slain.
'Dar am de cabin" Blackhawk at last
said, pointing through the woods to a light
which shone like star.
They spurred their horses on and in few
moments were at the door of the lonely
cabin in the forest. Colonel Mason dis
mounted and, followed by Blackhawk, went
toward the miserable hut.
CHAPTER XVIII
CONCLUSION.
A solitary tallow candle dlmly lighted the
dingy apartment, bringing only into partial
relief the objects within. At the rear of
the cabin, half concealed by the fitful
shadows, were two miserable couches, on
each of which lay a dark form. A female
knelt at one while another sat upon stool
near by, her face buried in her hands.
Leaning against the wall was sabre IN its
scabbard.
The footsteps of the Colonel and his at
tenGant were unheard, and he had reached
the center of the room unperceived. A low,
earnest prayer was being offered up by the
girlish form kneeling at the couch. The
awful solemnity of the occasion awed even
the man who had grown accustomed to
death and carnage The voice he heard was
OF the being whom he loved, and had loved
since his boyhood days. She was the angel
who had visited his dreams and whose
prayers for his safety had seemed more in
vulnerable than armor of steel. She was
uttering prayer for dying man, Colonel
Morgan, the fiery Southerner, while his
daughter sat by his side weeping. Some
how Luke dared not break that awful
silence.
The sound of horses feet were heard
without, then of some one slowly dismount-
ing.
THAR, boys, I'm all right now. l thank
ee fur comm Wi me. All! dear me, it jist
pears like these war times ar gwine T.
kill every body" said weak voice from
without, which Luke recognized as Mr..
Jordan Neff, Lilies father. 1t was the
same dyspeptic, pessimistic voice Luke had
heard year and half before on his last
visit to the dear old farm-h house.
The voice was also heard by the wounded
man and praying girl
"Father!' said Albert, starting up and
leaning on his elbow.
"Father!" cried Lille, springing to her
feet. Then. for the first time, Colonel
Mason's presence was discovered. "Oh,
Observation-Disclosures! she cried, f1inging
her arms about his neck. Mr. Neff en-
tered, and, for q moment, stood gazing in
amazement
"Wall, l declar, what do It all meanH' he
finally gasped.
Explanations were soon made and Mr..
Neff told how that he had come near to
Pittsburg Landing hoping to see his son.