The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-05-07

better thank the Almighty that you come
here jest when We did, and not one minute
Letter. Et was the cullet that struck Bull
skin when his axe was raised-eE was
that that settled this fight And think,
sir, SO fur as I understand, that ct was.
you that fired that shot for a bird on the.
wing
He turned to Zapoly-and he was
right. His prompt and exact markman-
ship had turned the fortune OF the day.
Then, in a rapid consultation, the ar
engagements for the night were perfected.
Cephas Titcomb the younger and his
brother were sent to warn the settlers at
Big. Bottom of the attack n escape and
defence. When. not two months after,
the horrible massacre took place in the
block-house of that very settlement the
boys remembered well every detail of
their visit Of that evening. For Cephas
Titcomb the father, his wife and Zapolys
and the Scotch gardiner took care. For
himself, he ridiculed the fuss they made,
and said If they would let him.alone he
should do we'll enough. But they were
right, and he was wrong; and Zapoly
dressed the wound with the skill Of a
surgeon Harry could not yet have more
than . word with Sarah Paris. The
horses were to be cared for, the dead
were to be dragged away and hidden, the
captiEes were. to be secured. 1t was easy
enough to make provision, on the great
mows of prairie hay, for better beds than
the fugitives had known since the day OF
battle and defeat. When such cares for
the men were over, Curwen saw, well
pleased, that Zapoly had engaged Mrs.
Fitcomb. In a bi-lingual, not to say poly
glot,~ conversation. And then, and not
till then, he begged the girl he worshipped
TO come out from the cabin with him,
with: some shawl thrown over herthead
and shoulders, and they walked together
in the open air, under the light of the
clear moon.
"Sarah,' he said at once; "my own
child-f / dared say SOL have been
riding day and night in terror, and think
Withlwhat reason. Do not tell me God
Almighty did not send me here"
No, she did not tell him so. She could
say nothing. Nor, indeed, was he dis
satisfied with her silence. Words are
but. poor things sometimes-not very
good things at the best. He was with
her. If he dared-and he would dare
soon-he conld put his arm around her
waist. Meanwhile, why should she speak,
or hep Last night, if any one had told
him she was alive, he would have been
happy.
Actually they walked without a word to
the landing at the riverside, where the
remnant of the old ark was still moored.
He led her on board the boat, and made
her sit on the gunwale.
And then, he did not say what he had
thought he should say, if God ever gave
him sight of her again. He said:
"How many of these old arks I passed
as I came down the river"
"You passed this one," said Sarah.
And the humor of his missing her came
across even the tragedy of the night, and.
know when you passed US; l am ashamed
And.I wish I could say you replied"
"Think of it." he said, land that I did
not dream of what I was doing!''r Then
he told, almost passionately now, of his
successive visits to Marietta, and how
General Putnam would say "Whitcomb"
instead of Fitcomh," and that he had to
leave when he had no answer to the
question of questions.
Duh LOT all CQlS u01Ll0r OF Cn6m cared.
Ii vas all a pretense. He was talking
that they need not be still. And Of a
GSudden he broke off:
!" Why do I talk this stuff to you? You
know what 1 want to say to you. 1
want to say to you that morning, noon
and night, since that day you wrote me
last my one thought has been to come
nearer to you, and to deserve to come.
There has really not been one hour, dear
Sarah, but the thought of you has made
nae a better man. And if, before then,
/ ever forgot to say my prayers, it has
not been so since. For always-and I
viii not say how often-I lave begged
God to a ke care of you-since you would
not let me. Sarah-I have remembered
you every minute, and that is the reason
I am here. God Almighty heard nay
prayers
"And mine," said she. And Harry
Curwen hardly cared that she should say
more. -..-..
TTHF END ;