, 1890-10-23

$50 o'otiuViy a-lOOhiu Jesl
's he did th' day he
marched by tn farm, m down tn
road Z tn, lines. Partly from sur
prise m partly from tn thought of
a.humorin' of his strange whims we
oidn,t move n say n word, but
watched Jim as he came straight
down tn path, with his eyesa look
in T. tn front, his head erect, his
gun n tn proper position, an a.
steppin, test g If tn drum was
a-beatin' u few ranks N front of
him.
"He passed right by us 'ithout a
change. m | don't believe we could
a-stirred then If Gabriel's trumpet
he'd a-cailed us. " was all SO ghost
like; tn surroundin's, m tn occur
renee itself was jest g II t WAS n
dream-somethin' supernatur'l.
None of us moved; none Of us spoke;
we only jest set thar like figures of
stone an looked at tn marching
boy.
ahead, a-facin' tn moon, an goin'
directly onwards. 1t seemed Is If
he was jest drawn-seduced oil
wards-b' th' gleamin' ofthet star"
must break in upon the old
mans narrative at this point to say
that could see his emotional ma
ture was becoming greatly disturbed.
His method of expression, the move
ments of his body, and the lines of
his face all indicated that he was in
wardly feeling every step of the old
story; and at this point of the tale
he had again risen to his feet, and
was standing in the doorway with
his eyes turned to the east. There
he stood for little while, his vision
fixed, and his chest heavlng rs if
trying to stitle some violent emo
ton.
In few minutes he beckoned me
to follow him, and then started
down a gentiy-sloping and direct
pathway to large, fiat rock little
to one side. l was deeply interested
and followed on, although the
angry signals above and the now
deep gloom of early eventide forbade
me from trusting myself too far
from the mountaineer's roof Up
on reaching the table-rock, however,
my strange host halted and re-
sumed his story, his gaze still in
tently riveted toward the east, and
In the line of a Lold and abrupt
precipice not over 100 yards away.
Presently, and in deep and earnest
tones, the old man continued his
dramatic story.
"Here twas tnet we was bound
while tibet boy, thet soldier boy of
mine-Jim-marched on; YES
marched on T. meet tn doom he ned
missed In tn lines, for he never
turned Z take th' down road, but
went on, on, a.follerin' of th' moon.
"On--on-I say, an we never a.
stoppin' him.
"My heavens! how I'm a-torn
when l think upon It! when
think thet boy Jim jest marched so
quiet like, SO peaceful, N 80 willin'ly
t.th' edge no God! | can't look
thar any longer. This poor old
frame III not STAN many more of
these shocks, stranger. But q think
thet M boy should march T. his
death N thet way. M that's not
all, stranger.
"Even though Sar' Ann m me
was spell-bound b. th' terrible sight
of our boy walkin' q his fate, yet
Mag by a-usin' mighty effort
threw off the power tibet had come
over us all, an when Jim he'd yet "a
little groun' = spare she gave u
terrifyin' scream t. turn him from,
his danger. But no, his ears only
heard tn beatin' OF th' drum, m
deep down In thet perverted mind
of his was thet sense of duty thet
told him T. march on.
"For one moment thar seemed d
great darkness U come over us. Our
eyes were R-blinded, our ears stopped,
m our hearts rested from their
throbbin'. Then / saw the moon
still a-shinip' Jest tn same, an
away down tn valley thought I
could hear strange echoes.
"A-darin' Z look once more to th'
east, saw Mag a-standin' few
steps away, an a-peerin' right ahead
q tn spot whar Jim-whar Jim
Jest moment afore war a-marchin'
-a-marchln' q th' cold, cold grave.
"Thar she stools II a-waitin' y
comprehend what he'd taken place
M then, with sech u pitiful cry's
l hope tn Lord of Mercy III never
let me hear again, she dashed for
wards T. th' brink of thet steep elf,
an stepped, 'ith Jim, into th' great
eternity.
"Thets all, stranger, 'cept tibet
Sar' Ann m me are n. waitln't y take
tn same step when tn voice calls b