San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-04-03
should interpret this silence for obstinacy.

that had his hand thrust in on my breast;
"bring the lantern close here. What's thsf'
Twas alas the kings letter; and bit my
lip while they clustered round, turning the
lanterns yellow glare upon the superscrip-
ton.
We were marched down the road for a
mile or more, till we heard a loud bawling,
as of man in much bodily pain, and soon
came to a small village, where, under a tav-
ern lamp, by the door, was a man perched
up on a tub, and shouting forth portions of
the Scripture to some twenty or more green
coats assembled round Our conductor pushed
past these, and entered the tavern. Alta door
TO the left in the passage he halted. and.
knocking once, thrust us inside.
The room was bare and lit very dimly by
two tallow candles, set in bottles. Between
these, on a deal table, lay map outspread,
and over it man was bending, who looked
up sharply at our entrance.
He was thin, with a blue nose, and wore
green uniform like the rest; only his carriage
proved him a man Of authority.
This Capt Stubbs listened, you may be
sure, with Frightening eye to the sergeant'S
story; and at the close fixed an inquisitve
gaze on the pair of us, turning the kings let
ter over and over in his hands.
How came this in your pOSSessionN he
asked, at length.
That, " said |. Il must decline to tell"
He heSitated a moment; then, reseating
| himself, broke the seal, spread the letter upon
the map, and read it slowly through For
the first time | began heartily to hope that
the paper contained nothing of moment But
the mans face was no index of this. He read
it through twice, folded it away in his breast
and turned to the sergeant.
"TO-morrOw at & in the morning we CON
tinue our march. Meanwhile keep these fell
lows secur" look to you for this"
The sergeant saluted and we were led out
That night We passed in handouts, hudded
with fifty soldiers in a hay loft of the inn
and hearkening to their curious talk, that
was half composed of Holy Writ and half of
gibes at our expense. They were beaten men,
and, like all such, found comfort in deriding
the greater m>fortuneS of others.
Before daylight the bugles began to sound,
and We were led down to the green before
. the tavern door, where already were close
upon five hundred gathered, that had been
bileted about the village and were now form
ing i'll order of Marcia sOiled, battered
crew, with torn cneigns and little heart in
| thei; ~, enents. The sky began a cold
drlZZ'e Us we SeJ out, ana through TINS sad
denlng weather we trudged all day, Della
and being kept well apart, she with the
vanguard ana l IN the rear, seeing only the
winding column, the detected heads bobblng
III front as they bent 10 the slahtlhS ram, the
cottagerS that came out 10 stare as we passed;
and bearing but the hoarSe words OF com
mand, the low mutterlngS OF the men, ana
always the monotonous tramp, tramp,
|
through the sluSh and mlre OF the roads
IT'S like bad dream to me, and | will not
dwell on it. That night we passed at Chippeu
ham, snail market town, and OF the NOR
TSw went 'ramping again through worse
weatl y. but always amid the same sights
and SOUNDS
Dag ..o.- .,@, .,,...u-. when the towers of
Bristol grew clear u.,o Of the leaden mist in
front, and by j o'clock we halted outside the
walls and beside the ditch Of the CASTLE wait
ing for the drawbridge to be let down. Al
ready great crowd had gathered about us,
Of those who had come out to learn the news
of the defeat, which, the day before, some
questions, as to all else, | listened like man
in a trance. and recalled this onlv-tbat first
| was shiyeriug out in the rain and soon after
was standing beside Della. under puard of n
dozen soldiers and shaking with cold be-
meath a gateway that led between the two
wards of rn.. castle And there for an hour
at least we kicked our heels. until from the
inner ward Can't. Stubs came stridng and
commanded rs TO follow
Across the court we went in the rain.
through vaulted passage, and. ua,sjp.r q
s,.re.,, of rorvad owl, tn,,nJ ourselves .rd6an-
" in a Great Fan. .o..r forty wards lonr las
reckon it,. and rafte.ed with oak. At the
-. l - 1900. ! -. -lr rr