Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-03-26

duct of those we met, their gruff refusals Of
food, their smiles and winks, caused Della to
insist that at the first opportunity | should
get her a suit of boys clothes.
On the far side of the valley we entered a
wood, thinking by this to shorten our way,
for the road here took long bend to east
ward. Now, at first this wood seemed of no
considerable size, but thickened and spread
as we advanced. Twas only, however, after
passing the ridge and when daylight began
to fail US that l became alarmed. For the
wood grew dens=r, with a tangle Of paths
crisscrossing amid the umder"-owth. And
Just then came the low mutter Of cannon,
shaking the earth. We began to run forward,
stumbling into holes.
For a mile or so this lasted. and then, with
out warning, heard sound behind me and
ground.
"Jack, here's a to-doI'
whats amissl"
"Why, am going to swoonp
The words were scarce out when there
sounded a cracking and swapping Of twigs
ahead, and two figures came rushing towards
an infant in his arms, and though l called on
them to stop, the pair ran by US with no more
notice than if we had been stones. Only the
woman cried, "Dear Lord, save usl" and
wrung her hands as she passed out of sight.
This is strange conduct" thought l; but,
peering down, saw that Delia's face was
white and motiOnless. She had swooned, in
deed, from WEAKNESS and hunger So I took
LII ~ -.
ing to find the end of the wood soon. For
now the rattle of artillery came louder and
incesSant through the trees, and, mingling
with it, a multitude of dull shouts and out
cries At first was minded to run after the
man and woman, but, on second thought, re-
solved TO see the danger before hiding from it.
The trees in a short while grew sparser,
and between the stems l marked a ruddy
light glowing, and then l came out on an
open space upon the hillside, with dip of
earth in front, and beyond long ridge Of
pines standing up black, because Of a red
glare behind them, and saw that this came
not from any setting sun, but was the light
OF a conhagration.
The glare danced and quivered in the sky
as crossed the hollow. 1t made even Delia's
white cheek seem rosy. Up amid the pines l
clambered, and along the ridge to where it
broke off in n steep declivity. And, lol in a
minute l looked down, as 'twere, into the in
fernal pit
There was a whole town burning below,
and in the streets men were fighting, as could
be told by their shouts and the rattle and
blaze of muSketry, for a garment Of smoke
lay over all and hid them. Only the turmoil
beat up as from furnace, and the flames of
burning matches, and quick Jets of firearms
like lightning in a thunder cloud. Great
sparks 1oated past us and over the trees at
our back. A hot blast breathed on our
cheeks. Now and then you might hear hui
man shrek distinct amid the din, and this
spoke terribly to the heart.
Now the town was Marlborough, and the
attacking force body of royal troops sent
from Oxford to GUST the garrison of the par
Lament, which they did this same night, with
great slaughter, driving the rebels out of the
place and back on the road to Bristol Had
we guessed this, much i'll luck had been
spared us; but we knew naught of it, nor
whether friends or foes were getting the bet
ter. So Della being by this time recovered
littlel we determined to pass the night in
the woods and on the morrow to give the
place n wide berth.
Retreating, then, to the hollow that lay on
the lee side of the ridge, away from the north
Wind, gathered a pile Of great stones and
spread my cloak thereover for Della To
sleep was impossible, even with the will for
it. For the tumult and fighting went on and
only died out about an hour before dawn;
and once or twice we were troubled to hear
the sound of people running on the ridge
above. So we sat and talked in low voices
till dawn, and grew more desperately hun
gered than ever
With the chill of daybreak we started,
meaning to get quit of the neighborhood be-
fore any espied us, and fetched compass to
the south without another look at Marlbor-
ough. At the end of two hours, turning
northwest again, we came to some water
meadows beside a tiny river (the Kennel, as
think, and saw, some way beyond, a high
road that crossed to our side Conly the bridge
was now broken DOWN, and, farther yet, a
thick smoke curling up; but whence this
came | could not see. Now we had been
avoiding all roads this morning and hiding
at every sound of footsteps. But hunger was
making US bold. | babe Della crouch down
by the streams bank, where many alders
grew, and set off towards this column of
smoke
BY the spot where the road crossed noted
that many men and horses had lately passed
hereby to westward, and, by their footmarks,
at a great speed. A little farther and came
on broken musket flung against the hedge,
with a nauseous mess of blood and sandy hairs
about the stock of it; and just beyond was a
dead horse, his legs sticking up like bent poles
across the road Twas here that my blood
went cold on a sudden, to hear dismal groan-
ing not far ahead. l stood still, holding my
breath, and then ran forward again.
The road took twist that led me face to
face with a small whitewashed cottage,
smeared with black stains of burning. For
seemingly it had been fired in one or two
places, only the flames had died out; and
from the back, where some outbuildings yet
smoldered, rose the smoke that spied. But
what brought me TO a stand was to see the
doorway all cracked and charred, and across
it soldier stretched-a green coated rebel
and quite dead His face lay among the
burned ruins Of the door, that had wofully
singed his beard and hair. A stain Of blood
ran across the doorstone and into the road.
l was gazing upon him and shuddering,
when again heard the groans They issued
from the upper chamber of the cottage. l
stepped over the dead soldier and mounted
the ladder that led upstairs.
The upper room was but loft. In it were
two beds, whereof one was empty. On the
edge Of the other sat up a boy 10 or there
abouts, stark naked and moaning miserably.
With one hand he seemed trying to cover a
big wound that gaped in his chest; the other,
as my head rose over the ladder, he stretched
out with all the fingers spread. And this
was his last effort. As | stumbled I'D, his
fingers closed in a spasm of pain; his hands
dropped, and the body tumbled back on the