The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-11


lie lay at full length upon his stomach, his
feet resting upon the toes. his head upon his
left forearm. His extended right hand
loosely. grasped his rifle. But for the some
what methOdcal disposition OF bis limbs,
and a slight rhy thmic movement OF the
cartridge-bOX at the back OF his belt, ne
might have been thought TO be dead. lie
was asleep at his post Of duty. But II de-
tected he would be dead shortlxatterward,
that being the just and legal penalty OF Ms
crime.
The country was wooded every wheIe eA
cent at the bottom OF the valley to the nOrlh-
ward. where there was small natuTdl
meadow through which flowed q stream
scarcely visible from the valleys rim. lhls
opened ground looked hardly larger than an
ordinary dO0ryaTd, but was really many
acres in extent. Its green was more Nltlu
than that OF the inclOsing FOREST Away De-
yond it rose a line Of giant clins similar ~
those upon which we are supposed 70 sudhu
i'm our survey Of the savage sceIe, ana
through which the road had somehow maue
its climb TO the summit. The cOnngl rallDh
of the valley. indeed, was such tina lloh
our point Of observation IL seemed entlrel!
shut in aud one could not but nave won
dered how the road which found a way OUT
of il had found way into IT, ana whence
came and whittier went the stream that
parted the meadow 1000 feet below.
No country is 50 wild and diihcult Dut
men will make IL theatre oil war. on
cealed in the forest at the bottom oil ina,
military rat-trap, in which ball hundred
men in possession Of the exits might nave
starved an army to submission, lay i've reg
iments OF Federal infantry. lhey ha1
marched all the previous day and nignt anu
were resting. At nightfall they would lHke
! 70 the road again. climb 10 the place WheIe
their unfaithful sentinel now slept anu ue-
scending the other slope OF the rage lail
upOn a camp of the enemy at about ma
night. Their hope was TO surprise hlh' llI
the road led to the rear OF MS camp III
case Of failure their position uould De PERI,
Gus in the extreme, and fall they Noulu
should accident or vigilance apprlse MIN ol
| the movement.
The sleeping sentinel in the clump Of
| laurels was Young Nirginian named ar
ter Druse. lie was the son Of wealthy pa
rents-an only child-2nd had known sucA
ease and cultivation and high living as
wealth and taste were able 10 command IN
the mountain country Of Western virginia
quarter Of century ago. HIS nome was
hut few miles from where he now lay.
/ One morning he arose from the breakfast
table and said quietly, but grayey:
Father, a Union regiment has arrived al
| Grafton. ! am going to join it,
The father lifted his leOnine head, looked
| at the son moment in silence, and replied
] go, Carter, and whatever may happen
bone that YOU will do what you conceive TO
| be your duty. Should we both live TO the
end Of the war we will speak further OF the
matter. Your mother, a. the physician mas
| informed YOU. is in "A critical condition; at
| the best she cannot be with Ne longer tndn
A few weeks. but that time is precious. II
7 L.. Sos ,,nf ltsfurh her ~
So Carter Dnise, bowling reyerently to his
| father. who returned the salute with state
| Nv courtesy which masked breaking heart,
! left the home Of his childhood 10 90 soldier
| ing. By conscience and courage. by deeds
of devotion and daring, he soon commended
himself TO his fellows aud his officers; and
! IL was % these Qualities and 10 some knOWl-
edge of the country that he owed his present
perilOus duty at the extreme outpost.
| Nevertheless fatigue had been stronger
than resolution, and he had fallen
asleep. WHAT good or bad angel came
| i'm "A dream 10 rouse nm from his state Of
crime. who shall say? Without move
ment, without sound, IN the profound si-
! lence and the langu0r of the late afternoon,
| some invisible messenger OF late touched
| with upseAling finger the eyes Of his con-
| whispered into the ear OF his
spirit the mysterious awakening word
which no human lips have ever spoken, no
human memory has ever recalled. lie
quietly raised his forehead from his arm
| and locke between the laurels. instructive.
| is closing his rjgOt hand about the STOCK oI
his rifle.
| His first feeling was a Keen artistic de-
light. On the colossal pedestal Of the elm,
mOtiOnless at the extreme edge OF the cap
ping rock, sharply outlined against the sky.
was an equestrian statue OF Impressive
| dignity. The figure Of Il man sat the tgure Of
| the horse straight and sOldierly, but win
| the repOse of Grecian god carved in the
marble which limits the suggestion of ac-
tivity. The gray costume harmonized with
It's aerial background; the metal Of ac-
| confinement aud CaparisOn was sOlienCd
and subdued by the shadow; the animals
| skin had no points of high light. A carbine,
| strikingly iOFeshOrtened. lay across the
pommel OF the saddle kept in place by
| the right hand grasping it at the grip
the left hand, holding the bride rein. was
| invisible. In silhouette against the SKY the
| profile of the horse was cut with the sharp
ness OF "A cameo; it looked across the
| heights OF air TO the clin beyond. The face
of the rider, turned slightly to the left,
showed only an outline OF temple and beaid;
| he was looking downward 10 the bottom Of
the valley. Magnilied by its lift against
the SKY "a "a by the soldiers testifying sense
| OF the tOrmdableness Of a near enemy, the
group appeared Of hersic, almost colossal
size.
For an slant Druse had a strange, half
defined feeling that he had slept to the end
of the war and was looking upon a noble
work of art reared upon that commanding
emnence To commemorate the deeds OF a
heroic past, OF which he had been an ingl
rious part. The feeling was dispelled by
slight movement OF the group. The horse
without moving its feet had drawn It's body
slightly backward. fIOm the verge. The
man remained immObile as before.
Br ad awake and keenly alive TO the sig
nilicance of the situation Druse now
brought the butt OF bis Tlils against his
cheek by cautiously pushing the barrel for
ward through TIE bushes. cooked the piece,
aud, glancing through the sights, covered a
vital spot 4 the hOrsemau's breast. A
touch upon the trigger aud all would have
Deen well with Carter Druse. At that in
slant the hOrseman turned his head and
looked ia the direction OF the crOuching
foeman-seemed TO look into his very face,
into his eyes, into his brave, compassionate
heart.
Is it, then, so terrible to Kill an enemy in
war, an enemy who has surprised secret
vital to the safety OF ones self and CON-
rades, an enemy more formidable for his
knowledge than all his army for its mum.
beers! Carter Druse grew deathly pale; he
shook IN every limb, turned faint, and saw
the statuesque group before him As black
figures, rising, falling, moving unsteadily
IN arcs OF circles IN "A fiery sky. His hand
fell away from dis weapon, his head slowly
dropped until his face rested on the leaves
in which he lay. This courageous gentle
man and hardy soldier was near sNooning
from intensity Of emotion and excitement.
Ii was net for long; in another moment
his face was from earih; his hands resumed
their places on the rife; his forehnger
sought the trigger. Mind, heart and eyes
were clear, conscience and reason sound.
lie could not hope 10 capture that enemy;
70 alarm him would but send him dashing
to his camp with his fatal news. The duty
OF the soldier was PLAN; the man must be
shot dead from ambush; without warning,
without "A moments spiritual preparation,
With never 90 much rs an unspoken
prayer, he must be sent IN his account.
But no-there is hope; he may have dis
covered nOthing-perhaps he Is but admir- 1
ing the sublimity Of the landscape. Ii per-
United be may turn and ride carelessly
away in the direction whence he came.
surely il will be possible to judge at the in-