The Irish standard., 1891-04-18

!
thought, 81 wonder what she is like now
| wonder if she was happy with that fell
| low Besant, who always seemed to me
bit of a wonder if
But his dreams were cut short by his
noticing the figure of man creeping
stealthily across the orchard. He first
thought it was Charlie Fulton, but as
| the fellow emerged from the shadows
into the moonlit road, he quickly saw
| his mistake, and moment after he
recognized the tall, spare figure of his
host. In an instant treachery flashed
across his mind like an electric shock.
Surely Dixon had told him an hour ago
that he was so weary he could scarcely
keep his eyes open and would be in bed
| in few minutes: then what did this
midnight ramble mean? Snatching his
! feld-glass from it's case, he fixed his
eyes on an open bit of road he knew
the midnight prowler would shortly
reach.
Yes, there he was. A long, shrill
whistle like the call of bird, and a
rode up to him. They talked together
earnestly and negligently-negligently
because they thought themselves too
far away for observation, but they were
reckoning without the Majors power
ful binoculars. Then the trooper
turned back up the hill and Dixon ac-
companied him. To snatch his cap
and pistols and spring from the win
dow was but the work Of a minute to
x.-In lo
his five and-forty years as light bur-
den as many mans Of half his age. The
drop to the ground shook him bit, but
he was not hurt, and without stopping
to give word of warning to any one, he
started up the hill. Now he could un-
derstand why Dixon had persuaded
him to post his sentries on the north,
WAY this important road was without
patrol Or picket.
The best part of an hour elapsed.
''Walze up, boys, quickly and quietly
as you can. Make no noise whatever
our lives depend upon your silence
II was the Majors voice.
In five minutes his officers were in his
room.
You see that hill yonder, my lads, :"
he said, g'rinlly pointing to the cluster
ing pines. ''Wen, just beyond those
pretty trees in a little valley lies half a
regiment Of Confederate cavalry, who
are about to do lis the honor Of an early
morning call What do you say to our
getting up q little surprise party and
anticipating them in their polite atten-
tions? You think it best, of course
then order your men under arms with
out All instant's lossget them out OF
the church If yon can without Il sound
and meet me at the bend of the road
yonder."
merry men, stretched at their ease on
the green sward, snatching a few hours
of precious sleep before they shall cap
the climax of Jack I.ascelles' superb
nlimicry by peppering the lives out Of
those poor devils Of defenseless Yanks,
know that two hundred cleaning
m,lskets, held by the hands OF resolute
nlen were pointed ON their PROSTATE
forms from every tree around them.
Little did they think that even now
their careless pickets lay stunned, or
gagged and bound at their neglected
posts.
Did they start in their sleep and think
it was q dream, as the hCarse command
rang out:
''Malze ready--F'ire! Fix bayonets--
Charge!' and two deadly volleys walked
the woodland echoes. With wild hur1ah
the Fighting Fourth were on them.
t/, oh,
the only sounds, the scuffiing OF men
and tramp Of steeds, as score or two
of troopers. fighting like wildcats,
manage to cut their horses loose ana
flee to the valley below. It was a grand,
glorious little victory -~ fifty OF the
enemy killed and wounded, over forty
prisoners taken land nearly two hundred
horses, with their equipments and ac-
coutrements, captured, to say nothing OF
several stands of small arms and two
baggage wagons filled with ammunition
and supplies.
But there was one enemy the gallant
Major missed, and him he sought for
with eager, vengeful haste--ah, there
he goes stretching his long legs like
crane in awkward fight, and making
with maddened haste for neighboring
copse.
E'After him, boys!' the Major cried,
pointing with his sword to the luckless
fugitive ''I'll give fifty dollars to the
man that brings him back to ME alive
alive, remember, for want to hang
him!''
Who would ever have thought the
gentle Major could have made as blood
thirsty declaration ~- not Frank
Besant, who gazed in inquiring wonder
on his flushed cheeks and flashing eyes
But the Majors soul was raging against
the hapless wretch's sustained duplici-
tv, and, when he said he intended to
hang the scoundrel, he surely meant it.
Poor Squire Dixon was indeed a
pitiable sight as he was dragged by two
rough soldiers into the irate Majors
presence
'sFling a rope over the limb OF that
tree and tie him up!" was the stern
command.
At first the poor wretcll's tongue re-
fused to utter abject prayers for pardon,
but when in an agony of terror he saw