Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-01-22

I
hended the situation, the young cir
stepped forward and, bending owe
Halc's hand, revcrently kissed it, thcl
equivalent in human words.
He blushed like a girl and she was a
; red as rose in June. Neither uttere,
a word. Then she fled within.
attention! Well, boys-we-get ou
of this!" he finally shouted.
We are very grateful to you, sir,
broke in the elder lady. "We are Unlor
women, Belle and but my poor SOM
SIS rebel, ch? Oh, WELL. L suppos'
he thinks he is right. Your name
madam-the Government will pay fo
the property. Parkes? Here is you
receipt pt-keep it. Sorry, I'm sure
Have to live, you know, and war-but
we don't war on women, and-and-
"For-w-a-rdm
1t was midnight and pitchy black.
Only the somnolent figures, shapeless in
| blanket and oilcloth, stretched immedi-
ately about the low campfire, and the
| dim outlines of similar figures in the
near foreground told where the weary
/
Sergt Hale sat close to the fire, with
his knees drawn up and his finely chiselled
face upon his hand while was pre-
pairing in the only skillet of the company
| the first morsel of food we had had since
morning-a solid cake of flour and water.
The rest of our company had eaten the
same and fallen asleep one by one. We
had waited our turn at the only skillet,
and here it was midnight.
The ground trembled and shook the
ashes into our cake.
''We ought to be there, " said the Ser
geant with a sigh. "That's all right
the ashes will improve your cake. Ash
cake for dyspepsia, you know"
As dumped the mess out and we
broke in two equal pieces | asked him if
We would get to Perrysville in time to
help the boys out.
Every unlikely. This corps can't
make ten miles tomorrow and help any
body. About a third of it is being
goaded along into camp by cavalry
sabres, or is lying dead beat in ten miles
of fence corners, checked for the bullet
of the bushwacker or the military
prison."
Lord what a round that was ~ he
exclaimed upon heavier discharge than
usual. 81 wonder if she heard that
Belief mean that girl we-robbed.
Don't you know feel as if l had per-
sonally robbed her and our fellows over
there were now killing off her family2
Fact! / can't get her face out of my
mind"
"Have you been trying" laughing
ly inquired.
"N-po; can't say have He col
ored up triflc and then, like the gallant
soldier that he was, came straight at the
mark. 81 don't want to try. That girl
is the only woman in the world who
could tempt me to marry-could tempt
me to anything yes, even dishonor, {"
he added in whisper,
"Mere fancy" said. "You didn't
see her half minute, by the watch.
You don't know what sort of woman
she is.
"Could you see that face and manner
those eyes-and not read the soul
within2n He continued, moodily; "I
have felt that every mile was dozen
because placed between that girl and
me-"
1.-The miles were long enough the wa!
they are"
"God knows they were," he replied
fervent.y, land l could not have marched
another mile if | was to have been sho
for not doing it. Yet could go back t
that place, l believe, without food o
rest, nowp'
With the early bugle and drum W
/ II ati
the fields, down the road toward yes
terday's battlefield, comparativel
happy lot of cripples. For the dayligh
courier from Perrysville had brought tn
news of the retirement of the enemy
with our troops in pursuit.
J We finally reached that memorabl
battlefield, still literally piled with Con
, federate slain. Our dead had alread
been buried, by the troops who ha
: moved ON. In stroll over the fiel
! Sergt. Hale and counted not less tina
a hundred partially nude and charret
bodies of men who had fallen in tn
fence corners, the leaves having takei
fire during the engagement. Some
wounded and unable to move, had evi
IDENTIFY been burned alive. Many bodies
]
sirable clothing where they lay and the
hot sun had caused them to swell horri-
bly, and this added to the sickening
sight. All had been robbed and the
pockets of the clothed dead were invaria
bly, wrong side out.
On a hillside, somewhat remote from
the central scene of the engagement, we
were sadly attracted by a vision that for
the moment brought us back to human
! ity and Christian civilization. 1t was
the body of young man wrapped in an
ordinary bed sheet of fine linen. The
face was tied in a lady's handkerchief.
The eyes had been closed and the hands
were folded upon the breast.
Alone, rudely enshrouded here Oh the
hillside, was at least one late human
being, of all the mangled, charred,
| stripped, robbed remains of human
beings that dotted the fields under the
corrupting sun, that had appealed to
human sympathy not in vain.
We stood reverently silent before it,
with instinctively uncovered heads The
Sergeant then knelt down and slowly re-
moved the covering from the dead face
"Great Godw
He started to his feet, and both of us
were for moment spell bound.
1t was the cold image of her facet
The same wavy, chestnut hair, the
same brow, nose and chin, the same
general contour, only masculine in
strength-only waxen in death.
1T is he-it is her brotherl' said the
Sergeant, with forced calmness. "Poor
boy poor girl"
He gently replaced the handkerchief.