San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-11-05

the flag under which he had fought, and
aid in misleading and betraying the
army to which he belonged, his life
would be spared. Perhaps there might
have been found some men, if men they
can be called, base enough to accept
mercy on such terms; but it was not so
with Arthur Fortescue. The bitterest
foe of his dreaded and hated race had
never dared to hint that there had been
| among them at any time so vile thing as
a traitor, and their last descendant would
have persisted by the cruelest death that
hatred could devise rather than even
think of saving himself by such means,
The red glow of sunset was just dying
away from the brow of the vast rocky
wall of Lookout mountain and the gilt
tering bayonets that crested it, when
suddenly there was heard just outside
the shed a hOarse challenge. and then a
murmur of voices, among which the
prisoner distinguished one that sounded
strangely familiar to him. Then the
door was unbarred, and in came young
man of his own age, in the uniform of a
Confederate officer
last met, but they knew each other in a
moment, and the brave young south
erner. starting back, exclaimed in tone
of strong emotion:
Good heavens! Ar
Hush, Percival, said the other, in
stinctively trying to lift his bound hands
in warning That name must never be
spoken again will die as have lived
unknown"
For an instant the young officer eyed
his friend in silence, biting his lips till
they bled, and then he said despairingly:
You know would give my life for
you any day, but even for your sake |
must not forfeit my honor You are
my best friend, but still you belong to
| the enemies of our cause; cannot let
| you ESCAPED!
Il know you cannot, my dear boy"
| reioined Arthur kindly, land should
never think of asking you to do it, you
may be sure of that. Now, if you have
anything special to say to me | am at
your service
The words were spoken as calmly as if
addressed to a neighbor at a dilner
| table, and indeed it was curious enough
to see how, all through this strange con-
| ference, the man who was already in the
grasp of death seemed perfectly cool and
| collected, while the man who was free
and armed with all the power of COM
mand was completely unnerved by ex-
| citement.
| Il can't say it." broke out the gallant
lad. with a look of strong disgust on his
| handsome face. 1T would be hard
enough to give such a message to stran-
ger; to give it to you would choke me
outright"
q can guess it," said the viscount,
smiling sternly; you are sent to offer
me life once more if will turn traitor
| | will spare you the shame Of doing so,
for you know what my answer will be,
and what yours would be in my place"
Il do indeedr replied Percival en-
phatically; "but if there is anything
whatever that can do for you, short Of
| betraying my trust by letting you 60
| III do it, come what mayr'
Nothing" said the other, but let
| me write letter, and have it sent to its
| address"
4 understand OF course have your
word not to attempt an escape if unite
your hands,"
You have" said the prisoner simply;
and Percival, unbinding his arms, hand
| ed him small pocketbook with a pencil
| in it and then stepped aside, leaving the
doomed man to write his last words I'M
| watched
They were soon written, and the
young southerner, taking the note, bound
the prisoners arms once more, and then,
looking for moment at his old friend
with paler face than the brave man
had ever worn amid the hottest fire of
the Federal batteries, strobe tiercely out
of the shed without word of farewell.
Thank Godr muttered Fortescue, as
the door closed behind him, she will at
least know that was true to the last!'
But it seemed fated that Arthur's
frlnness should be tried to the utmost;
for hardly had this agitating scene end
ed when it was succeeded by another ex-
perience more trying still.
The fellers say" remarked one of the
two sentinels to his comrade, that
thar's a gal somewhar round peddlin'
fruit and white bread, with a niger to
help her. wish she'd come down our
way, for feel as holler as a dead log" ,
You bet that's jest how feel too"
said the other; and if she's got any .
whisky among her truck reckon I'd !
give every cent I've got for taste of it ,
and that amt sayin much, nuther." /
The hungry soldiers appeared to have |
the luck of the hero of fairy tale, for
their wish was hardly spoken when they /
saw the figure of a woman coming slow