The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-01

| thing was impossible With them 1
should fall, and among all of them alone
1 would be branded infamous. The paper
would be brought to light; the curt bald
! confession would be read, with no ex-
! PLANTATION of how or why it was written
and men would form their own opinions
all hostile, all against me.
To leave behind nothing but the name
| of self-avowed coward! Oh, agony y
bitter agony
! wandered wherever my blind feet led
me, wrenched by torments that God alone
! knew the strength of, and from which
! there seemed no human means of escape.
! The heavy rain-squalls moaned down the
| village streets. The place, with its armed
! tenantry, slept Only the dripping SEN
| tries were opened-eyed. These, taking
me for an officer on ordinary rounds,
| saluted with silent respect. No soul in
| terfered with me, Not even a dog banked
The thought came. You die only to
! gain wreath of craven plumes. Why
| not pass away from -escape-desert
! -vanish-be known no more-and yet
! liver No one withholds from you new life
and new country. France alone, of all
the world, is utterly hopeless for you.
| The thought gained. l say it freely
now, for the dead, dull blackness of nv
! prospect then showed no spot of relief
In my walkings to and fro I gradually
| verged nearerand nearer to the outer cor
| don. As an officer | knew the words for
the night, sign and countersign both
| could pass the pickets.
Farther and farther toward the scat
| tered outskirts of the hamlet did nv
| doubling feet lead me. In one more pat
| rol up and down think my mind would
have been made up, and after that, what
| ever deluge the fates desired. But a
| sound fell on my ear, faint and not IN
| musical. l was duly conscious of some
new scheme beginning to frame itself l
! changed my path, and walked faster.
! Presently the cause of the sound dis
! closed itself. A field forge, an anvil and
couple of grimy farriers, and half dozen
! troopers with horses. The cavalrymen
were resting on the ground, watering
| bride in hand, awaiting their turns.
! The smiths were Shaving, sweating, swear
! ing, doing the work of thrice their num-
/ Der. 1t was queer enough group, and |
| gazed at IL for many minutes, still una BILE
TO frame the gauzy idea that had reani-
mated me. Then one of the farriers, who
! had been fitting a kissing shoe on to a
! hind hoof, chilled the hot iron in a rain
! puddle, and bumped up the horses fet-
! lock on to his apron again.
l started.
| The fellow picked up a hammer, took a
nail from his mouth, and drove the nail
/ first gently, and then smartly home
There, vicious one" swore he. Il put
| that spike through the vent in a matter
| Of seconds, but with these four others be-
side it, thoult not rid myself of 1t in as
many weeks
/ strobe forward.
give louis for that hammer and a score
| of nails ~
The military smith dropped the hoof
/ from his lap, came TO attention, and
saluted But he looked at me queerly.
and answered nothing. / could see he
! thought me mad. Very likely excite
ment had made me look So
"Ten louis. There is the money. in
! gold
MY officer, the things are yours"
Steel spikes, brittle rods that would
snap OF short, would have been better
But time was growing narrow. and I
must take what offered. These soft bent
nails would serve my purpose. And now
for the river. The current was swift
ana ] could not swim a stroke ] must
20 upstream and trust 10 find some tree