The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-28

frowned.
Have your permission now, sir, to
| withdraw from this room?''
In the dark, wet air outside, and not
before, did 1 realize fully what l had
done.
The screed on the slip of paper had
been the spasm of the instant II
seemed to me now the outcome of a
| moments insanity. l had no plan, no
trace of scheme in my head whilst 1
! was scribbling. The words and the
pledge were an empty boast, made in
the wild hope that could hold them
good But how could such thing be
| done?
All, no, the thing was impossible.
With them l should fall, and amongst
all of them l alone would be branded
infamous. The paper would be broug ht
to light; the curt, bald confession would
be read with no explanation of how or
why it was written: and men would
form their own opinions-all hostile,
all against me.
l 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 Only the dripping
sentries were open-eyed.
The thought came: You die only to
gain wreath of craven plumes. Why
not pass away from here-escape-de-
sert-vanish-be known no more-and
yet live? No one withholds from you
new life and new country. France
alone, Of all the world, is utterly hope
less for you.
Farther and farther towards the scat
tered outskirts of the hamlet did my
doubling feet lead me. But sound
fell on my ear, faint and not unmu-
steal. 1 was duly conscious of some
scheme beginning to frame itself.
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
a dozen troopers with horses.
1t was queer enough group. and I
gaZed at it for many minutes. still I'M
able to frame the gauzy idea that had
terminated me-
Then one of the farriers, who had
been fitting Kissing shoe on to hind
hoof, chilled the hot iron in a rain pud-
die and bumped up the horses fetlock
on to his apron again.
The fellow picked up hammer, took
a nail from his mouth, and drove the
nail first gently, and then smartly
home.
There, vicious one" swore he. 81
put that spike through the vent in
matter Of seconds, but with these four
Others beside it. thoult not rid thyself
of it in as many weeks"
Five louis for that hammer and q
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. l could see he
thought me pad.
Very likely excitement had made me
look so.
Ten louis! There is the money. in
gold"
my officer. the things are yours"
And now for the river. The current
was swift, and / could not swim a
stroke. l must go up stream and trust
to find some tree trunk of wooden balk
that would aid me in floating down.
OF the matters that happened after
this cannot speak with any minute
ness
j think it was small fence gate that
aided my choking passage.
can only recollect clearly that the
thing chung to was terribly nstable,
and that on being landed by chance
eddy on strip of ehoal lay there for
fully half an hour, listening to sentry
Flooding past through the mud ten
yaris away, unable to move a limb.
Then / gathered strength. and crawl |
ing. not only from caution but through
sheer helplessness, made my stealthy |
way still farther along the shore
Four batteries commanded the ap-
to the bridge. Two were on /
either flank. to deliver converging /
ire. two. one above the other, were IN |
/ direct line with it, so that the cause
way could be swept from end to end
1t was in the lower OF these last that /
found myself-by what route come /
cannot say. Only then my senses /
seemed to return to me
was lying in an embrasure. Over
head was the round. black chase of |
l crawled farther and /
ooked down the line Six more guns
oomed through the night making
'even in all.
There were men within dozer
Yards, wakeful men. and then. and not
before, cid il fash upon me that nv /
arriers hammer was useless weapon.
dot mus, have been TO forget that
he first clink would awaken the re-
.oubt-
drew back into the emhrasure. and
United my forehead afresh- The right
bought was tardy. but il came
rev off my boot II was new, and it
vas heavy-badinage had been poured
ut by my comrades over its heaviness
The stroug-sewn heel would drive like
calker's malle;
Then ] got 90 work ! used infinite
aution. crawling like cat. crouching
Il deepest shadows. stopping, making
e.ours. not FOR mere life's sake, be Il
bat because life was wanted
or work yet uudoae.
The Saren nat ont o: