The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-03-10
REVENGED.

but an orange light still burned above
the lonely southern valley. The trem-
bling evening star was hanging yer the
green silences of the fragrant Tennessee
woods. Vapor wreathed phantoms from
the river course and from the dense
thickets that skirted the camp ground
came ever, and anon the mournful sound
of whippoorwills, sounding faint and
low, like the remembered echoes Of a
dream. Yet Wallace Keene would have
given well nigh all he was worth to ex-
change its luxuriant verdure, one mo-
ment only, for the pine clad heights and
salt winds of Maine, with russell winged
robins chirping their familiar madrigals
in the apple orchards below.
1.-TWO years ago l left home," muir
INJURED Wallace Keene as he gazed
thoughtfully out where the purple sky
seemed to touch the waving woods. 1.-TWO
years since young Harvey told me he
neve would give Marion to "a common
mechanic. yet the wound rankles sharply
still"
captain
ais that you. Spicer? What now
Captain Keene turned his face toward
the opening of the tent, where Private
Spicer's head was just visible.
"Why, sir. u fellows have just
brought in that lot O. men that was hurt
in that scrimmage across the river this
morning, and some on 'em is wounded
bad"
81 will be there directly, Spicer."
There was a little crowd of men gath
cred on the river shore in the warm
glow of the spring, but they silently
parted right and left for Captain
Keene's tall figure to pass through their
midst.
Six or seven dusty, bleeding men were
sitting and lying around in various pos
lures. their CHASTITY brows made still
paler by the faint, uncertain glimmer Of
the young moor Keene glanced quick
ly around, taking in the whole scene in
that one brief survey.
He stopped short as his eye fell On a
new face, half Swallowed by the green
sweep of dropping alders-a pale, blood
streaked face with a gaping cut on the
forehead.
This is not one of our men!" he ex-
claimed sharply. How came he here?"
mo, sir" explained Spicer, stepping
forward. 81 think he belonged to the
Eighth. I'm sure I don't know how he
ever got mixed up with fellows, but
there he was, and l thought we'd better
not wait for their ambulance. but bring
him straight here"
Right" briefly pronounced Keene,
stopping over the insensible figure. "Let
them carry him to my tent, Spicer."
II beg your pardon, captain-to your
tent?"
didn't you hear what l said?' sharply
Intercepted the superior officer. Bruce,
make the others comfortable in Lieuten-
ant Ordway's quarters. There will be
plenty of room for them there"
well, I'm beaty" calculated Spicer
five or ten minutes afterward as he
came out of the captains tent scratching
his shock of coarse red curls.
Meanwhile the dim light of a lamp
swinging from the center of the little
tent shone full on the singular group
within it's circling folds-the wounded
private lying like a corpse, still and pale,
on the narrow iron bedstead, the young
officer leaning over him and supporting
his head-and the brisk, gray eyed little
surgeon keenly surveying both as he I'M
folded his case of phials and powders.
HE is not dead, DOCTOR"
mo; but he would have been in an
other half hour. Your prompt RENE
dies have saved his life, Captain Keene.'
"Thank God! oh, thank God"
The urgeon looked at Keene in amaze
ment.
HE doesn't belong to your regiment.
Why are you SO interested in the case?'
Because, DOCTOR" said Kesne, with a
strange, bright smile, "when I saw him
lying under the alders, dead, as l thought,
I rejoiced in my secret heart. At first
only at first. The next moment 1 re-
membered that 1 was a man and a Chris
tan. For years I have carried the spirit
of Cain in my breast toward that man:
now it is washed out in his blood"
1t was high noon of the next day before
the wounded man started from a fevered
doze into the faint dawn of consciousness.
where am L" he faltered, looking
wildly around him, with an Intellectual
effort to raise his dizzy head from the
pillow.
''Now, be easy" said Private Spicer,
who was cleaning his gun by the bedside.
you're all right, my boy. Where are
your Why in the captains tent, to be
sure, and that's pretty good quarters for
the rank and file, I should think"
1.-THE captains tent9 How came Ihere9"
.sThat's just what I can't tell you
you'll have to ask himself, / guess. You
amt any relation to Captain Keene. be
ys1
"Keene-Keenel" repeated the man.
Because" pursued Spicer, "If you'd
been his own brother born, he couldn't