The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-17
LOVES SACRIFICE.

LON IL > SAChlE lCE.
A little restaurant overlooking the San
Antonio river. Two mon, with chairs
tilted back and feet against the protecting
rail Of tho balcony, were smoking their
evening cigarettes. Both were young and
of goodly presence. Western suns and
winds had tanned their cheeks and burned
in the rcd of youth to rich tropic hue.
Across tho brow Of one-a brow whose
boyish contour moved women with mother
instincts to sudden longing to caress-lay
loose waves OF soft, yellow hair. Beneath
looked out eyes of dark gray, heavy with
tho long thoughts of those early, desperate
days-days when republic worked out in
blood her long probation. The other had
faircr countenance, more lightsome and
full of happy promise,
Suporadded tonigh to his native cxuber
anco was some foreign eliment Of joyous
ness which seemed to master spirit and
muscles alike. He was full of movement.
Tossing away half finished cigarette, he
Casped his hands back of his curly head
and broke the silence with sudden speech.
Med, am too happy to smoke. am
the happiest man ins all this borderland
Nollie Herndon has promised to be my
wife. It's u secret yet, but / couldn't keep
1t from you any moro than L could keep
my love from hcr. There is not another
woman Ike her north, south, east or west
DID YOU ever notice the gold of her hair? 1t
Is like sunshine spun into threads. When
ever look ut her think of some quaint
old words my mother used to read out of
book long years ago when was u boy
back in my old home. They went this
way: w oso shoe latchct l am not worth
to unloosc' l suppose tho preachers
would call that irreverent, but God will
bear me witness there's no irrevcrcnco in
my heart when 1 think of her."
At Harvey Armstrong; first words the
color was washed out of Ned Fosters face
as with sponge, his very eyes seeming to
pale
Bringing his chair to tho ground, con
cealing his face with his hand, he leaned
over the railing and looked down into the
sluggish waters of the river flowing a few
feet below.
AS thought piled itself upnn thought
and Foster eaw torn into Sheds the beau
tiful fubrc Of n dream that he, too, had
woynn, with this woman for its center, he
forgot tlts.t heaven held his mother and
lifted up his heart against it and against
his fellow man. But, thank God it was
only for one fleeting moment. Romem-
boring whose brave right arm had five
years before at tho battle of San Jacinto
intercepted the Mexican bullet aimed ut
his own breast, he was able to turn away
from tho dark suggestions and give back
unabated love and sincerity into tho ex-
pectaut eyes oil his happy rival.
Good for you, old fellow" he said as
ho extended his hand. May you have
centuries of happiness. God knows
with n look of tender loyalty his friend
never forgot-''if any man deserves her 1t
is you, Harvey"
This was In the summer Of 1871.
In the autumn of lS43, when President
Houston ordered out General Somervell
to tho Rio Grande to organize troops and
avenge the insulting raids of NasqueA and
VOL, Ned Foster was among the first to
respond to the call for volunteers.
About $50 miles south of Saltillo on the
rond to the City of Mexico Is an old fort
known in history as tho Hacienda Salado.
Tho high walls, built in fortress fashion
around an immense square court are well
fitted for defense and In times of war are
used for such purpose.
This ono stands IN the midst of "a sandy
plain whose drcary stretch of gray is bro
kon hero and there by patches of bunch
grass and tufts of stuntcd sage. To tho
east and west arc mountains, and on the
divi,i,Eg ridges are scattered lonely pines.
To this plDca ON March 26, 1913, were
brought 9hD .scapturrd remnant of tho
unfortlm.rc Micr expedition, that gallant
band OF 300 men, tho flower of western
militia, who went forth to do battle for
tho honor Of tho young republic and were
so treacherously dealt with by tho follow
ers of Santa Anna, To whom they surren-
dered as prisoners of war. All readers of
history know how the torms Of the treaty
were broken and the betrayed men shown
no mercy but marched into the interior,
subjected to incredible hardships and
finally imprisoned miles away from home
and friends,
All this is history, but We have no writ
ten record of that interval between tho es-
cape and the recapture when the little com.
pany wandered lost and helpless among
the fnstncsses Of unfamiliar mountains,
no record of those . days and nights when
the sun rosO and set but to mark another
and darker experience IN the calendar of
human pain.
Ned Foster and Harvey Armstrong were
among tho number. The latter had, in
the ardent spirit of the times also answer
ed tho far cry of the borders, leaving tho
young wife SO lately wed to wait in prayer
and tears soldiers uncertain coming.
For four days tho weary and foutsore
band travelled down deep canyon, whose
steep sides narrowed and narrowed until
they closed and barred them in. Then the
retracing Of those same stcpsl On and on,
In the silence and gloom of the mighty
Contortions of nature without food, with
out drink, tired In limb weary and dazed
In mind, their tongues purple and swollen
with thirst, yet seeing in fancy the flower
strewn prairios OF thoir beloved Texas and
the fond hearts beating a welcome there,
still opening up now trails and pushing
on with tho courage and faith that mado
the martyrs of tho Alamo and the heroes
of San Jacinto.
Once Harvey fell exhausted in the shadc
of "a tres and begs ed his comrades to leave
him, but his friend lifted him up, whis-
pered alnagic name ana bade him press on.
On the evening uf the tenth day they
were met by a body Of thn Mexican cavalry
and biddan to halt and give up their arms
Half starved and dying they were Tex.
ans yet, and their brave commander re.
fused to do SO except under treaty stipula.
tions
treaty was drawn up, and once again
false VOWS were pledged Ivy Spanish lips.
Water was not reached until sunset of
the next day. By that time only four of
the men We're able to walk. Harvey, among
many others, had fallen and been lifted
and stranDed aoRoss saddled horses and