Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-12-14

warm blood, and he invOluntarily
drew back with feeling of disgust.
"DId you find it 7" asked the
man, who was watching him close.
ly and who had observed the move
ment.
Recalled to himself by the ques-
ton, ,CrandalI again tore at the
shirt, exposing the breast. Where
the blood did not cover tit looked
like uarble. He could see the
wound on account of the blood un-
til he had wiped the latter from the
breast and then be found 1t.
"What do you think OF -" the
man asked.
"There it is" replied Crandall
lie codld not say more. The ap
pea!lng tone in the mans voice for
some hope-sOme encouragement
made him feel faint and sick.
"What do you think of it p the
man repeated in a querulous voice,
aud AS be did so be coughed until
his mouth filed with blood aud he
spat it out on the white snow.
Crandall shook his head and
walked toward where his horse
was tied. He felt that if he watch.
ed the wounded man any longer he
would faint. Noticing his walking
away, the wounded man SAID:
"For Gods sake, don't leave me.
Now that you have killed me, stay
with me, and don't let me die like
a dog
The voice was one 0t eutreaty.
and Crandall returned and seate d
himself In the snow by the man f
side. The sun had gone down and
the twilight had come on, bringing
with 1t the chill of night. Crandall
covered the wOunled mln's body
with his Overcoat and raised him
from the snow. Almost uncon-
sciously be noted that as the patch
of red made by the blOol grew
Larger and larger, the face OF the
wounded man grew winter AMI
whittier. He never took his eyes
from Crandall's face, while his
breath came quicker aud shorter,
as If he breatned with labor With
each breath the blood seemed to
babe from the wound in the breast.
One of the mans hands fell from
under the coat that covered him.
AS Crandall raised it from the
snow its coldne5s sent a chlll
through him. Once lie had asked
the wounded man if he could do
any hing tor him, but the man b d
only shaken his head in repl. ,
Crandall felt like reviliOg himself
for what he had done, aud won
dered why the wounded mIu did
not reproach HIN. Even when lie
expressed his sorrow at having
shot him the dying mai slr',
gently:
"Don'L mind it. It's too late
now"
Tue twilight gave way to dark
ness, and still he sat there. he
could not hear the dying man
breathe without Gaming over his
face. lie did this but once though,
and the dying man had opened bis
eye and looked up into his face in
quiringlY. Crandall would rather
have !stayed there until morning
than to catch that look again.
Suddenly he heard a voice call to
him. He started as If he had been
fired at, but it was only lansing.
AS he answered the call Lansing
rode forward, and, seeing the out
stretched form on the suOw, SAID:
by George, you got hlml0
"Husbl' replied CrandaIl, fearful
lest the wounded man hear the
exuting tone which grated on his
own ears as nothing else had ever
before done. But not minding the
admonitlOn, Llnslng dismOunted
and, striking a match, held 1t close
to the mans face. 1t VS. pale and
cold and the half.opened eyes were
glazed. They did not even reflect
the light made from the match
bat from the partly opened moutl
a tiny stream of half concealed
blood seemed to be still flowing
down over the beard.
"rhats him, and it's a pretty
good days work we haye done by
earning that reward said Lansing
coolly as the match went out.
Somehow, though, as Crandal
lay awake through the night within
a few yards OF the body to keeI
the wolves from II 30 that it would
be unmarried in the mOrnidg, wher
they wOnld lash it to a horse ant
take 1t into the settlements TO
Identification, he wondered VIII