Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-10-24

rection Of his concealed foemsn-
seemed to look into his very face, into
his eyes, into his brave, compassionate
+ art.
Ia It, then, so terrible to kill an
enemy In war-an enemy who has sur
prised secret vital to the safety Of
ones self and comrades-an enemy
more formidable for his knowledge
than all his army for Its numbers'
Carter Druse grew deathly pale; he
shook In every limb he turned faint,
and saw the statuesque group before
him a. black figures, rising, falling,
moving unstesdily In arcs OF circles In
. fiery sky. His hand fell away from
his weapon, his head slowly dropped
until his face rested on the Leaves In
which he lay. This courageous gem
tleman and hardy soldier was nearly
swooning from intensity Of emotion.
1t was not for long; In another mo-
ment bis face was raised from the
earth, his hands resumed their places
on the rife, his forsfnger sought the
trigger; mind, heart and eyes we're
clear, conscience and reason sound.
He could not hope to capture that
enemy, to alarm him would be to send
him dsshing into his camp with his
fatal news. The duty Of the soldier
was plain: the man must be shot dead
from smbush-without warning, with
out . moments spiritual preparation
with never 10 much as an unspoken
prayer he must be sent to his account.
But, no-there Is a hope, he may have
discovered nothing-perhaps he Is but
admiring the sublimity Of the land
scape. II permitted, he may turn and
ride csrelessly away In the direction
whence he came. Surely 1t will DO
possible to Judge at the instant of his
withdrawing whether he knows. II
may we'll be that his Axity OF atten'
tion-Druse turned his head and
looked below, through the deeps Of
air downward, as from the surface to
tho bottom Of o translucent sea. He
saw creeping across the green meadow
a .inuous line Of figures OF men and
horses-some foolish commander was
permitting the soldiers to water their
boasts In plain view from hundred
summitsl
Dr,,se withdrew his ewes from tho
valley and fixed them again upon the
oronn Of man and horse In the sky,
and again It was through tho sight Of
his riae. But this time the aim was at
thu horse In his memory, as II they
ware a divine mandate. rang the words
Of his father at parting; "Whatevei
NAV occur. do what YOU conceive tc
h. vour dutvn ia was calm now.
ri. t.etb ware f,rmlv but not ripidly
closed, hi, nerves were as tranquil az
n sleenino bahe,s-not tremor at
fectad anv muscle of his body: hIs
BREATHING until suspended In the act
~ TAXING aim WAS regular and slow.
Duty had conquered. sprit had said ia
bodv, peace be still" He flred.
A. .h,. ,no,rar. m of,csr ~ tbe
.od.roI foroo vho IN n sn,rit ~ al,
$780,. ~. ~ o,,.st -, l,rowladoa had
80 ths hiadan h,voroc in the valley
and. with aimless feet, had made his
wsv to the lower edge Of a small open
space near the foot Of the cliff, was
considering what he had to gain by
pushing his exploration further At ia
distance OF a quarter mile before him,
but apparently at a stones throw, rose
from its fringe of pines the gigantic
face OF rock towering to SO great a
height above him that 1t made him
piddv to look ND to where its edge cut
a sharp. rugged line against the sky.
At some distance away to his right IL
presented clean, vertical profile
against BACKGROUND OF blue sky to a
point half OF the way down, and Of dis
tant hills, hardly less blue, thence to
the tops Of the trees at its base Lift
ing his eyes to the dizzy attitude of Its
summit, the officer saw all astonishing
sight--a man on horseback riding
down into the valley through the air.
STRAIGHT unrioht sat the rider In
military fashion with n firm seat in
tho aaddle n stronc c,utch unon tho
rain tn hold his charger from Zoo i'm.
petuous plunge. From his bare head
his LONG hair streamod upward, way-
inc like plume. Ills right hand was
concealed In the cloud of the horse's
lifted name. The animals body was
as level as II every hoof-stroke en-
countered the resistant earth. Its mo-
lions were those of wild gallop, but
even as the officer looked they ceased,
with all the legs thrown sharply for
ward as In the act Of alighting from a
leap. But this was q fight
Filled with amazement and terror
by this apparition of horseman in
the sky-half believing himself the
chosen scribe Of some now apocalypse,
the officer was overcome by the In.
tensity of his emotions; his legs failed
him and he fell. Almost Mt the same
instant he heard q crashing sound In