The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-28
THE ROANOKE TIMES, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2s. 1sg5.

havo mittcncd no if it hadn't boon that
had tho finest colt in the county.
The summer l Lett college there came to
me an overwhelming sense of patriotic
duty.
Mother was tho first to notice my alb
sentmindedncss, and to her first confideu
the great wish of my early manhood. 1t is
hard for parents to bid Il son 90 forth to do
service upon the battlefield, hut New Eng
land In those times responded chccrfuliy
and nobly to Mr. Lincolus call.
The Eighth Massachusetts cavalry was
tho regiment / enlisted in y bakers
dozen of lis boys went together from the
quiet little Village nesting i'll the shadow
OF Mount Holyo,le From Camp Andrew
I.wrotc back n piteous letter, complaining
of tho horse that had been assigned to mo
WANTED Royal. We had been inseparablc
in times of peacefully should we not
share together the fortunes of war!
Within n fortnight along came Royal, con-
Quoted in all dignity by-you would never
gucss-by Judge Phipps! Full of patriot
ism and chcor was tho judge.
Both of ye arc thoroughbrcds, said
he. Yell come in under the wire first
every time, know yc will"
The judge also brought me saddle
blanket which Susie had ornamcntcd with
WUHuEONS thll'l lcliticT uTl
So Royal and 1 went into the war to-
gcther. There We're times of privntion and
of danger; neither of us ever complained
l am proud to bear witness that in every
emergency my horse bore himself with
patience and n valor that seemed actually
human My comrades cnvicd me my
gentle, stanch obcdcnt servant Indced
Royal and / became famous as insenarable
snd loyal friends.
We We're in five battles, and neither of
us got even so much us IL scratch. But
one afternoon in n skirmish with the
rebels near Potomac mills Il bullet struck
ilo in the thigh, and from the mere shock
fell from Royals back into the tanglc of
tho thickct. The fall must have stunned
me for tho next thing knew l was alone
-i!cScrtcd of all except my faithful horse
Royal stood over me, and when l opened
my eyes nc gavo faint whinny. L hardly
knew what to do. My leg panied me ex-
crIiciatingly. I surmscd that l would
mover be able TO make my way back to
camp under the fire of the rebel pcketcrs,
for discovered that they We're closing in.
Then it occurred To me to pin note to
Royals saddle blanket and to send Royal
back to camp, telling the boys of the
trouble l was in. The horse understood
it NIL. OF lie .-allopcd, conscious of tho
import of the mission upon which he had
been dispatched.
Bang! bang! bang! went the guns over
yonder, as If the rcvcn9cful creatures in
the farotf brush guessed the meaning of
our mancuVcring and sought to slay nv
loyal friend. But not bullet touched
him-lcastwiSc he gallopcd on and on till
L lost sight OF him.
They camo for mo ut last. the boys did
They were II formidable detachment, and
1At l,.,, 1, IL.
I'VE thought you We're :. goncr sure, Z"
said Iii Bixby.
II guess | would have been if it hadn't
been for Royal, said l.
II guess so myself said he when
wo SAW him stumbling along all bloody,
wo allowed for sure you were dead"
"All bloody" cried. is Royal hurt?"
"4As bad as II boss can be- said he.
In camp we found them doing the best
they could for him. But ii was clearly of
no avail. There was gaping, ragged
hole in his sido. Seeking succor for me.
Royal had met his death wound. l forgot
my own hurt. thrust the others aside
and hobblcd whcro he lny
"Poor old Roy!'' / cried as threw nv
self beside my dying friend and put my
arms about his neck Then pattcd and
strokcd him and called him again and
again by name and there was Il look in
his eyes that told me he know me and was
glad i was there.
How strange and yet how beautiful it
was that in that faro,f country, with my
brave, patient, loyal friends Guttering
heart close unto mine, neither SAW nor
thought of the scene around mel
But before my eyes came hnck The old,
familiar places, the pasture lot, the lane,
tho narrow road up the hill, the river
winding along between great stretches OF
brown corn, tho aisle of maple trees and
the fountain where we drank ST. many,
many times together, and l smellcd tho
fragrance of the flowers and trees ;boom,
and heard the dear voices and the sweet
sounds of my boyhood days
Then presently n mighty shuddcr awall-
cncd me from this dreaming. And cried
out with alright and grief for felt that
L WAS alone. Chicago Record.
yenomOus Indian Snakes.