The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-02-08
EBENSBURC, PA. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY

And King had to be content There
was no time to say more, for the men
were leaving and orderlies passing
backward and forward.
Through the sightless darkness
hlng walked home with the girl and
caught no glimpse of the face he
Kissed SO tenderly at parting. Out of
the blackness hand he could not see
rested on his; up from the gulf of the
night two lips were raj sed to his: then
he turned and walked back to his
quarters, lit cigar, and gave his
striker orders concer ing the disnosaI
of his scouting outfit.
In the silence of midnight the trooDs
rode away. The tramp of their horses
the mutfied clanking of their accou-
trements could be heard, but not n
thing seen save the burning points of
light from the officers cigarettes. The
signal fires of the Indians flashed
and went out on the mountains. There
were no bugle calls, no loud orders
even, for the enemy had its spies lurk-
ing behind every mes quite-bush, glid-
ing beside every trail.
In front of the commanding officers
the officers halted before they started
off; the women. still in their evening
gowns, crowded around them to say
good-by. They could recognize faces
only when the light from the COM
mandants windows fell upon them,
beyond that all was dark
King waited for the mascot that had
been promised him. and was DESPAIR
ing, when he felt something hard
slipped between his fingers and heard
voice, which seemed to come out of
the inky air, murmur: "Adios"
Adlos," he answered, and followed
the sound of the hoofs of his captains
horse.
In the midst of the chaparral. trot-
ting slowly along with the column, he
struck match and looked at the bit
of paste board in his hand. The light
was uncertain, but he could make out
head and neck, and the eyes seemed
to glitter Then gust of wind blew
out the match. and a coyote yelped
near by
The rations were almost out. and
orders were TO return to the post for
fresh supplies. King was happy at
the prospect, naturally. He drew out
his mascot from time to time and
looked at the beautiful face thereon.
the lips half parted, the eyes glancinp
from under heavy lids: it was only a
head, with masses of fluffy hair fading
into the shaded background, but it
was beautiful, perfect.
The twilight came on. They had
marched all the afternoon: they were
weary of chasing phantoms. of follow
ing useless trails They passed through
pine forest and the darkness deep
ened.
A creek at the bottom of a gully
flowed along in the shadow of the
pines. The column went down to it.
listening to the sound of the ripping
water. All else was quiet. Suddenly
no one spoke. The black wings of the
pines, like Il shadow of doom, lay over
the troops.
y crack, hiss, bullet striking
through flesh, a startled murmur.
orders ringing on the air in the midst
of the shots, then the soldiers returned
the fire of their unseen foes. On all
sides they were surrounded, but the
gully was wide enough for littla
maneuvering; the men got under the
shelter of an abrupt rising of the bank
and had only to defend themselves
from three sides.
They were badly frightened-not as
life and mean to sell it dearly. 1t wa
an ugly position, and not a few fell
face downward in the dancing noun
tain stream. The only person who
seemed completely to ignore the
danger was King. A cigarette be-
tween his teeth, he strolled, with ap-
parently utter carelessness. up and
down under cover of the bullets of his
men and in full range of the Indians
hidden UP above behind the tree
trunks
Some way the thought of the mascot
under his coat gave him a sense of
security. He heard again the sound
of the voice which said to him from
the darkness: If my picture is with
you, no harm can come near" He felt
again the touch of the phantom-lilse
hand. the warmth of the lips ne could
not see
There was a sharp pain in his breast.
He gave a little cry and fell, his fair
head half buried in the pine-needles
The girl, when she heard of it from
the dust-stained courier. grew uneasy.
She was afraid that her picture might
be found on the body, and that the
man she had promised to marry-the
mlddle-aged colonel, who had great
ideas of her constancy-might hear of
it.
But he did not. There was a photo
graph found in Kings pocket, but the
bullet had plowed right through the
face, and it was SO smeared with blood
as to be unrecognizable. 1t was sent
back east to his family.-San Francisco
ArpOnaut