The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-01-03
THE WOOD DOVE.

had convened. Private Thomas
Wilkins of company D. -th infantry
had been tried for being off duty
without leave, the papers had been
signed and sent to Washineta!SG b
The. afterpooo1ISEai 1ISEail and Col. John
Briefly, who had acted as Judge ad'
yocate. aud Maj. Thompson. the sur.
geon who had appeared as witness
against wilkins, were striding along
the board walk toward the ColonePs
quarters when I met them and was
invited in to have glass of some
thing hot.
After the something hot had beer
declared excellent by all the persons
interested, the talk naturally was Of
the court-martial.
"By the way, Colonel" said Ma
Thompson, ''if YOU will pardon my
saying so, thought you were very
lenient toward Wilkins in your ex'
animation.
,"Yes," said the Colonel, 81 gener.
ally am in such cases You know,
he said, turning to me- "Wilkins left
his quarters to go and see his sweet
heart. He is engaged to the girl. "
but it was a clear case Of neglect
of duty" remarked Jh surgeon.
81 know it," replied the Colonel
"but-well, I SYM athized With
him"
The Major said nothing more. The
Colonel regarded his glass tor few
moments. tested the punch, and
then, looking up suddenly, he said:
.'I'll tell you what will do Ii
you men will give me your word of
honor never to reveal to soul what
I have to tell until I am dead and
gone l vii give you my reasons fol
sympath:Zlng with this man"
Ne gave him our word Of honor
and we kept our word. The Colone.
has now been dead for many years,
the major, l bel eve is on the re-
tired list and living somewhere up
in Maine, and so do not feel that /
am wronging any man in writing
down the story told US that winter
afternoon some ten or fifteen years
1go.
I'm the little old churchyard just
outside OF the Mexican village OF San
Felipe in Arizona" the Colonel said,
lis grave off by itself in one cor
ner. On the modest headstone Is tie
inscript on: Sacred to the memory
of the Wood Dove, received into the
church as Mercedes Briefly. wife OF
Col. John Briefly, u. S. A., died
March 10, 1877, aged rs years. ,"
The Colonel was silent tor some
moments, and then, in a grave voice,
be continued:
"Mercedes Briefly was my wife. 1
am the John Briefly referred to. She
was an A pache Indian, and when you
have heard what | did to win her
hand, knowing her heart was mine,
you will understand why did not
put many severe questions to that
poor young man today
II first met the girl who was des.
tined to be my wife in the year 1856
when 7 was stationed on the frontier.
The civil war, in which I had won
my Colonei's commission, was just
over, aud the Apache and other In-
dians we're constantly on the war
path. I was at that time IN com.
mand of the -th cavalry and / had
about 400 men with me.
1--WE were encamped near little
Mexican village, San something or
other, in. the northwestern part OF
New Mexico. We had had no work
to do for about month, but the
air of my tent was heavy with the
reports brought to me OF a large body
OF Apaches said to he on the war
path and rapidly approaching our
Reighborhood.
lone atternoon-I remember the
da; well-the reports were verified
by the capture OF an Apache girl oy
some of my men. The girl was
brolght to my tent by her ,aptors.
They had found her riding by her
self in the hills and had only succeed
ed in making her a prisoner after she
had severely wounded one OF them.
u will not attempt to describe
the beauty Of this girl. She was then
about l9 years OF age, OF sublime
figure, with the most wonderfully
beautiful eyes. ! will only say that
I fell in love with her the very mo-
ucnt saw her.
I'VE he'd the girl prisoner. She
refused to tell US anything about her
self or to betray the whereabouts OF
her people. That they were near we
knew, however, and daily and night.
ly we expected an attack, But for
one mouth they remained under
cover. We did not 90 out and look
for them, as it was my policy always
20 let them fire the first shot.
THAT month was in many re
spects the hdppiest month in my life.
Love was new to me. l didn't
know It since my days at West Point
| loved the girl with all my heart,
and, what was sweeter, she soou
grew to love me in return.
zone afternoon l tod her OF my
love and l asked her to marry me.
She told me then that she loved me.
.s +o1d mo that che would marry