The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-02-05

Tucker, Esq, who had disappeared ,.,.-
AS a matter Of fact, Lacey knew
nothing about who the man was or
whence he came He had met him but
seldom in those old days, and the fact
of Private William Tucker was scarcely
one to be remembered.
There came day when Lacey, with
mere handful of men, was sent on a
forced march, in an endeavor to join
forces with another camp. But the
march was not success, and they pres
emily found that they were cut off, in
the midst of the hills, with the day fast
closing in, and the hostile, yelling war
riors all round them. They closed up
silently with dim feeling upon them
that there was but small hope, and
fought there steadily and doggedly,
while the light failed.
It was certainty from the first of
their being absolutely outnumbered,
and they fell one after another, with
those horrible black faces swarming
round them-with fiendish warcries in
their ears, and with only the determi-
nation in their hearts to fight to the last
for the honor of the flag they served.
: There was one gallant young figure
standing there and cheering on his men
and overawing for moment even those
who swarmed about them. A spear
thrust had reached him at last and he
staggered backward, with score Of
weapons leveled at him. But there was
another who sprang in there before him,
with dubbed rifle swung madly round
his head-one who knew only that the
man he had sworn in his heart to serve
was lying there beneath him; one who
saw only a woman's face in faroff Eng
land, as it had lain last on his breast;
one who knew that they should not
reach the figure at his feet while he had
the power to stand and to fight.
X <
1T have come back to you, my dar-
ling" Charles Lacey was saying. "When
we were cut off there, with mere
handful of men, little thought should
ever see your face again. I-of all those
who we're with me-alone escaped, al
though my wound took long time to
heal"
"But how did you escape?" she asked
breathlessly, while she chung to him.
"There was soldier there-a brave
fellow who, for some unknown reason,
had stuck to me through all the cam.
paign. They found him lying across me,
with broken rife in his hand, and they
told me that his wounds were frightful
enough to have killed half a dozen
men. I only found out afterward who
he was They called him Private Will
liam Tucker"
He wondered why she wore a black
dress that night at dinner. When he
asked her, she said, with the tears shin
ing in her eyes, that it was for the sake
of the dead soldier who had sent him
back to her. Illustrated Bits.
Agricultural Colleges and Stations.
According to the United States de-
partment Of agriculture's report, there
are 81 institutions Of learning having
courses in agriculture Several of the
southern states have separate institu-
lions for colored students. These insti-
buttons had 9,847 students in agricul-
tural courses and 229 graduates from
such courses in 1894. The total number
of agricultural graduates, including
1894, was 3,003. Thirty six Of these in
situations offer courses shorter than the
standard one Of four years, some being
for only a few weeks. In very few cases
4. L. 1o4s 4I0e