The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-01-29
INSIDE THE LINES.

llaTilGI the lfllic NoNA A-N-A@
the men had gone away.
II beauty Of location had been mill
fairy requisite, the fort was certainly
veil nlanted. The earthworks ran near
the edge of a high bluff, which rose al
most perpendicularly from the stT1p OF
land bordering the brown river at lts
f,,t On the other side Louisiana
stretched away to the horizon line, level
and green as garden, and IN the DIS
tance bit Of lake often caught some OF
the blueness of the sky and shone the
gem of all this fair setting.
The boy who was lying on the edge OF
the bluff had no eyes for the distant
view. Through an opening IN the trees
cIingiug to the sides of the hill he was
gazing at the antics of party of boys
far below him. Close under the bluif
Law a white. many pillared house, anu
stretching before and behind 1t were
smooth spaces of lawn, long lines OF
,liuped hedges and avenues of mag
nalias. Something in its sheltered posi-
tion between the river and the bank had
saved from destruction tins estate,
whose possessors had given it the fitting
name of the Garden. 1t seemed like
vision of paradise 10 the eyes OF the
homesick boy who was gazing down
into the enemy's country.
From the door of a rough house with
in the embankment two officers watched
the hoy. The elder, Colonel Denning,
was the commanding officer OF the fort
Il am afraid made a mistake when
brought NV son down here, said the
colonel. He is almost desperate with
loneliness. | was afraid Of II, but 1t
seemed too hard TO leave him there
after his mother died.
Il think YOU did right to bring him,
colonel" said the younger man. Its
good, quiet, healthy place. and after
while he will make friends with tine
men and be happier.
i hope he Will, said The colonel.
Il feel sure Of it" rc;oined The other.
a..Just now he longs for tie society OF
bows. but he Is fighting against the IN
evitable. He has not philosophy enough
10 endure nor experience enough TO un-
derstand the feeling these people have
for everything inside these walls. Moth
ing could tempt one of these town boys
To have anv intercourse with him, and
their scorn is rather hard TO bear. Tn
going TO send George the Second TO
take him ont on the river He Is an
amusing little beggar, and viii not
make such bad companion for VIII
when he gets used to his color and MS
ways"
a few minutes later two boys were
swinging themselves down the face of
the bluff. Wills companion was a slim,
Timber jointed little black boy, whose
movements suggested a jumping jack,
and his bearing showed the pride he felt
as Wills guide.
Holding now by tough root, now by
the smooth stem of a blackjack vine,
digging their heels into the soft soil and
slipping perilously forward. they pres
entity struck into well Worn cowpath,
which I'd by easy stages to the foot Of
the hin.
Bevond the road which led to the
Garden lay huge stranded logs, through
which they picked their way out upon a
sandy strip Of beach, where an ancient
skiff was tied to raft. There was
little water in the boat, and huge
sourd was at hand as a means of de-
fense against further leaking. Two
clumsy oars furnished employment for
both boys, and once launched their
strength was tried 10y the current, which
calae swirling around the promontory
of rctting bark which served as a break
wafer.
Put sturdy boyish muscles Were ~
work, and the old boat was pushed
slowly up the shore, keeping in with
the eddy, and nosing her way through
anchored srags of drifrwood and up
into more open water away from the
shore.
Drawing a long breath. VIII parsed
for minute and said: Lets 20 over
II the island we see from the fOrt-the
Tow head, mean. Where is il, anyhow:
I'm completely turned around"
Hits right ovah yander where you
see de cottonwOods an de san bar" said
George. Dis yer is de corral. Heap er
cullud folks lives yer. but hits drappin
in de water mighty fas'. Dat beach tree
a swislin up ali down in dat bend useter
grow in Unc' Jakes yard"
On the shore of the bend George point
Ell out the grim sight of an old burying
ground, upon whose precincts the cur
rent of the Mississippi was rapidly en-
croaching. VIII shuddered. and. with
quick intuition, George turned the boat's :
head away from the bend and pointed
across the current to the Towhead, whicl:
was now below them.
When the island first pushed its white.
sandy head through the water some cot
tOnwOod seed had landed there from an
airy voyage, and the young trees that
sprang from them formed the nucleus of
an aftergrowth which was added year
by wear like the rings of tree. The in
nermost growth was now composed Of
tail Young trees, but the thicket terraced
Gown until near the water there was
none but low thick bushes Of last years
growth. \ long tongue of sand extended
like the tail Of comet down the river.
Upon this the boys be2ched tine boat,
and then stretched their legs on the soft,
warm sand.
-'Tze slzcered er dis Yer Towhead, -
said George. Hits haunted. a ole
fl2tboat man ussfer live up in yander.
where yOu sees DAT black spot 'mon'st de
trees. De ole boat washed agroun one
night In high water. an lie old man neb-
Der made 40 monst' 'ous tempt fer 10 git
cut- he was onsociable like. az liked
hisse'f mighty well. lie live yer kinder
quiet, an folks done go; de notion dat
le lab heaps er money. An one might
somebody done kin i'm an tux all he
iei Since dat time his ghOs' done
walk dis Towhead. On'y jes' yisterd' =
Inc Jake lowed lie done seen dat ole
elos' an he lowed he gwine come yer
20 mol / ain had much 'piniOn er Unc'
Jake lately, but Tze jes' about as nigh
dat ole boat as keers TO go"
We'll, Tn going TO have a look at the
old shantv," said VIII, rising from the
sand His companion did not venture
10 follow him in the expedition.
The river had year by year added ta
the strip Of land, and the old fiatboat
was now nearly hidden by the under
brush that had grown up between il and
the water. The low hut which had once
been the boats cabin was still standing
amid the decayed timbers of the hull,
and VIII noticed with surprise that there
were traces of something like footprints
leading 10 it.
Nevertheless he stepped quite nnsus-
piciously over the doorway. Once fairly
Evithin he felt himself roughly srasped
by the arms from behind.
-You make noise TO call that boy.