The Irish standard., 1896-05-02
copys,cHr. .eq4. ~ BRET HAsTs.

trace Of doubt or alarm in the face OF
q subaltern to whom he was giving an
order; the first touch of sluggishness
lin reforming line; the more sig
Inifcant clumsiness of a, living evolution
that he knew was clogged by the dead
bodies of comrades; the ominols' si-
.lence Of a breastwork; the awful inertia
of some rigidly kneeling files beyond.
which still kept their form but never
would move again; the melting away
sof skirmish points; the sudden gaps
here and there; the sickening incurv-
ing of what a moment before had been
Is straight line-all these he saw in
;all their fatal significance. But even
ct this moment, coming upon shasty
ibarricade Of overset commissary Wag-
'ons, he stopped to glance at a familiar az
figure he had seen but an hour ago,
who now seemed to be commanding
q group of collected stragglers and
camp followers. Mounted on wheel,
with revolver in each hand and .
bowie knife between his teeth--the-
'atrical even in this paroxysm OF I'M
doubted courage-glared Jim Hooker!
And Clarence Brant, with the whole re-
sponsibility of the field on his Shout
,ders, even at that desperate moment,
found himself recalling vivid picture
of the actor Hooker personating the
character Of Red Dick" in "Rosalie,
the Prairie Flower" as he had seen
him in California theater five years
before! 80
It wanted still an hour Of the dark
ness that would probably close the fight
lot that day. Could he hold out, keeping
his offensive position so long? A hasty
council with his officers showed him
that the weakness of their position had
already infected them. They reminded
him that his line of retreat was still
open-that In the course of the night
the enemy, although still pressing to-
wards the division center, might yet
turn and outfank him-or that their
strangely delayed supports might come
up before morning. Brant's glass,
however, remained fixed on the main
column still pursuing It's way along
the ridge. It struck him suddenly,
however, that the steady current had
stopped, spread out along the crest on
both sides and was now at right angles
with its previous course. There had
been check! The next moment the
thunder of guns along the whole hori-
ION and the rising cloud Of smoke re-
;vealed a line of battle. The division
center was engaged. The opportunity
he had longed for had come-the des-
perate chance to throw himself on
their rear and cut his way through
the division-but it had come too late!
He looked at his shattered ranks
scarce a regiment remained. Even as
a demonstration--the. attack would fail
against the enemy's superior numbers.
Nothing clearly was left to him now
but to remain where he was-within
supporting distance, and await the is
sue of the fight beyond. He was put
ting up his glass when the dull boom
of cannon in the extreme western limit
of the horizon attracted his Afternoon.
BY the still cleaning sky he could see
long gray line stealing up from the
valley from the distant rear of the head
quarters TO join the main column. They
were the missing supports! His heart
'leaped! He held the key of the mystery
now. The one imperfect detail of the
enemy's plan was before him. The sup
ports coming later from the west had
seen only the second signal from the
,window-when Miss Faulkner had re-
placed the vase-and had avoided his
position. It was impossible to limit
the effect of this blunder! If the young
girl who had thus saved him had
reached the division commander with
his message In time, he might be fore
warned, and even profit by it. His own
position would be less precarious, as
the enemy already engaged in front
would be unable to recover their posi-
ton in the rear, and correct the blum
ready streamed past him. If defeated
there was always the danger that it
might be rolled back upon him-but
he conjectured that the division COM
mander would attempt to prevent the
junction of the supports with the main
column by breaking between them,
crowding them from the ridge and join
ing him. As the last stragglers of the
rear guard swept by Brant's bugles
were already recalling the skirmishers.
He redoubled his pickets, and resolved
to watch and wait, ri
= 1t was past midnight, when, without.
undressing, he threw himself upon his
bed in the little conyent-lilze cell 70
snatch few moments OF sleep. Its
spotless, peaceful walls and draperies
affected HIM strangely as if he had
Drought into its Immaculate serenity
the sanguine strain Of war. He was
awakened suddenly from a deep slum-.
her by an infinite sense Of alarm,
His first thought was that he had been
summoned to repel IN attack. He sat
up and listened. Everything was silent
except the measured tread of the sentry
on tile gravel walk below. But the door
was OPEN He sprang to his feet and
slipped into the gallery, in time to see
the tall figure Of a woman gliding before
the last moonlit window at its furthest
end. Tle could not see her lace; but
the characteristic turbaned head Of the
begro race was plainly visible. ssS =
4 He did not care to follow her, OF even
slarm the guard. If itwere the spy or
one Of her enlissaries, shewas powerless
now to do any harm, and under his late
orders and the rigorous vigilance Of his
sentinels she could not leave the lines
=-or indeed the house. She probably