Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-05-06

ronaIion, presag:ng anu enforcmg'Jran-
guilty in themen-withw hataccurate-
ly-measured intervals fell those cruel
words:
attention, company. Shoulder arms.
Ready. Aim. Fipel"
Farquhar dived-dived rs deeply as
he could. The water roared in his ears
like the voice of Niagara, yet be heard
the dulled thunder of the volley, and,
rising again toward the surface, met
shining bits of metal, singularly fiat
tened, oscillating slowly downward.
Some of them touched him on the face
and hands, then fell away, continuing
their descent. One lodged between his
collar and neck; it was uncomforta-
bly, warm, and he snatched it out.
AS he rose to the surface, gasping
for breath, he saw that he had been a
long time under water; he was per-
ceptiblv further down stream-nearer
to safety. The soldiers had almost nm
ished 'reloading; the metal ramrods
flashed all at once in the sunshine as
they were drawn from the barrels
turned in the air, and thrust into their
sockets. The two sentinels fired again.
independently and Intellectually
"rhe officer" he reasoned, will not
make that martinet's error second
time. It was as easy 10 dodge 1olley
as a single shot. He has probably al
ready given the command to fire at
will. God help me, cannot dodge them
ALL"
An appalling plash within two yards
of him, followed by loud, rushing
sound, dimmuendo, which seemed to
travel lack through the air TO the fort
md died in an explosion which stirred
the very river to its depths! A rising
sheet of water, which curved over him.
fell down upon him, blinded him,
strangled him! The cannon had taken
hand in the game.
Suddenly he felt himself whirlod
round and round-spinning like top
The water, the banks, the forest, the
now distant bridge, fort and mer-all
were commingled and blurred. Objects
were represented by their colors only;
circular horizontal strcalls Of color
that was all he saw. He had been
caught in vortex and was being hurled
on with a velocity of advance and gyra-
;ion which made him giddy and sick.
in a few moments he was dung upon
the gravel at the foot of the left bank
| of the strcam-thc southern bank-and
behind a projecting point which con-
cealed him from his enemies. The sud
den arrest of his motion, the abrasion
Of one of his hands ON the gravel, re-
stored him and he wept with delight;
He dug his fingers into the sand, threw
it over himself in handfuls and audibly
| blessed it. ltlookcd like gold, like dia-
mords, rubies, cmerdlds; he could
think of nothing beautiful which it
did not resemble. The trees upon the
bank were giant garden plants; he
noted a definite order in their arrange
ment, inhaled the fragrance of their
blooms. 4 strange roseatc light shone
through the spaces among the trunks,
and the mind made in their branches
the music of aeolian harps. He had no
wish to perfect his escape, was content
to remain in that enchanting spot until
retaken.
A whizz and rattle of grapeshot
among the branches high above his
head reused him from his dream. The
bafiled cannoncer had fired him ran
dom farewell. He sprang to his feet,
rushed up TIE sloping bank and
plunged into The forest.
All that day he Travelled, laying his
course by the rounding sun. The for
est seemed interminable; nowhere did
he discover q break in it, not even a
woodman' sroad. ITehad notknown that
Ls lived in so wild q region. There was
something uncanny in the revelation,
His neck was in pain, and, lifting
his hand to it, he found it horribly
swollen. He knew that it had a circle
of black where the rope had bruised
it. His eyes felt congeEed; he could
no longer close them. His tongue Was
swollen with thirst; he relieved It's
fever by thrusting it forward from be
tween his teeth into the cool air. How
softly the turf had carpetcd the TN
travelled avenue! He could 10 longer
feel the roadway beneath his feet!
Doubtless, despite his suffering, he
fell asleep while walking, for now he
sees another scene-perhaps he has
merely recovered from delirium. He
stands at the gate of his own home.
All is as he left it, and all bright and
beautiful in the morning sunshine. He
must have travelled the entire night,
AS he pushes open the gate and passes
up the wide, white walk, he sees a fut-
ter of female garments; his wife, look
ing fresh and cool and sweet, steps
town from the veranda to meet him.
At the bottom OF the steps she stands
waiting, with a smile of ineffable joy,
IN attitude of matchless grace and dig
nifty. All, how beautiful she is! lie
springs forward with extended arms.
As he is about to clasp her, he foels a
stunning blow upon the back of the
neck; binding, white light blazes all
about him, with sound like the shock
of q cannon-then all is darkness and
silence!
Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body,
with broken neck, swung gently from
side to side beneath the timbers of the
Owl Creek bridge.-Fron Tales of Sol
diers and Civilians.
---'-------
He Ran AWAY.
Broker-What started the run on
III q