The herald., 1897-10-17

and would have come back to aid him
or more likely to die with him. But
the wounded man drew out his hand
in vehement protest.
Run. Sandy" he cried, so loudly and
eagerly that could easily hear him
through all the shouting and pother.
1T will do no good. I am sped. Save
yourself-God have mercy-tell Mar
garrett"
But what he would have told Mar
garet I know not. For even then he
spread out his arms and fell forward
on his face in the spongy moss.
At this his companion turned sharply
and ran on. finally disappearing among
the granite boulders amid brisk
cracking of the soldiers pieces.
But their craftsmanship was poor,
for though they were near to him, what
with the race and the unevenness Of
the ground, not a shot took effect. Nor
showed he any sign of seattle when last
I saw him leaping nimbly from clump
to clump of bent where the green, Shiny
moss, wet with the peatbrew. keeps all
soft as quicksand, SO that neither
hoof of charger nor heavy military
boot dare venture upon it, though the
bare accustomed foot Of one bred to
the hills may carry him across easily
enough So the fugitive, tall, burly
man, numbered with little beside a
double and short hose, disappeared out
of my sight, and the plain was bare,
save for the disappointed dragons in
their red coats and the poor man left
fallen on his face in the morass.
I could never see him move hand or
I foot after he fell. And indeed it was
not long that he had the chance. For
even as continued to gaze fascinated
at the scene Of blood which so suddenly
had broken in upon the pastoral peace
Of our Kells hills, saw tall dark
soldier, one evidently of some author
ity among them, stride up to the fallen
man. He strove to turn him over with
his foot. But the moss chung and he
could not. So without moments hes
itation, he took a musket from the
priming of the touch. set the muzzle
within foot, shot the full charge into
the back Of the PROSTATE man.
At this I could command myself no
longer. The pursuit and the shooting
at the fugitives, even the killing when
at least they had a chance for their
lives, seemed nothing to this strong
hearted butchery. I got me up on my
feet and in boyish frenzy shouted
curses upon the murderer.
God shall send thee to hell for this,
wicked man-black murderer that thou
art!" I cried, shaking my clenched
hand, like the angry impotent child I
was.
The soldiers who were searching here
and there. as it were for more victims
among the coverts, turned their heads
my way and gazed, hearing the voice
but seeing no man. Others who stood
upon the verge. taking shots as fast as
they could load at the man who had
escaped, also turned. I yelled at them
that they were to show themselves
brave soldiers, and shoot me also. The
tall, dark, burly man in the red coat
who had fired into the wounded man
cried to them to take a shot at the
- young Whig." But I think the
men were all too much surprised at my
bold words to do it. For none moved
so that the speaker was obliged to
snatch a pistol from his own belt and
let fly at me himself.
The whistle of the pistol ball, as 1t
sped harmlessly by, walked me as from
a dream.
turned and ran without knowing 1t,
for the next thing remember was the
scuff Of the wind about my ears as I
sped recklessly down the steepest
slope, with no feeling that my feet
were touching the ground at all. I saw
Ashie and Gray securing far above me,
with their tails clapped between their
legs, for I suppose that their masters
fear had communicated itself to them.
Yet all the time knew we'll that sim
gle false step, a stumble upon twist
ed root of burnt heather, a treacher-
Gus clump of grass amid the green
slime of the morass, and the fate Of
the fallen martyr would be mine.
And ere I passed quite out of range