The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-05-13

oh'f wv HaJIia u serve ntm Win ne
own white hands. While she was eon
to fetch the water. her husband az
preached the dusty horseman and in
CURED eagerly for news from the from,
The lanks are repairing the rail
roads" said the man, ''and are gettin.
ready for another advance, They hay,
reached the Owl creek bridge, put ii il
order, and built a stockade on the othe
bank. The commandant has issued al
order, which is posted everywhere, de
claring that any civilian caught inter
fering with the railroad. its bridges
tunnels oil trains will be summarii,
hanged. l saw the order"
"How far is 1t to the Owl creel
bridge?" Farquhar asked.
about thirty miles"
rs there no force on this side tn,
creek?"
only a picket post half a mile out
on the railroad, and a single sentine
at this end of the bridge"
Suppose a mana civilian and stu
dent of hanging-should elude tn,
picket post and perhaps get the bette,
of the sentinel" said Farquhar. smil
ing, what could he aceomplish?"
The soldier reflected. II was ther,
a month ago" he replied. 81 observe,
that the flood of last winter had lodge,
a great quantity of driftwood agains
the wooden pier at this end of tn,
bridge. 1t is dry, and would burr
like tow"
The lady had now brought the water
which the soldier drank. He thanked
her tremendously, bowed to her hus
band and rode away. An hour later
after nightfall, he repassed the planta
ton. going northward in the direction
from which he had come. He was {
federal scout.
As Peyron Farquhar fell straight
downward through the bridge he losr
consciousness. and was as one ALREADY
dead. From this state he was awakened
ages later, it seemed to him--by the
pain of a sharp pressure upon hi;
throat, followed by a sense of suffoca.
ton. Keen, poignant agonies seemed
to shoot from his neck downward
through every fiber Of his body and
limbs. These pains appeared to flash
along well-defined lines of ramificatior
and to beat with an inconceivably rapid
periodicity. They seemed like streams
of pulsating fire heating him to an in.
tolerable temperature. As to his
head, he was conscious of nothing
but a feeling of fullness-of conges
rion. These sensations were unaccom.
panied by thought. The intel.
lectual part Of his nature was already
eflaced; he had power only to feel. and
feeling was torment. He was conscious
Of motion. ~Encompassed in a luminous
cloud, of which he was now merely the
fiery heart, without material substance,
he swung through unthinkable arcs OF
oscillation, like a vast pendulum. Then
all at once, with terrible suddenness,
the light about him shot upward with
the noise of a loud plash; a frightful
roaring was in his ears, and all was cold
and dark. The power of thought was
restored; he knew that the rope had
broken and he had fallen into the
There was no additional
strangulation; the moose about his
neck was already ~sutfocating him and
the water from his lungs. To die
OF hanging at the bottom of a river.
The idea seemed ludicrous. He opened
his eyes in the blackness and saw above
him a CLEAN of light, but how distant.
how inaccessible! He was still sinking.
for the light became fainter and fainter
until it was a mere glimmer. Then it
to grow and brighten, and he
knew that he wa rising toward the
surface-knew it with reluctance. for
he was now very comfortable. 'To be
hanged and drowned" he thought,
that is not so bad; but / do not wish to
be shot. No; | will not be shot; that is
not fair"
He was not conscious of an effort, but
sharp pain in his wrist apprised him
that he was trying to free his hands. He
The struggle his attention, as an
idler might observe the feat of a Jug
gler, without interest in the outcome.
What splendid etfort!-what magnif-
cent, what superhuman strength! All,
that was a fine endeavor! Bravo! The
lord fell away; his arms parted and
upward, the hands dimly seer on
each side in the growing light. He
watched them with a new interest as
trst one and then the other pounced
ipon the moose at his neck. They tore
i away and thrust it fiercely aside, its
resembling those of a wa
snake. "Put it back, put it back!"
He thought he shouted these words to
is hands, for the undoing of the moose
lad been succeeded by the direst pang
which he had yet experienced. His neck
lched horribly; his brain was on fire;
lis heart, which had been futteriny
gave a great leap, trying to
.orce itself ont of his mouth. His whole
body was racked and wrenched with an
nsupportable anguish. But his DISC
,edient hands gave no heed to the com
nand. They beat the water vigorously
Nth quick, downward strokes, forcing
nm to the surface. He felt his head
merge; his eyes were blinded by the
unlight; his chest expanded con-
.ulsively, and with a supreme and
,rowning agony his lungs engulfed 4
draught Of air, which instantly
lie expelled in a shrek!
He vas now in full possession of his
senses They were, indeed,
,reternaturally keen and alert. Some
hing in the awful disturbances of his
system had SO exalted and re-
ined them that they made record of
Kings never before perceived.