The record-union., 1897-12-12

and in one hour from now you be re-
moved thence to place to be deter
mined upon and there shot The court
lis dissolved"
| Not a word more was said The
guard removed the prisoner, who. amid
the wondering glances OF his comrades,
walked with firm step TO the guard
1 tent, where the flap was lowered and
| he was left to his own melftations
The hour passed all too quickly; but
ere it struck there was sound of
jingling spur and scabbard. and Floyd
strode into the prisoners presence.
Amos stood up and saIuted
/ "Duerden," began the General. Il
think you have behaved like a mad
man. But you left me no option
do not wish to make your load of trou-
bic heavier than it is already. but L
wish to tell you that already your story
| Is known throughout the camp. and
not one of your comrades has u word
TO say in your blame. You have
forced me TO condemn you; you are ac-
quilted by them.'
| Stnl Amos was silent, and Floyd went
on, not without emotion, You saved
my life. Amos. and 1 would fain be of
| service to you now. Is there nothing
You will allow me to do?"
| General" was the answer, "let me
face my comrades fire with my eyes
unbound and do you see to it that Ag-
nes knows that I atoned for my fault
and died as brave man should die"
I WILL" promised Floyd His voice
was gruff and unsteady, and his keen
eyes We're moist as he left the tent
Ten minutes later Amos Duerden
! stood in front of the firing party told
off TO do him to death. His regiment.
drawn up, looked on, and all the super
! ior officers We're present.
/ Amos stood with the handkerchief in
/ his hand which he was to drop as a
signal for the volley which was to cut
his thread of life so suddenly. He
| glanced at his comrades, and some OF
the rough fellows were weeping. He
looked at the sky, the woods, the river
for the last time. and drew in long
breath of the sweet. fresh morning air
For the last time" he thought DULY.
For the last time and braced himself
for the coming shock
Suddenly far away. his eye caught
sight of a party of horsemen advanc-
ing at gallop. There was a futter
of skirts somewhere in the midst of
them, and Amos, forgetting to give the
| signal, fixed his eyes upon the caval-
cade and held them there. fascinated.
| Nearer and nearer they came. until
at last he could distinguish the familiar
| figures of men he knew. But among
| them, horrible to dream of, was his
| love, his Agnes, coming to see him die
A strange scream, more like that Of an
animal in pain than any human sound.
burst from him. If he lost mis- nerve
now he would be disgraced forever
And it was going. He had not looked
for trial such as this. II was going
going fast. He raised his hand above
his %ad and dashed the handkerchief
to the ground.
"Firei"
From the dark mouths of the levelled
muskets tongues of flame streamed vic
iously towards him. The rolling echoes
of the volley died away and Amos
Duerden stood erect and unharmed.
| Dazed and bewildered, he stared in
front of him, hearing, as a man in a
dream, the sound Of those galloping
hoofs. Then mechanically he raised
his hand once more, and went through
the action of dashing the handkerchief
to the ground. But Floyd, who had
been watching him keenly, left his
place and FASTENED TO him.
| amos Duerden,' he said in a voice
so loud that every man assembled
there could hear each word that fell
from his lips, amos Duerden. give me
your hand" He stood. holding the
hand of the condemned man and went
| on: You are a brave man and no
| coward, Amos Duerden. A coward
would have hidden his fault, knowing
| that it could never be discovered Only
| a brave mani had well-nigh said a
| hero-could have come forward, as you
did. to his own condemnation. Amos
| Duerden, there is not q man among
your comrades who does not honor you
| to-day" deafening cheer rent the
air. You forced me to this course to
defend you from yourself You have
faced the death you longed for, faced
| it as brave man should. I< bitter
ness is past for you. Your sin is
atoned for, and you are free By my
order the muskets were charged with
powder alone
| At that, Amos Duerden, brave, strong
man as he was, rocked from side to
side like a wind-shaken sapling, reeled
and fell, even as a dead man, at his
Generals feet.
| When he came to himself, the noise
of his comrades cheering was still in
his ears; but his head was in Agnes
| lap, and she was bending over him
with tears of joy streaming down her
| face-Reginald Horseley in Chambers
Journal