The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-03-17

| would be safe to make him comfortable
with part of his own clothing.
Il wish you wouldn't sit there and
stare like night owl, Grammel, Lee
Carson was saying fretfully. Il like
being alone when I've go of this
mongrel malaria. If you would push
on to the higher ground you might save
us both"
''I'll start when the moon rises" re-
piled Grammel with ready untruthful-
ness.
That's all right" said the sick man
drowsily; pile up those reeds at my
elbow and I'll keep the fire going. I'll
do
Grammel rose at once and began to
arrange the heap of reeds to humor his
companions fancy.
! Lee-Carson leaned against them and
dozed and Grammel, Selling the oppor-
others coverings.
Lee-Carson opened his eyes with an
effort.
"Once too often, Friend Grammel!'
he said.
Grammel glanced confusedly at the
offending blanket.
I'm not sleepy" he replied; "be-
sides, I'll be starting presently"
Take it off," was the peremptory
rejoinder.
Let me make up the fire first" said
Grammel, temporizing; but he was
saved further argument, for the fever
was gaining upon the sick man.
whats that?" exclaimed Lee-Carson
nervously, struggling to sit up. They
are coming! That's the trampling of
the hoofs!"
Dare say they are" said Grammel,
with "a vague wish that there was a hoof
within 200 miles of them. You might
try to rest now"
Lee-Carson made no reply, but sank
back obediently on his blankets, where
he lay moaning and muttering in an
uneasy half-consciousness.
Thus the night wore on.
| Then, because the desolation was SO
intense, Grammel began to grumble;
his voice rang like a minor undertone
through the resonant booming of the
bitterns and the harsh chorus of the
frogs in the pools and fens around
them.
Half this tobacco's soaked" he said,
shifting contemptuously at the hollow
of his hand, land the rest tastes like
smoked porridge steam; but l suppose
it's better than breathing in this fetid
fog in its native nastiness. Pah! it's
chilly too. l don't think" He
stopped.
Lee-Carson was singing, a broken line
or two at first, then his voice rang out
clearly:
Thus as the spreading ocean
| Conquers a sandy coast,
! Each tide has borne US further
To man loneler post"
Its only doggerel," he went on with
a weak laugh, but it warns a mans
veins, and it's true; | tell you, it's true!"
The big man opposite sat very still
and listened. Lee-Carson ran on in the
irascibe monotone of delirium:
"Fordison and Chester died, you
know-wiped out with fever. Fordison
died just at dawn, wet, low dawn only
as high as the tops of the trees. That
was in the forest, when we were MAX
ing for higher ground. And Grammel
good old Grammel-buried him and
planted a rock on his chest"
A squirting blaze famed out of the
reeds, and Lee-Carson half rose.
you MIST do it to keep the hyenas
off, you know" he proceeded, solemnly.
do you think we'll find it an impedi-
ment on Resurrection day? But I sup
pose it's no worse than coffin with ten
penny nails is it, Gram?"
"Of course mott" answered Grammel.
''Do shut up!"
| But Lee-CarSOn wandered on.
"And Chester-the hyenas have him
if the crocodiles left any. They're
birds of feather, crocs and hyenas.
What's one mans meat-one mans
meat-how does it go?-I can't remem-
bert" he sobbed petulantly.
The red glow OF the fire burnt like a
plague-spot on the broad dark breast
of the waste as Grammel fed it 81
lently.
The weary, hollow voice went on:
You're looking very pretty this
morning, Alice, with the sun shining in
your hair. You knew I'd come back,
didn't you, darlng?" He looked across
admiringly into Grammel's bearded
face. Lets set the rat-trap in the
stable-where is it? l can't find it,
Then from the far distance of the
marshes come indescribable noises
that sounded like 1itans laughing, and
balls of fen-fre rolled, dimly seen,
through the fog, while Lee-Carson got
exceedingly afraid because he fancied
that he was on board steamer on a
thick night, and that a collision was
imminent, and the skipper not proper
ly certificated.
Il tell you. man, I see her lights!
There!" he cried, strung like harp
with excitement, pointing shaking
hand into the darkness.
"She's working round all right" said
Grammel, soothingly. Cant you hear
| +ha cn;lorc Gin o;nrom o.l1;p,r 20 NV,