Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-05-26

/ uutdby ndli-COUbClOuSncHss
Thus the night wore on.
Then, because the desolation was so
intense, Grammel began to grumble;
his voice rang like 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 CONTEMPORARY 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. don't think" He
stopped.
Lee-Carson was singing, 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 lonelier post"
Its only doggerel," he went on with
weak laugh, but it warns mans
veins, and it's true; tell you, its. true!"
The big man opposite sat very still
and listened. Lee-Carson ran on in the
irascible 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 maxi
ing for higher ground. And Grammel
good old Grammel-buried him and
planted rock on his chest"
A squirting blaze famed out Of the
reeds, and Lee-Carson half rose.
"You must do it to keep the hyenas
off, you know" he proceeded, solemnly.
do you think well find it an impedi-
ment on Resurrection day? But ! sup
pose it's no worse than coffin with ten
penny nails lis it. Gram?'
"Of course notl" 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 meaf-one mans
I0tdb-lON uOtS IL kO Cah NA~A
berl" he sobbed petulantly.
The red glow OF the fire burnt like
plague-spot on the broad dark breast
of the waste as Graanmel fed 1t 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, darling?" He looked across
admiringly into Grammel's bearded
face. Lets set the rat-trap in the
stable-where is it? ] can't find it,
Then from the far distance of the
marshes come indescribable noises
that sounded like Titans 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 collision was
imminent, and the skipper not proper
ly certificated.
81 tell you, man, / see her lightsl
Therel" he cried, strung like harp
with excitement. pointing shaking
hand into the darkness
"She's working round oil right" said
Grammel, soothingly. Cant you hear
the sailors singing?" adding to him
self: IF / can only get him on his
songs, that will quiet him down, per-
haps."
Lee-Carson responded to this at
once, his eyes blazing.
81 can hear them! 0. Lord, 1t is
good!" he exclaimed, and seemed to lis
ten; and he added. mysteriously; But
it's not the sailors-it's = don't you
know their voices ?-why, it's Fordison
and Chester and-and the rest"
And the high trembling voice was
once more raised to join in the song:
but northward. east, and westward
And under khe tropic sky,
The price that we paid to conquer
Were the men who were proud to die!
He chanted II over and over, till the
font sinews loosened and he fell back
exhausted, and lay still for many min
utes.
Presently Grammel crept around and
him up carefully. Lee-Carson's
.laen was the sleep of exhaustion, but
Il was better than no sleep at all.
After awhile Grammel too lay down
and slept
when Lee-Carson woke huge red
moon on the horizon seemed very close
- his ewes. and he called out, wildly:
ar.rammel! Grammell Curse you,
you're deadi"
And from the other side OF the fire