The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-03-31

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 n 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,
smiling contemptuously at the hollow
Of his hand, land the rest tastes like
smoked porridge steam; but suppose
it's better than breathing in this fetid
fog in it's native nastiness. Pah! it's
chilly too. don't think" He
stopped
Lee-Cnrson was singing, broken line
or two ut first, then his voice rang out
clearly:
''Thrs as the spreading ocean
ConQuers a sandy coast.
Each tide has borne us further
To man a lonelier post"
Its only doggerel," he went on with
o weak laugh, but it warns 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
irascible monotone of delirium: ..
"Fordison and Chester died, you
know-wiped out with fever. Fordison
died just at dawn, a wet, low dawn only
as high rs 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 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 We'll find it an impedi-
ment on Resurrection day? But ! sup
pose It's no worse than n coffin with ten
penny nails is 1t, Gram?"
"Of course mott" answered Grnmmel
"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 rcmem-
ber!" he sobbed petulantly.
The red glow OF the fire burnt like n
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, darling?" He looked across
admiringly into Grammel's bearded
face. Lets set the rat-trap in the
stable-where is it,? can't find i'll"
Then from the far distance Of the
marshes come indescribable noises
that sounded like Titans laughing, and
balls of fen-fire rolled, dimly seen,
through the fog, while Lee-Carson got
exceedingly afraid because he fancied
that he was on board n steamer on q
thick night, and that collision was
imminent, and the skipper not proper
ly certificated.
II tell you, man, 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
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.
II can hear them! o, Lord, It 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 Fordlson
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 the tropic sky.
The price that we paid to conquer
Were the men who were proud to diew
He chanted It over and over, till the
taut sinews loosened and he fell bacl
exhausted, and lay still for many min
utes.
Presently Grammel crept around ant
covered him up carefully. Lee-Carson''
sleep was the sleep Of exhaustion, bu
It was better than no sleep at all.
After awhile Grnmmel too lay down
and slept. 4aeW DAG aNi"i a4 Ast
When Lee-Csrson woke . huge 70,
moon ON the horizon seemed very clos
70 his eyes, and he called out, wildly:
"Grammell iGrammell Curss you
orammsl, YOU'RE deedtr "a 6.ai ts
And from the other sids of Tie A.