The Princeton union., 1899-04-13

TO move rapidly, however, IOr a dread
of disturbing it. He held his head
very still and took many precautions
against stumbling. He was filed with
anxiety, and his face was pinched and
drawn in anticipation of the pain Of
any sudden mistake Of his feet in the
gloom.
His thoughts, as he walked, fixed
intently upon his hurt. There was
a cool, liquid feeling about it and he
imagined blood moving slowly down
under his hair. His head seemed .swol-
len to a size that made him think his
neck to be inadequate.
The new silence of his wound made
much worriment. The little, blister
ing voices of pain, that had called out
from his scalp, were, he thought, def
mite in their expression of danger. BY
them, he believed he could measure his
plight. But when they remained
ominously silent, he became frightened
and imagined terrible fingers that
clutched into his brain. r.
He held continuous arguments as to
whether he should lie down and sleep
at some near spot, or force himself on
until he reached a certain haven He
| often tried to dismiss the question, but
his body persisted in rebellion and his
senses nagged at him like pampered
babies. -.
At last he heard CHEEKY voice near
his shoulder: "Yeh seem t. be in a
pretty bad way, boys
The youth did not look up, but he as
sented, with thick tongue: ''Uh.''
The owner of the CHEEKY voice took
him firmly by the arm. "Well,' he
said, with round laugh, I'm. goin'
your way. Th' hull gang is goin'' your
way. An l guess kin give yeh a
lift" They began to walk like a
drunken man and his friend.
AS they went along, the man sques-
toned the youth and assisted him with
mind of child.
In the search which followed he
seemed to possess a wand of a magic
kind. He threaded the mazes of the tan
gled forests with a strange fortune. In
encounters with guards and patrols he
displayed the keenness of a detective
and the valor of a gamin. Obstacles
fell before him and became of assist
ance. The youth, with his chin still
on his breast, stood woodenly, near
while his companion beat ways and
means out of sullen things
The forest seemed vast hive of men
buzzing about in frantic circles. but
the CHEEKY man conducted the youth
without mistakes until at last he began
to chuc1xle with glee and self-satisfac-
tion. "Ah, ther yeh are. See, that
fre?''
The youth nodded stupidity.
"Well, there's where your regiment
is. An now good-by, Of boy, good
luck t. yeh.''
A warm and strong hand clasped the
youths languid fingers for an instant,
and then he heard a cheerful and auda-
cious whistling as the man strobe
away. AS he who had so befriended
him was thus passing out Of his life, it
suddenly occurred to the youth that he
had not once seen his face. ..<.e.~.,s-
He went slowly toward the fire indi-
Gated by his departed friend. AS he
reeled, he bethought him of the wei.
come his comrades would give him. He
;, had a conviction that he would soon
. feel in his sore heart the barbed missiles
Of ridicule. He had no strength to in
vent a tale; he would be soft target
!, He made vague plans to go off into
the deeper darkness and hide, but they
were all destroyed by the voices of ex
', haustion and pain from his body. His
ailments clamoring, forced him to seek
!, the place of food and rest at whateve,
cost.
He swung unsteadily toward the fire
He could see the forms of men throw
ing black shadows in the red light, ani
as he went nearer it became known t<
y him in some way that the ground wa!
strewn with sleeping men.
Of a sudden he confronted a dark ant
monstrous figure. A rifle barrel caugh
some glinting beams. Halt, halt
He was dismayed for moment, but h
presently thought that he recognized
the nervous voice. AS he stood totter
ing before the rifle barrel he %callet
> out: "Why, hello, Wilson, you YOU
|: here?" .'@''