The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-20

suffered. Hot. amt it?" He looked
UP with pleased. childlilie smile, that
q cherub might have enyied, stuck Il
cigar into his mouth. and. bunchir :
the dispatches together put them into
soileu linen envelope, tied it with a
DIT or pink tape extracted from his
pocket. sealed 1t and handed It to
Fielding. Pink tape and battle were
much more in General Grub's line than
red tape and drawing rooms When
this WAS finished. he rose, the sword
SO much too large for him in the time
or peace. So Huch too small IN time
of war, clanking at his side
Good night, sir" Fielding said.
Good night sir; good night. and
these niggcrs he hanged"
''-As you like. sir" Fielding answered,
smiling. and when his superior officers
hand. with It's grubby finger nails bit
ten to the quick, graspcd his and gave
1t jerky shake he felt sudden, over
whclminS enthusiasm for the task set
him. II seemed glorious to ride through
I the enemies line with every chance of
being butclcred by them at their own
! convenience. The night on which lie
began his return journey to General
| GruD's cncampmcnt was propitious
for cold. drizzly foS had set IN. For
six long hours Fielding picked his way
through the wet undcrbrush. his mare
! slipping OH the boggy ground, while
! dripping branches that he could not
see struck him In the face with the
! sting OF Il lash. At the mOnOtOnOuS gait
i necessary the hours seemed like cter-
! mites spreading out into the pall-like,
| cXpcctant silence about him. lie would
have given everything he possessed to
| I'LL the woods with shout or spur his
horse into Il breakneck gallOp-any.
| thing seemed more bearable than the
endless creeping forward, with nothing
but the intcrminablc drip, drip Of the
rain on the leaves to break the still
| ness. At the crossroads lie mounted
/ and rode on little more rapidly for q
| few moments. Then his horse stopped
, short. with frightened whifllc. Field.
! ing. erect. his hand ON the trigger
| peercd into the battling darkness. III
/ the silence the watch in his pocket
licked out the time with nervous rapid.
! ity, the minutes seeming to tumble
| over each other in their haste to get
| away. Seeing nothing. he was on the
! point of urging his mare forward
when his ears, sharpcncd by the strain
| of tho past hours, caught the muflled
sound made by feet on spongy ground,
! and as he looked again the shadow at
! the side Of the road moved and crept
stcalthily toward him. He raised his
revolver. but, before he could fire, his
horse, shying violently, bolted.
"Parada!" shouted q number of
! voices. while unnumbercd "paradas"
beat wavering retreat into the forest.
| Fielding turned quickly in the saddle,
/ to be blinded for n moment by the
! glare Of dark lantern turned upon
him. When he had grown accustomed
to the white light he took in the Rem
! brlndtlilie scene In the road behind
him. A group Of half dozen men, in
slouch hats and long capcs. stood huI-
died together at one side. while the
! stream Of yellow light from the lantern
| held alOft by one of them fell upon the
leader, standing n few feet in advance,
and threw his head and shoulders into
bold relief. Fielding took deliberate
aim and fred, as bullet carried away
| his hat. In answer the lantern fell to
the ground with q metallic clang and
darkness sprang toward him over the
| road.
The men behind him were still firing
ut random when his mare stumbled
almost on to her knees. Before she
; could more than recover herself Field
! ing's pistol was knocked from his
; hand, his arms were pinned to his side,
while he was nearly lifted from the
! saddle by the bearlikc hug Of q man
; who had ridden suddenly upon him
, from the side Of the road. y short.
sharp struggle began, both men fight
ing to win, the newcomer, who was
the fresher and more heavily built, get
ting the better Of the American BY Il
sudden wrench Fielding freed his left
hand and struck out, with closed fist, at
what in the darkness he took to be his
opponents head. The fellow cursed
him roundly, gripped tighter for a mo.
ment. then his hands loosened, and
Fielding knew from the dull thud
made by heavy body falling to the
earth that he was free Of his trouble
some companion. His mare started
into brealSneck gallop for home, the
riderless horse following from sheer
! fright, the rapid beat Of it's hoofs a
ghostly echo Of those Of his mares.
The worst Of his scrape over, Fielding
had time to become conscious of du,!
ache in his shoulder and leg and on
| putting his hand into his boot found
1t full Of blood.
"Hello" he said. "I'm hit. You must
run all the faster. Betty" he added
patting the mares neck.
"Love," said the junior surgeon; sis
mighty queer thing. It's inspiring,
but 1t isn't happy" He plunged irto
his tub of cold water and came out
shaking like Newfoundland. The one
candle, fickcrlng in the draft, sent his
shadow-that Of n pink and white
young giant. whose countennnce was
CHEEKY and misunderstanding upon the
tent walls. When lie was dressed, he
blew out the light, pulled up the tent
flap and looked out ut the silent camp
/ Life was not all beer and skittles, he