Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-10-24
N1K D[BANHELAN.
By EDWARD 1 ElLlR
Copyright. iss. By the Author,
CHAPTER ~.


| Fate frowned upon Lieutenant Oak
man that afternoon in eastern Georgia.
There was more In this side expedition
upon which he had ventured than hi,
captors suspected. He was engaged on
momentous business. but all prospect Of
success seemed to have vanished with
his capture.
As the three men moved along the
cotton field toward the mansion of Gen
eral Eldridge, with the mare Fanny fol.
lowing as obediently as q well trained
dog the thought Of the prisoner went
70 Sam Borland, the scout who had ac-
companied him on his perilous enter
prise. The two had separated. but. as
has been shown, remained In sight Of
each other.
What had become Of Borland and
what was he doing while his superior
stood in such imminent need Of help 7
He must have heard the sound Of firing
and could not fail to know the extrem-
ity Of the lieutenant Why was he idle
or calmly watching his comrade as he
plodded painfully forward with Con-
federate captor on either hand,
Borlsnd had no superior as a sharp
shooter In the American army, while
his in:repidity had been complimented
more than once by Fitzpatrick. Slocum
and General Sherman himself Had II
been otherwise he would not have been
selected as the companion Of the New
England officer on this delicately dan
gerous enterprise.
Oakman expected the interference ut
the scout, who could readily pick of
one Of the captors and thus place him
self on even terms with the other. but
the fragments Of cotton bolls slowly
swept to the rear Of the trio, and Bor-
land gave no sign.
When the prisoner looked backward
for the third time, pretending he was
commiserating his mare the bushy
whiskers around the mouth OF jim
Ackers twitched in a way that showed
he was grinning He said. with
chuckle:
IL allow you won't see him yet
awhile. leftenant.
Whom do you meant asked Oak
man. impressed with sudden fear.
THAT scout Of yourn. He's out the
ring.
'Deady''
"Not exactly. but he was gathered
in before you.
"How did II happenf That's too
bad. " was the bitter comment Of the
captive.
~ reckon IL Is from your pint OF
view. but You didn't think, leftenant,
did you. that Tim and me are the only
Johnny rebs in this part Of the countryf
There's more than 20 Of rs scouting
through these parts. and. Yank, we
were waiting for you.
A frightful dread passed through the
frame Of the wounded officer. He felt
his pale face flush under fear that un-
til that moment was stranger to him,
for the manner and the words Of Jim
Ackers hinted Of treachery very near TO
headquarters.
Was it possible, II the intimation OF
his captor was based on fact. the dread
that Lieutenant Oakman felt was not
for himself. but for another. The fate
Of that individual might well make the
bravest man shudder.
The officer looked appealingly at
AckerS and the rugged fellow answered
with a solemn wink Of the eye.
Had not the prisoner been suffering
acutely from his wound he might have
felt more hopeful. but 1t seemed to him
that the disaster which impended was
irretrievable. With native American
pluck, however. he set his teeth, resolv-
ed to brave 1t through to the end
Meanwhile IL was becoming evident
every minute that the wound in his
arm was more serious than at first sup
posed. There was little bleeding through
the crude bandage. but the pain and
partial numbness showed that it needed