Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-21

A YHfA<zs,Al ", = I 81.
" VI ca szs-.'
- j. -
~ s. $50; rs.-=.-sF
.-.zz.s..;;' - -: -
Bah 1t pos some toul StuG from a
ditch.
When awose, the fever was on me
again 1t was early dawn There was
Just a tinge of gray light on the tree
tops crawled out, strong with one
determination. and that to drink my fill
of water-good or bad My guard was
Hat on his back, snoring like pig !
crawled silently past him down the
hill. and my ears were cheered by the
sound Of a running stream Sliding and
staggering at last reached the brink
and felt the cool spray in my face
thrust my lips to the surface and drank
in long, gasping drafts, like heated
horse heard cries and shots and the
clashing of weapons behind. but lay
down on the bank in sweet delirium,
and the sounds meant nothing to me
What cared for battle now that my
thirst was quenched
Twice | saw the captain face gaz
ing down at me, and | said something
a bout the duel But for the most of the
time | was going through feats of skill
on horseback with cut and thrust
| g. ;,l
unaccountable reason | drew blade on
Harry and to my horror ran him
through first thrust Then wrot.
poetry-shee' and sheets of it-abCut
the king an the Princess Barbara,
which read aloud to a circle of
strange faces waiting around me for
some dark purpose One rhyme went
wrong and shouted for Red Harding
to come and set it right Ard whether
| fought or rode or played poet beheld
/ always the W ,nsome figure of the Eng
fish Marion somewhere near watching
me with sad eyes And all TINS time |
seemed to be in some strange land ard
MP to Inc through miles and miles of
cloud and dream sounded familiar
{
heard my brother voice among them
and | cried WHAT is the matter Lord
/ Harryr Have put burs III your pony =
TAIL or eaten your tarty Then came IA
tar strange ringing laughter followed
10y sudden peaceful silence IN nv
own brain and opened my eyes
Opposite the couch on whlch laY
a..
with the easement open to the evening
hight A swallow darted past the voice
IT one of the stabiemen trolling "A love
song came up TO my ears In the corner
stood my sword ana my riding boots
cleaned and polished 1t was very quiet
save for the song and the tiutter OF bird
wings after my years OF continual
rluslc aid action | wondered where
the DuZZlng EIusic and stony faces had
gone to turned my head on the pillow
TO look tor them In a blg chair drawn
to my bedside with book open IN her
lap sat Marion looking at me with
dreaming eyes smiled wondering
what she was thinking about and tell
away into chlldlike slumber
the window but il was the light o'
morning My mother bent over me and
Kissed my forehead Harry was at the
foot hoard in hat and hunting dress
"Well, old fire eater, it is fine TO Sc
you back again." he said as MAJ
greets another on returning from
long journey
Behind my mother stood Marion
clad in cleaning white, with "A littl
glass of medicine in her hand | ha
been afar in the land of fever dream
for almost two weeks after my rescu
from the mountain robbers, and it wa
about this rescue that Harry and m
father came to tell me later ON tina
same day
Thus came the story in my father
slow, clear voice
. 1.-The captain and Red Harding an
the men reached home shortly afte
noon, bringing word that you were g
ing to stay a few days in the city at hi
, majesty's command In the evenin
: one of the men found Hagart heate
and nervous, standing at his stable door
with saddle all askew There was wor
, der in the house at first, then panic
, for we imputed that our old enemit
bad been up to their play But ho'
Hagart had escaped and why yon ha
taken the road so soon after the cal
tain we could not imagine With
, half an hour of the horses appearance
10 of us were well on the road to tn
, mountains
. But we had not Travelled far befoi
; we came face to face with stalwal
. rogue on long haired pony He tol
, us what ransom his chief wanted an
that if he did not return to the cam
, before dawn you would be stabbed
yonI sleep For moment we though
of falling upon him and making hi
, guide rs to the camp, but he leapt
back and clapped pistol to his hea'