The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-08-11


were asleep. Indeed, thought 1 saw
a shadow, like the iickering of return
ing life, flutter over his face for q mo-
ment, as my brother held him up. But
Juan laughed at me when | told him,
and urged him to drive back 30 the
farm house for assistance. He insisted
that the man was as dead as Adam and
his immediate family, and was cOgitat-
ing in his own mind what was best to
be done. While thus absorbed, a dis
tinct shudder, visible to both of us,
passed over the body, and the chest
heavcd slightly as if struggling for
breath. Juan lifted him hastily TO a
drieI part of the marsh, and called to
me to take hold of him and hold hi m up,
while he took the buggy and drove
back to the farmhouse AS fast AS he
could for assistance.
II will get in if | have to break down
the door TO do so, aud get something in
the shape of wine or liquor, and also
bring some one to help me carry him
away. Don't be frightened. Hold h inn
up and give him as much air AS possihle,
and III be back in a minute"
Juan jumped into the buggy, and in q
minute or two | heard the sound OF the
! flying wheels die away along the dis
tant road. | was kneeling on my night
knee, with my left supporting the back
of the officer, and his head lying oCrosS
my left arm. He was a handsome man,
of from thirty to thiTty-fve years Of
age, tall and well formed, fair, with
brown whiskers, and mustaChe, brown
hair, and wound as if from q sabre
cut, and recently healed, across the
! upper part of his left cheek. lie had q
| plain gold ring on the fourth finger OF
his right hand, which was lying across
my lap, and gold chain, evidently at
! tached to "A watch, around his neck. 1t
| a, lat r,., l,,1
tackled and wounded for the purpose OF
robbery. While | was holding him
thus, sudden spasm passed over his
face, his lips parted slightly, his nos
trils worked, and the quivering lids of
his eyes slowly opened He gazed
quietly around, and, raising his yes to
my face, | fancied that his lips moved
and that he wanted water. Propping
him up as gently and securely as | could
against the messy stump beside which
| was sitting, took his hat and hurried
to the ditch, the water of which was
tolerably clear, and scooping it full, 1
brought it to him and held it to his lips.
He smiled slightly as | did so, aud
allowed few drops to Tickle across the
leather tongue of his cap, over his lips
and down his throat | heard him dis
tinctly swallow them. lie then turned
his head away and motioned for M to
give him no more. | told him that nv
| brother had gone for assistance, and he
would soon be moved to more COM
Portable place. | thought "A strange eX-
preston paSsed over his face as | said
sO-a bitter sarcastic, sad expression
and he murmured family, "Useless ~ I
asked HIM If he found IT uncomfortable
resting that way, and If he wanted me
to hold him up. lie sad no, he was
fixed very well, but that | could serve
him in another way If | would. OF
course | willingly assented.
II do not suppose you have such a
thing as paper, or even pencil with you,p
he said, "butit you viii put your hand
into this sleeve of my coat-stop, | can
do it myself" lie put his hama into the
inside Of the right sleeve of his coat
the one which had not touched the wa
ter-and slowly drew out a pocket book
or small portfolio, containing number
of letters and a pencil. He bade me
open it, which did, and then saw that
both letters and book were deeply
stained with blood. In answer to my
exclamation of surprise and look of in
quiry, he pointed 10 his right arm, and
noticed what had escaped me before
"A rent made by shot through the
sleeve, and that the arm was broken.
"rake one of those letters from the
envelop, if you please, and tear off a
blank page if you can," he. murmured.
"lf you will be kind enough to act as
my amanueusis for moment, it will be
the greatest, in fact the only favor you
can do me-"
| took out several of the letters, and,
removing them from their covers, h unit
ed for a blank page as he said. AS | did
so, / could not hep but glance at the
superscription on the envelops-"Capt.
Pinkney >. Marshall, 2nd Regiment
South Carolina Volunteers, Richmond, :,
Va" He must then be an American /;
, but why the Spanish uniform? Co uld
, he have been deserter? No! there was
not line base enough for that in his
! fair face. Perhaps he was a spy, or h ad
, been serving in tnat way at the time of
the overthrow of the Spanish govern
! ment, most likely; and as | made the
, discovery of his being countryman of
, my own, Iapplied myself with renew ed
/ zeal to the task of doing what he re-
, quested. | found blank leaf, and
tearing it off, signitied that was re ady.
"Date it please" he said, turning his
large blue eyes upon the paper, and
!. watching me as my pencil skim med
, along.
!, did so-"Havana, Oct 2nd, 1898"
"Nemesis.'
"What?" Hooked up and asked him
, to repeat the name, not certain that |
had heard Alright, and thinking II
I might be some peculiar one with which
, was unacquainted. "Nemesls,' he
l repeated. "N-e-m-e-s-i-s. Don't you
understand
i Eyes, | understand now,' 1 said, lean n
/ ing over the paper again and preparin
a to write. "GO on"
( He continued:
: "Nemesis, or Martha: I told you
n would die, or return To keep my pro m
q ise IL is decided that my fate should
) be the first. You will think 1t better
4 for YOU, 1 know; / acknowledge now II
2 is better for me. My earthly career
4 closed on the 10Th Of Sept"
n stopped and looked at him In sur
/ prise. "You forget the date of this let
e ter" / said. "NO, do not" he ans weT.
| ed. "You dated il the 2nd OF Oct.
e think. 60 on, aud write as l dictate
}, looked at him cOmmiseratingly, foi
1t occurred TO me that he could not b'
, far from his end, and bis mind wa'
: evidently wandering. l bent over th'
s paper again, and he resumed:
Is 81 received my last earthly favor from
: the hand Of Ponsonby, who has doggee
e my footsteps for months, snd VINO iol