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


Then after moments hesitation he
suffered. Hot. amt it," He looked
up with a pleased. childlilie smile. that
a clerub might have enyied, stuck q
cigar into his mouth, and, punching
the dispatches together, put them into
q soiled linen envelope, tied it with Il
bit of pink tape extracted from his
pocket, sealed it 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
Of peace, so much too small In time
Of war, clanking at his side.
"Good night. sir" Fielding said.
"Good night. sir; good night. and
these niggers be hanged"
''As you like. sir, Fielding answered,
smiling. and when his superior officer S
hand. with it's grubby finger nails bit
ten to the quick. grasped his and gave
it a jerky shake he felt q sudden, over
whelming enthusiasm for the task set
him. 1t seemed glorious to ride through
the enemies line with every chance of
being butchered by them at their own
convenience. The night on which he
began his return journey to General
Grub's encampment was propitious,
for cold. drizzly fog had set in. For
six long hours Fielding picked his way
through the wet underbrush, his mare
slipping on the boggy ground, while
dripping branches that he could not
see struck him in the face with the
sting of lash. At the monotonous gait
necessary the hours seemed like eter-
mites spreading out into the pall-like,
expectant silence about him. He would
have given everything he possessed to
fill the woods with shout or spur his
horse into a breakneck gallop-any.
thing seemed more bearable than the
endless creeping forward, with nothing
but the interminable drip, drip Of the
rain on the leaves to break the still.
ness. At the crossroads he. mounted
and rode on little more rapidly for q
few moments. Then his horse stopped
short. with frightened whiffle. Field
ing. erect, his hand on the trigger,
peered into the battling darkness. In
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, sharpened by the strain
of the past hours, caught the muff1ed
sound made by feet on spongy ground,
and as he looked again the shadow at
the side of the road moved and crept
stealthily toward him. He raised his
revolver, but, before he could fire, his
horse, shying violently, bolted.
"Paradaw shouted number Of
voices. while unnumbered "paradas"
beat wavering retreat into the forest.
Fielding turned quickly in the saddle,
to be blinded for q moment by the
glare Of a dark lantern turned upon
him. When he had grown accustomed
to the white light. he took in the Rem.
brandtlike scene in the road behind
him. A group Of half dozen men, in
slouch hats and long capes. stood huG
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 a few feet in advance,
and threw his head and shoulders into
bold relief. Fielding took deliberate
aim and fired. as bullet carried away
his hat. In answer the lantern fell to
the ground with a metallic clang and
darkness sprang toward him over the
road.
The men behind him were still firing
at 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 bearlike hug Of 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 a breakneck 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 dull
ache in his shoulder and leg and on
putting his hand into his boot found
it full Of blood.
"Hellow he said. "Im hit. You must
run all the faster, Betty" he added,
patting the mares neck.
Glove" said the Junior surgeon; "s
a mighty queer thing. It's inspiring,
but it isn't happy" He plunged into
his tub of cold water and came out
shaking like a Newfoundland. The one
candle, flickcring in the draft, sent his
shadow-that Of pink arI white
young giant, whose countenance was
CHEEKY and pleasant-dancing upon the