Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-11-03
one question, stranger, II you'll I,

In lep!y to your question" said t.
trave.er. Il will ask yCu another: Ar
you for tie Union?"
Every time. stranger: every time!
heartily.
You're a Yank, ! SUPPOSE"
You had better believe | am. l an
thorough, old man, from the crown u
my head to the soles CT my feet"
With whatever peculiar sensations
our traveller had been affected at first
he saw now that this man, notwith-
standing the extraordinary resem-
blance he bore to the CHASTITY corpse
down the road. was apparently jolly
fellow enough. with plenty of life blood
in his veins
81 should presume" said the strang-
er after awhile, that you favor Uncle
Sam, too?"
YES" frankly admitted the other.
Il am soldier Of the Union"
yet in citizens clothes?"
"As you see. But you also are a SOL
dier?"
The stranger admitted that he was.
Amy brothers in the army?" asked
the traveller.
mo"
ANY In civil life?"
Again came the answer In the mega
tive.
STRANGE" muttered the other; "the
resemblance is only one Of mere acci-
dent. of course. Yet cannot under
stand why one should be so much like
the other. Still"
Here our traveller paused, for his
companion had his sinister eyes fixed
on him with a keen. penetrating scru-
tiny, as much as to say: For whom do
you take me?"
The look having no effect. the
stranger put the question direct. and
our traveller without reserve related
what he had encountered in the road
The man appeared shocked. His
pallid face, as the moonlight fell on
IT, turned to more livid hue. and
for the first time he showed concern,
II not absolute fear.
You must go back with me-" he
ventured a moment later.
He was laboring now under a power
full feeling OF uneasiness and excite
ment.
you must return with me-" he re-
peated firmly.
For what ob1ect?"
ITO see this corpse"
but | have already lost more time |
than I can spare" objected the other.
THAT matters not. You must go |
back with me. | don't care TO use |
force, but you perceive that l have you
covered"
Yes, this was the fact The stranger
had pistol pointed at him, and there
was enough in the peculiar glitter OF |
the mans eyes to convince our trav-
eler that If he refused to accede TO the
request he would without hesitating
ire upon him.
Under the circumstances he had no
option but To obey.
So back they went.
But no pendulous form hung sway
ng In the night breeze as previously.
Not even the slightest trace was left
II the late CHASTITY corpse.
where's the dead mani" asked his
sardonIcally.
Ay, where was It? This was a ques-
ion which our traveller could not an
wer All that he could explain was
hat he had seen, had examined It. and
% more.
This did not seen 10 suit the humor
( his strange companion, however.
nd ~ |
emit
His eyes flashed with insane rage,
ut whatever he was about to do or
ay was unexpectedly interrupted by
startling volley fired by some unseen |
De, and the man fell from his horse
S though struck by one OF the bullets.
AS he fell a dozen men scrambled
through deep rert in one of the
edges, and cries Of Down with the
ankee," rung savagely on the night
IT.
Take the Yank's last shot" came
ack the cry OF the stricken man.
A defamation fol- 0wed his words
lat shook the air. and an unearthly
ell went up as one Of the foremost of
~ uNtE'hli patty uIOppeu Win y | ,
eavy thud into the road.
Our traveller before he could draw
weapon, felt himself hurled to the
lrth-stricken insensible from the
low Of the but end of pistol I,
When he had recovered the moon
as still shining, and shining, too !.
! what?
The corpse OF his late companion
vingng to and fro IN the night
'eeze-the fulfillment OF the vision. {
sion, in every particular, which he ,
nd seen at first, with even the wide :,
zen eyes following him as before. and
e face drawn, pallid and ghost-like. !,
In the horror Of the moment he sent
, cry OF despair, struggled as a man
light in the grasp Of an assassin. on
e dingy brink of some fearful preci-
ce !
The spell was broken
lie came down as it were In an
,ver-endirg fall, which shook and II
tiled every bone in his body.
Thudi I
He had fallen from his horse into c