The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-16

dark, burned to a copper bronze by !
exposure, he might easily have passed. |
| in the dim light of the tent, for for ,
eigner.
"Sit down, sit down." General Grub |
| said pointing with the toe of his boot |
| to a camp stool near him. Then he |
| scratched his bullet shaped head, GOV
cred with bristly, iron gray hair, and
| dealt out the young mans orders.
| There were dispatches to be carried
| through the lines, and he had been Sc
lected for the duty.
| 'Hope yoa've said your prayers; you
| amt likelysto come out of this scrape
| with a whole skin," General Grub said
| Then after a moments hesitation he
suffered, Hot amt it? He looked
up with pleased, childlike smile, that
cherub might have envied, stuck a
cigar into his mouth, and, punching
the dispatches together, put them into
soiled linen envelope. tied it with a
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 sid.
"Good night, sir; good night. and
these niggers be hanged"
"As you like, sir,' Fielding answered,
smiling, and when his superior officers
hand, with its grubby finger nails bit
ten to the quick, grasped his and gave
it jerl1y shake he felt a 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 eDcampment was propitious,
for a 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
3 dripping branches that he could not
( see struck him in the face with the
( sting of lash. At the monotonous gait
z 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
Z fill the woods with a shout or spur his
+: horse into breakneck gallop-any
O. thing seemed more bearable than the
m 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
l. and rode on a little more rapidly for {
81 few moments. Then his horse stopped
d short, with frightened whiffie Field
le ing, erect, his hand on the trigger
1T peered into the battling darkness. II
al the silence the watch in his poke
Id licked out the time with nervous rapid
D. ity, the minutes seeming to tumbl
le over each other in their haste to ge
le away. Seeing nothing, he was on tn
point of urging his mare forward
ce when his ears, sharpened by the strail
erl of the past hours, caught the muff1et
til sound made by feet on spongy ground
r and as he looked again the shadow a
Is the side of the road moved and crep
as stealthily toward him. He raised hi
Id revolver, but, before he could fire, hi
lg horse, shying violently, bolted.
u "Paradaw shouted number o
Iir voices, while unnumbered 'paradas
es beat wavering retreat into the fores
re Fielding turned quickly in the saddle
"a to be blinded for a moment by th
s, glare of a dark lantern turned upo
lie. him. When he had grown acustome
"a, to the white light, he took in the Rem
lie brandtlike scene in the road benin
ur him. group of half dozen men,
r6 leIa hot lonr m stood hT(
ar died together at one side, while th
nd stream of yellow light from the lanter
ed held aloft by one of them fell upon til
as leader, standing few feet in advanc
all and threw his head and shoulders int
I'd bold relief. Fielding took dellbera1
aim and fired, as bullet carried ava
ne | his hat In answer the lantern fell
ly. the ground with metallic clang an
he darkness sprang toward him over tt
rr- road
The men behind him were still firir
ne at random when his mare stumble
up almost on to her knees. Before 81
could more than recover herself Fiel
~ ing's pistol was knocked from h
hand, his arms were pinned to his sid
en- while he was nearly lifted from Il
ed; saddle by the bearlike hug of ma
-en who had ridden suddenly upon hi
of from the side of the road. A shol
y" sharp struggle began, both men figt
ly. ing to win, the newcomer, who W;
ny the fresher and more heavily built, &c
ting the better Of the American. By
egs | sudden wrench Fielding freed his lie
me | hand and struck out, with closed fist,
lex what in the darkness he took to be b
the | opponents head. The fellow ours,
Der him roundly, gripped tighter for N
US ment, then his hands loosened, al
lad Fielding knew from the dull thu
ste made by a heavy body falling to t
to- earth that he was free of his troub
Inc some companion. His mare start
inc into a breakneck gallop for home, t
he riderless horse following from she
the fright the rapid beat of its hoofs
the ghostly echo of those of his mares.
The worst of his scrape over, Fieldi
gn- had time to become conscious of a d
ice. ache in his shoulder and leg and
yer putting his hand into his boot fou
bite it full of blood.
.rv- "Hellor' he said. I'm hit. You mt
run all the faster, Betty" he add'
patting the mares neck.
II
nit, Love-" said the Junior surgeon.
Of a mighty queer thing. It's inspiriI
p. but it isn't happy" He plunged il
1ort his tub of cold water and came {
tied shaking like a Newfoundland. The c
n. J,,af o.