Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-23
CHAPTER ~.

L
rang "boots and saddles" and the gray
troop rode away to fash sabers in that
shambles of q week which cut bloody
belt miles long. In the chamber where
he lay, had he not been wild with fever
and pain, the wounded man could cas-
ily have heard the outbursts Of mourn
ing or the broken tones Of Walter
Brundage reading the funeral service
over a rude pine box, mingling with
the music Of a summer day. Indeed,
he scarcely knew what was doing
when the Confederate sergeant, who
had seen some hospital service, had
succeeded in setting his rib in rough
splints, for the bullet had otherwise
only plowed the flesh.
Among the phantasmagoria which
clouded his brain one formless evil
haunted and ruled his whirling fancies.
Some disaster was thickening over the
Union army with a thunderbolt Of ruin
ambushed in it's black folds. Could he
but escape and give timely warning!
And here he was pinned fast like an
impaled beetle! His very breathing
stabbed him. At times some jailer
glided into his room with water for his
parched lips, and the candle Pickering
behind the screen shaped sleepless
eye on sentry duty. Yet the purpose
burned the clearer to break Jail bounds
and carry the saving message. And
then he battled madly with memory to
catch the thing, which Knocked him
and faded into mist.
The two poor souls down stairs
brooded in the silence, hearing the tiny
| buzz which sometimes makes silence q
weird gallery Of whispers, seeking iu
vain to comfort each other Death
had stalked in, clutched one victim and
was now riding with skeleton fingers
at the bride rein of second into that
pandemonium about to open its jaws
Ardent Confederate as Polly was in
every fiber, the loom Of events weaving
a dawn of blood red splendor for hei
cause could not cope with other
thoughts. In the thick Of them the
wounded man lowered big and stirred
her with q reluctant thrill. Now and
then she had listened at the door and
heard the ceaseless mutteringS and
marveled what ghost Of duty undone
could so importune this heart Of a lion
Polly gave great start and knew
she must have slept. Her aunt, too
was breathing heavily in her chair
The croak of the hall clock accentuated
her loneliness, and she looked out, to
see the front door ajar. Had she only
dreamed of Walter, heard the clank OF
his scabbard in fancy only? Her alarm
wakened the servants, who. with Ian
terms, followed her in chase of the
crazy wanderer, for his room was emp
ty. The lane led to the woods and
thence to the pike, and not far on the
journey sharp means and the glimmei
dropped by the scmiter Of n new moon
betrayed a figure dragging itself with
infinite toll and leaning for Il cane oil
another shining curve, which bent un'
der his weight.
"The blow which threatens! What is
It? How can get there in time?" he
painted, pressing his hand to his brow
in despair. "Is there no one to help
me?"
"Come back. You're very i'll, not iii
to walk. Come with us. We're here
to help you," pleaded the girl, laying
her hand on his arm.
"Thank God," calculated the deli
rious man joyously, "there is friend
in need at last! 1 know those brave
eyes"-for the lantern light flashed WV
idly on her face-"eyes Of helpmeet and
comrade always. It's Polly, and she'll
save my honor, save the army" Then
she felt that his soul had cut through
all the armor Of habit and training to
the naked truth Of hers. He knew her
| in spirit and not as one compelled to
be stubborn foe to all his hopes. A
wave Of tenderness surged In her, rose
above the old landmarks and touched
her with an uneasy delight, impossible
as the thing was toward which that
instructive trust had set its vane.
"Now We'll soon have you safely
back" she said soothingly and sent
the servants for fence rails to make q
rude litter.
aPolly will help" he continued NUT
tering, "yet she scorned me when
called her Miss Polly. Miss Brundage
know you now for our bitter enemy
he burst out with furious energy as
the links Of memory tightened theil
chain. Stand asidew and he motioned
with the naked saber half threatening
ly, then staggered helpless and uncon
scious against her shoulder, where she
held the big man safely over her throb
bing heart, slight as she was, till the
litter was ready.
Luck and the shortness Of the mid
night excursion had insured the rude
surgery of Wentworth's hurt, and now
collapse stilled even the complaints OF
his angry side. The watchers not fal
away heard scarcely stir, while the
night dragged and the tragedy Of things
accomplished emptied into the tragedy
Of the foreknown. They longed for
vet dreaded, the rise Of dawn, ant
when the stars began to pale under
faint amber they were counting the
minutes by heart ticks. Strangely, too
the subconscious mind Of the man hat
marked time to the march Of the hours
and as the waking moment will answer
to a preconceived thought SO the fixet
eyes Of Wentworth attested punctua
vigilance Of the inner sense. Yet NJ
impression seemed to note the inmates
Of the room.
Amber warmed to pink and pink Il
crimson, and bobolinks and mockinf
birds were tuning their pipes In leaf!
covers, when q rumble suddenly brok'
as Of thousands Of falls beating ,
thrashing floor. Then they knew tina
out there the air had begun to spi
death and that lives were being har
vested like standing grain. 1t was no
long before the boom Of more stri
dent hammerlng roared through TIN
monotone, intermittent but inexOrabl'
as the minute hand showing the sec
onds on a watch dial, reverberation o
q hundred guns, mingling their Whit
of grape and canister or the vomit o
bursting shells with the pelting hail
which smote the faces Of two armie
i, intent on exterminating each Othe
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