The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-05-08


''You are not a gentleman. -
''You have told me that three or four
times already It won't bear further
repetition. .
81 will not submit to such thing.
''Then I will have to use force, which
will make it much more unpleasant for
you
hated to do what had planned. It
was rude and severe, but then there are
few who have had women prisoners
like mine, and consequently there are
few who are in a position to judge me.
I prefer greatly to deal with the regular
forces, but in this case had no choice,
and SO strengthened my will and pro-
ceeded
"Hold out your wrists, % I repeated.
.sI shall not hurt you. merely wish to
keep you out Of further mischief.
81 shall never forgive you, she said
] could afford to laugh at such a
threat
at trust that nobody will forgive me
until I ask for forgiveness said
She looked at me, her eyes full Of re-
bellion. / thought she was going to
raise her hand to strike me, but women
are so changeable and uncertain. In
stead she held out her hands meekly.
bound her wrists together and no
ticed that they were white and well
nodded. The handkerchief was soft and
could not pain her at all, and, besides,
her hands were bound in front Of her
and not behind her. She need feel no
inconvenience, but she must realize that
her opportunities for mischief were di-
minished vastly Old Put looked at her
with an air of triumph, as much as to
say, "Now, miss, you are being pun
ished, and punished deservedly, for beat
ing me so much. /" That seemed to be
her own understanding of herself.
We resumed our march, the horses
walking behind US. The rim of the sun
was now meeting the rim of the earth,
and the western skies were tinged with
ruddy fire. In the east the misty gray
Of twilight was descending on field and
forest, and the chill of night was creep
ing over everything. Even in our South
Carolina latitudes the nights are cold in
midwinter, and shivered as a twilight
wind, with raw edge to it, swept over
the plain
There was a heavy cloak hanging at
her saddle horn, for she bad not ven
tured upon her journey unprepared- l
took it of and threw it over her shoul-
ders. It fell below her waist like great
coat, and I butsoned it securely around
her neck
'sYou are barbarian, % she said.
'sI know it, % I replied, 'tbut do not
intend to let you suffer more than is
necessary for your own good That is
the kind Of barbarians we are in this
country
The country was lone and desolate,
sor we were on the sterile slopes of the
hills 1t was thinly peopled at the best
of times, but now, raided incessantly by
Tarleton' s legion, which knew no mercy
to anything, whether animate or mani
mate, and plundered, too, by wild bands
which claimed to belong to either army,
as the occasion served, and perhaps be-
longed to neither, the people had fed to
securer regions, where one side or the
other was master. Only those who have
seen it know the suferings of country
haried by opposing armies and preda-
tory bands. I had hoped to find some
friendly farmer bolder than the rest with
whom my prisoner and / could find
shelter, or if not that, at least some
abandoned house which would give US
a roof, but | saw no sign of human
face except our own, and no roof appear
ed either in the fields or among the
trees. It was solitude bleak and cold,
and the declining sun, now half way
behind the earth, warned me that 1t
would soon be time to stop, for the
darkness would be upon Us. and i'll
land of hills, gullies and no roads we
could not travel well without light
Despairing of such shelter as had
expected, I turned our course toward
thick grove of trees rising like great
castle on the left. When we entered it.
the shadows already made darkness
there, and the night wind moaned
among the dry branches of the trees /
saw the girl shiver, and again felt
pity for her in spite of al that she tried
to do, though lost none of my distrust
and caution.
Almost in the center of the grove was
small open space. sheltered from the
rush of cold air by the great trees which
grew so thickly around it. 1t seemed to
me to be the likeliest spot we could find
for camp l hitched the horses to
boughs of the trees and took from my
pocket small flask of that cheer which
8 good soldier seldom neglects l drew
the stopper and handed it to the girl.
''Take little of this, l said "You
must if you do not expect to catch your
death of cold
II would if / could she said, "but
I cannot while my hands are tied. .
~ had forgotten the handkerchief,
7 ro0ljo6 .tb1t 7 don't think WE'LL need