The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-03-01
1 unbound her wrists and replaced the

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handkerchief i'll my pocket.
but don t forget, said, "that this
handkerchief is an evidence that have
put my mark upon you and that you be-
long to me-that is, you are my prisoner
until such time as choose to give you
up"
Her face flushed.
Il will not endure such talk, she
said, "from a rebel who within six
months may be hanged by his outraged
king for treason.
"You can't escape it," said, land
the king can't hang me before he
catches me. It's long way from Lon
don to South Carolina, and l hear the
king is fat and lazy and suffers from
seasickness -
But she drank the whisky, just lit
tie of it, though enough to put more
sparkle in her eye, and handed the flask
to me without word of thanks. Then
she sat down on fallen tree and looked
idly i'll front of her as if she had no in
terest whatever in anything.
l gathered up armfuls Of the dry
brushwood and tossed them into heap,
to which I set fire with the flint and
steel always carried. The fire blazed
up rapidly ard snapped as it bit through
the wood. Its merry cracking drowned
the desolate moan Of the wind, and the
long red ribbons Of flame and the fast
forming bed of live Goals threw out
kindly heat that Tended off the chill of
the night. Even the girl, angry and hu-
INFLATED as she seemed to be, felt the
influence Of the light and warmth and
edged along the log until she was much
closer and the fire could shine directly
upon her face. Old Put was frank in
his appreciation, coming to the full
length of his tether and wagging his
head in manner which said to me as
plain as day, "You have done we'll.
Even the stupid brown hack understood
and initiated Old Puts example.
Higher rose the fire and drove back
the shadows, but the darkness was now
rolling up to the circle of light, and
beyond the sparkle Of the flames began
to rise like wall The sun was gone,
and a faint, fading pink tint in the
west marked the way his flight had
taken him. Over all the world the twi-
light dropped, and the winter wind
mourned the dead day
"Are there ghosts in the forest?" sud-
denly asked the girl.
None that ever heard of, " said.
sit is so unlike England
"Eow?''
$50 much wilder. "
had heard of their forests there, or
rather what they call forests-some acres
of trees, with the underground cut
away and the lawns shaven, every rod
patrolled by keepers or workmen, mere
plaything of forest-but here in
America are the real forests, just as
nature made them, the desolate wilder
ness through which the wild animals
howl. while the lone wind plays its
song on the branches or leaves of the
trees This is the real forest, place in
which man becomes about as big as
cork on the sea. Never the lone hunter,
though so years his home. fails to feel
its immensity and desolation The girl
drew the edges of her cloak a little
more tightly and moved as close to the
fire as the end of the log would allow
her.
If you will permit me. - said. II
will give you better seat by the fire
than that -
She rose without word. and l rolled
the log we'll within the warmth of the
blaze. She resumed her seat, and the
fireligat flickered and played over her
face, tinting her cheeks with deep red
ana spangling her bronze gold hair
with patches of scarlet and crimson.
The little red cap had been pulled Sc
| curely down on her head, and, sitting
there in the alternate light and dark
ness, her figure 1.-the and strong, she
looked like some Saxon wood nymph.
But did not cease my good deeds.
call myself forethoughtful trooper,
and from the saddlebags carried across
my saddle bow / took cold chicken, a
| piece of cold boiled ham and some hard
biscuits, dinner fit for a prince, or
rather an honest American citizen,
which was better, in these hard times
of war. To this royal collection added
a canteen we'll filled with water, re-
membered the stout little flask in my
breast pocket, and the repast was COM
| plete, all but the serving.
Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the
good things Wood nymphs, Saxon or
other, must eat.
"Let me carve the chicken, +" she said.
"You have neither table. plates nor
a knife said.
"This log will serve as a table, some
of those clean dry leaves as plates, and
You could lend me knife"
"How could | lend you a knife, q
weapon, after all the tricks you have
tried to play upon me? You don't forget
this, do you?"
took the little toy pistol with
which she had tried to shoot me out Of
my pocket and held it up before her,
| but she laughed. Women don't seem to
have any conscience, or at least they
forget their crimes which is convenient
for their peace of mind.
"Give me the knife" she said, land
don't waste time. I'm hungry"
] distrusted her as much as ever, even
more, but l opened the blade of my
clasp knife and handed it to her.
"a very good knife, she said, but
have no doubt it was stolen from an
Englishman. All, here it is-the name
of an English maker on the blade"
at was not stolenW exclaimed in
dignantly. II took it from him fairly
| at the hattie of Monmouth. where he