Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-05-04
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The fire sank lower, eating its way
along the log until only few inches OF
wood were left. The girl slept soundly.
The curve of the chimney into the wall
formed kind of nook, and her head
and shoulders rested easily there like
picture framed against the rough logs,
which were upholstered and not even
smoothly hewn / trusted that she
would sleep the night through, and as
the fire sank lower and lower and the
darkness crept up to the hearthstone,
almost hiding her figure, the stiffness
of midnight came, and / could hear her
regular breathing in the dead silence.
went back to the window. The fire
of the British faced it, and | could see
that three of the men had lain down
and gone to sleep. The other two were
sitting up weapons at hand, and infer
red that they had been detailed as senti-
nels, though their lazy attitudes showed
well enough that 1t was job they did
not like. For all could tell at the dis
lance, these men, too, might be asleep
sitting.
Va
more and grew very tired of the bust
ness. The brightness of the moonlight
had eliminated, and the earth lost its
silver tint, shading into dark, dull
gray. The figures of our besiegers grew
shadowy and shapeless 1t was a time
for sleep, and l felt it in all my bones.
A trooper doesn't ask much. If | could
have taken my blanket and put myself
down on reasonably smooth piece Of
turf under the shade of a tree, with the
certainty that no enemy would waken
me, it would have been sufficient for
me. / would have slept the sleep of the
just or the tired unjust, which is often
as good.
! drew the old pine box up to the
window and sat on it, resolved to listen,
now that was tired of looking. | Won
dered what had become of Old Put, the
man slayer and tried to discover why
had been such fool as to distrust him
even for moment.
Thus musing, / discovered that the
fire had gone out; that / could see moth
ing--in fact, that the room was pitchy
dark. l opened my eyes, remembering
that all things must be dark to a man
with his eyes shut, and saw again the
Pickering fire and the figure of the girl
half reclining in the chimney corner
This would never do | was the whole
army--horse, foot artillery and baggage
wagons, commander in chief, colonel,
captains and privates-and we could
never 90 to sleep all at once. under
took to walk briskly around the room in
order TO stir my sluggish blood into
watchfulness, but that would wake the
girl, and did not want TO do such n
cruel thing. stopped in front of her
and looked at her face attentively.
Asleep she did not look at all the spit
fire she was awake Mingled with her
beauty now was a certain wanness, a
something that was pathetic, a look
that appealed to a man for protection
and strength. After all, she was but a
girl, and why should l care for the bit
ter thmgs she said when probably half
the time she said them she was sorry?
l went back to the window and looked
out once more, The besieging army was
taking its comfort The part which had
stretched itself ON the ground remained
stretched, and the part which watched
sagged more than ever toward the hori-
zontal 1t was lazy army that was
evident, and l resolved that would set
it an example Of superiority.
Having made these brave resolutions,
! sat down ON the stool and leaned my
head once more against the WALL not be-
cause | was tired and sleepy, but merely
that might reserve my strength for a
crisis, the most necessary thing in the
world for a soldier, every man of eX-
perience knowing that an army fights
better if it goes into battle well fed,
we'll clothed and well rested. 1t was a
good argument, that bore extension and
! closed my eyes that they, too might
have rest for they felt weary and clog
ged Then, do what ! would or could,
WEAKNESS and sleep took charge Of me.
Tired muscles rose in open and defiant
rebellion against mind and Will The
combat was short and fierce, but matter
triumphed over mind, and in five min.
utes | was in the midst of a sleep that
was heavenly with rest, unpeopled by
bad dreams, with my head back against
the wall and my breathing long and
regular. Meanwhile the bed of Goals on
the hearth grew smaller and paler. The
rim Of fire narrowed. Goals turned from
red TO black and then TO gray and crum-
bled into ashes. The darkness crept up
to the very edge Of the hearthstone and
then invaded it. The girl was complete
ly in the shadows, and the pale glimmer
of the fire was but faint light left in
the room.
The sleeping man and the sleeping
girl were tired, very tired, and they
slept soundly. If they had dreams, they
were pleasant ones, and no thought Of
danger entered into them. The men
around the campfire had moved away