The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-04-01

Jlu OIlt Z
all every heart beat with his, and his
life was their life. and his child their
child.
But at the end CT an hour there was
not a negro among them. By some
subtle instinct they had recognised Inc
secret feelings and fears OF the crown
and had disappeared.
When CASTOR reached Toms house the
was divided into the groups agreed
upon and a signal gun given to each. II
tho child was not dead when found two
should be fired-if dead. but one.
He sought Tom TO be sure there was
no mistake and that the child had not
fauen asleep about the house. He found
tho old man shut up in his room kneeling
in the middle of the floor praying HIS
long gray hair was brushed back and the
big hole a bullet had made in the upper
edge of his forehead stood out in the
centre and white at its edges as though
it had felt anew the crash of That musket
ball.
When Castor laid his hand gently on
his shoulder his lips ceased to move, and
he looked at him in a dazed sort Of way
at first without speaking.
"Oh,-it's you, Charlie!' he sighed.
yes, Tom. tell me quick. Are you sure
liz i > INV II III OaS1-
..Sure!-Sure?' he cried in a helpless
state. Yes. yes. I found her bonnet at
the spring. | looked everywhere for
an hour before l called the neighbors''
Then I'm off with the searchers. The
signal is two guns if they find her alive.
One gun if she is dead. You will under
stand"
yes, Charlie answered the old sol
3;or IN q fora u-ov tone of voice land
don't forget to help me pray while you
look for her"
eve tried already, Tom he answer
ed. as he pressed his hand and left the
house.
All night long the search continued,
and no signal gun was hear. Torches
and lanters cleaned from every field
and wood, byway and hedge for miles IN
| every direction.
! Through every hour of this awful night
Tom Camp was in his room praying-his
face now streaming with tears, now dry
and white with the u%nspoken terror
that could stop the beat of his heart.
His white hair and snow-white beard
were dishevelled, as he unconsciously
tore them with his trembling hands.
Now he was crying in an agony of in
tensitv.
"As Thy servant of old wrestled with
the angel Of the Lord through the night,
so, oh, God, will l lie at Thy feet and
wrestle and pray, l Will not let Thee
go until Thou bless me? Though I
perish, let her live! l nave lost all
and praised Thee still, Lord, Thou
canst not leave me desolate."
From the pain of his wound and the
exhaustion of soul and body he tainted
once with his lips still moving in prayer
For more than an hour he lay as one
dead. When he revived he looked at his
clock and it was but an hour till dawn.
Again he fell on his knees, and again
the broken accents of his husky voict
could be heard wrestling with God. Nov
and then he would beg and plead like E
child and then he would rise in the IN
conscious dignity of an immortal sou
and combat with the powers Of the in
finite and his language was in the su.
blime speech of the old Hebrew seers,
Just before the sun rose the signal gun
pealed its message of life, One, Two. il
rapid succession.
Tom sprang to his feet with h1azins
eyes. One, Two! echoed the guns from
another, hill, and fainter grew the re.
peated call from group to group of thu
searchers.
There. Glory to Cod" Tom scream
ed at the top Of his voice, the last not
of his triumphant shout breaking int
sobs. God be Draised! l knew the.
would find her-she's not dead. She.
alive, alive! oh! my soul, lift up til,
head,'
The tramp of swift feet was heard a
the door and CASTOR told him wit
husky stammering voice,
"She's alive, Tom. but unconscious
III have her brought to the horse. Sh
was found just where your spring branc
runs into the Flat Rock, not five hundre
yards from here in those woods. Sta,
where you are. We will bring her in
minute
CASTOR bounded back to the scene.
- Tom paid no atten ion to his order
, to stay at home, but sprang after hir
jumping and falling and scrambling u
!, again as he followed. Before they Ene7
: it he was upon the excited fearful grou
that stood in a circle around the child
! body.
CASTOR, who was standing on the op
posite side from Toms approach, sa,
! him and shouted:
MY God, men. stop him, Don't le
} him see her YETI
But Tom was too quick fog them. II
, brushed aside the boy who caught at hin
. as though he were a feather, crying:
: "Stand back,'
lie circle of men fell AWAY from tn
body and 10 a moment Ton stood ov.
G 1t trsns15rG with horror.
t Flora lay on the ground vih he
c'ohes tern TO shreds and stained W.;
: blood. Her beautiful yellow curls Wer
i matted across her forehead IN 4 Jar
d red lump beside a wound where the sku.
g I'D been crushed. The stone iav at be
r side, the crimson mark of her life bloc
a showing on its Jagged edges.
n The poor father sank beside her bod
( with an inarticulate groan as thoug
+ some one had crushed his head with a
axe. He seemed dazed for q momen
: and looking around he shouted hoarSel
The doctor, boys, The doctor ouicl
e For Gods sake, quick. She's not dea
J., yet-We may save her-heIp-help!"
He sank again to the ground limp an
faint from pain and was soon insensibl