The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-28
CHAPTER ".

LERY IN A STRANGE THEATER.
Strange-so strange 1 could not get over
it-that the last twenty-four hours had set
the world wagging another way for me.
There was Fanny jacket up in Boston,
whom / had known so many years, whom
Ia have sworn even now was of the best a
man might ever hope or wish TO call his
own. And had 1. perhaps, thought to do so
some day?
There was but little good in denying what
we know TO be so, and tbs quite true that
l had thought again and again of dear little
Fanny watching for me from a certain win
dow some day when 1 came homeward,
and giving me the doings of her sex at sup
per. 1 gave her those of mine in ex-
change.
Will not man or boy of any age do the
same thing a hundred times in as many
months? But Fanny seemed to have been
there longest, oftenest. Yet had 1 never so
much as suspected in all this what was
tearing through my mind now after as un-
canny night as a man might dread TO be
repeated.
There stood Fanny's little white face
against every tree as we-Roger and /
trudged on; and somewhere behind it, shin
ing through it, looking strangely at me,
another that had seen but part of day
angry, proud, kind, humorous, anything
but sweet, as ii stared at me with the
looks of many different Fannies and all
her friends that I'd ever known swallowed
up in something new. 1 could have dropped
off Roger and kicked myself for light
headed fool to think such a twist could
come to me and switch my mind around to
so different view.
And L was like to have been off the horse,
at any rate, just then, for through the
string of my thoughts rang out clear on
the morning air the loud ping" of a rife,
just ahead, but so near that Roger got
away across the road a little quicker than
l. Standing so an instant, l caught the un-
mistakable sounds of a combat-curses,
blows, cries, and the ring of steel; and
without thinking overmuch, put the horse
TO his run, and covered the short space to
a turn where a thicket of shrubs shut out
the stretch of the road.
AS we turned the corner, there in the
middle of the highway stood four men,
three of them ragged, one of huge stature
and better dressed. the latter talking and
laughing with rasping sarcasm as the other
away with his long sword. / was scarce
twenty yards from them. ana so fetched
the lead from my pistol into the side of
one, and caught a second on the head with
the weapon itself. as Roger flew past the
group. The surprise was equal for all five
of us, but the big one did not appear dis
turbed in the least. AS 1 pulled up and
turned / hear him cry out:
Now Now, my ragged son of the woods,
It's evener! Let me cut thy beautiful pate
OPEN So! So again. Ho! Here. Stop, you
left-handed patriot! Oh, tbs a shame! Tis
shame!' And he was off in among the
trees after the third of the gang.
One was dead for sure, and lay there in
the mud. But the other got up to sitting
posture rubbing the side of his hide. as 1
came over him. and he gazed up at me
with dazed surprise in his countenance so
comical TO look upon that l roared with
laughter. to be interrupted by loud, mock
ing voice:
Nay It's no laughing matter, sir. Here
have you caused me to lose gentleman of
great value by your sudden Interruption
'I?'' cried the most astonished of all now,
II? My Interruption
"Of surety" said the giant, with a
laughing face. and he grasped my hand
warmly. Here was L getting some little
morning exercise with my three friends,
and you must break in and"
Il beg your pardon, sir" said l, bowling
low. Il fancied you had miscalculated the
courtesy of these same friends
And" continued he-"and commit the
strange breach in time of war of saving me
from furnishing a delicate meal TO my
friends over there on the trees. But which
tree did We drop from yourself?'
"No such interesting feature in it," said
L; 1.-The road and the abrupt curve made
the whole thing appear oversudden.
MY devoirs to the abrupt curve" said
the young man with mock courtesy, lift
ing his cap to the white highway And
now, sir. whoever We may chance to be,
the chance is so good for me that / would
shake you by the hand, and thank you
for your saving of my worthless neck. and
say to you that when John Acton can do
aught for you-why, by the Lord, call on
him and try him.
And he held out his enormous hand with
a frankness that l had done we'll to have
trusted.
But 1 had been too close to failing in my
mission more lndn once IN the last twenty
four hours, and too close to losing my own
head to try any more experiences with
strangers; and l. therefore, shook him by
the hand, telling him the whole thing was
naught to speak Of again, and went no
further But he asked me TO accompany
him TO a hollow off the road where ran
brook. that he might wash the blood from
his face and hair. l could see that l had
hurt him by lacking in the confidence he
showed.
Little was said he knelt by the stream
till l caught the sound of horses feet. and
looked up to see a troop of uniformed men
coming from the north over a steep hill
As they clattered down the slope 1 made
up my mind that twas approaching the
time when l should leave
AS he raised his head at the sound, he
quickly took me by the arm and stepped
across the brook into the shrubbery
''Tis safe thing to avoid two skirmishes
in the same hour" said he with a ioviaI
laugh: and l agreed with him in more ways
than one. Then:
do you stay here bit. while find out
up where the stream crossed the road.
II my chance now. IL ever and with
the light step | had learned from my
fathers lessons. got by hard years in the
Indian wars-a step that never broke
twig nor rustled leaf unnecessarily was