Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-06-02

nave uOCuIuS vi Tie KIM, SIT,
nothing"
And then, with an impulse which he
could not resist, the young man, N
a few words, told the story of his
wrong, and of the action which he had
taken. The confederate gated at
him fixedly for moment, then turned
and walked few PAGES away. When
he came back he spoke with an.
energy and earnestness which he had
not before displayed.
"And so, because your captain is
a brute, you throw yourself into the
hands of Mosby's men-and they are
none of the gentlest, | admit; or in
case you elude them, you brand your
self deserter-that thing which the
true soldier everywhere abhors, and
all people despise! Is that justice to
yourself? Can you afford to do that?
Mark me, have no love for you e
the north, or for your army! shall
fight it to the last drop of my blood.
But we are friends now; we are under
truce and like your face. You are
only boy, but you have the making
of man and a soldier in that heart
OF yours. I read it in your face
Good by, Yank? Remember that
Lieut.. Pember, Virginian though he
is, tells you to be man and
soldier!"
The confederate turned upon his
heel and moved quickly away through
the forest. Charles Foster followed.
him with his eyes, but made no effort
to recall him. When the lieutenant
had disappeared he leaned against
the tree, ,pondered deeply for some
minutes, drank heartily from the
creek-then turned his steps away,
back toward the army of the Potomac.
The flash and roar and deadly
tumult of the second days battle at
Gettysburg had died away, and the
two great armies, exhausted and
terribly decimated, rested, so far as
rest was possible, in preparation for
a renewal of the struggle on the
morrow. All over the wide expanse,
of the field lay the dead, the dying,
and the disabled. Hundreds OF
earnest toilers we're bearing the suffer
ing to where blood-stained surgeons
worked tirelessly through the night
hours; yet there were vast numbers
for whom there could be no aid. To
the dead it mattered not; theirs was
the rest eternal. To the Iiving-theirs
it was to suffer on until their relier
should come.
Where the battle had been most
stubbornly contested union soldier
lay prone in the trampled grass, moan
ing slightly now and then, breathing
his life away. Others were lying
near; one whom he might almost
touch; many whose forms were plain
ly discrenible by the faint glow of the
stars. Friends and foes they had
been as they met in the clash of
battle; but between blue and gray
strewn upon the battlefield there
burned no longer the passions of dead.
~ contest.
BY a great effort the wounded
soldier partially raised himself, ana
pulled from beneath his body the can
teen which still contained few
swallows of water! He drew the
stopper and placed the opening to his
mouth. AS he did so a faint voice
reached his ears. 1t came from the
lips of the man lying close beside
him.
II hear the sound of water! Oh,
for the love of heaven, give to a
dying man a drop!"
It mattered not that, the request
came from one who wore the gray.
Nor did it matter that none of the
fluid had yet passed his own lips.
The canteen was lowered and ex-
tended toward the suppliant.
Take what you want; there'll d,
enough for mel"
ooh, thank you; thank you But
cannot drink, for both of my arms are
helpless. My wounds are fatal, but
it is the fortune of war-I do not
blame you, nor the man who fired the
shot"
"Wait minute, Johnny. You
shan't suffer for a drink Of water
while have the life to help you. I'm
going fast-I feel it-there.."
BY great effort he had shifted his
position slightly, SO that he was able
lips. The exertion cost him ex-
cruciating pain, and once or twice a
groan> escaped him. But he never
faltered in his purpose. The con-
federate raised his head slightly,
drank eagerly for a moment; then
sank back with gasp. For little
time there was silence.
Soldier, the voice was growing
very faint,-"let me tell you that.
dying, Capt. Pember of Virginia
blesses you for your kindness!"
Capt Pember! I know that voice!
You were Lieut.. Pember last spring."
yes
And you remember the poor union
soldier with whom you declared a
truce early one morning, and the
soldierly advice you gave him? / am
that soldier! I needed your advice;