The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-05-02

The horses pulled and tugged at the
BIT and tossed their heads impatiently
The clanking OF sword and scabbard
began to lull my mind. and my eye.
lids began to droop. Through the
light gray Of the early morning, the
figures Of the troopers looked ghost
Ike and shadowy as they swayed
automatically with the motion OF
their mounts, and the low hum OF
voices came to my ears as from afar.
The soft, sucking thud Of the horses
hoofs on the corduroy road, acting
with the easy mist that hung over
the valley. began to send a feeling of
drOwsiness over me, and my eyes
slowly closed. The world had been
shut out from my view but a moment.
when I became conscious OF something
riding beside me. something cold and
silent, and In a moment my eyes few
open.
The men we're just as I had last seen
them, and for a moment / laughed at
my sudden fears. But gradually an
object, black, silent and m%ournful, be-
gan to close in upon me, and even as
Z looked, figure after figure began to
spread throughout the troop until
there were thousands Of them riding
amongst us.
/ looked at the one cantering beside
me. He seemed to breathe a cold damp
ness, and involuntarily I wrapped my
military cloak closer round my body.
lie was black from his skull-tight
cap and loose coat, to the powerful
charger he rode-a deathly black. He
was tall and gaunt, and in the light
breeze that had sprung up. his clothes
Tapped loosely about his bony frame,
and his horse, though g~alloping along
side OF mine, gave no sound as its
hoofs struck the road. An orderly
came riding from the rear, and rode
straight for him. A warning cry was
on my lips when, to my horror, the
trooper swept past, having ridden
through my companion as though he
were nothing but air. For a moment
l Teeled u~nsteadily in my saddle, but a
grim chuckle brought me to myself,
and ! sat upright to find what had
once been a human face, staring at
me. 1t needed but a glance at those
sunken hollows and whitened bones
to tell me l vas looking at a skeleton.
WHO are you?" 1 muttered.
The one in black broke into another
chuekie. we" he said, Indicating the
others with a sweep Of his shadowy
arm ARE the Hussars OF Death"
J %Bhuddered, and swerved my horse
Nrnnn Nha nhnnHanw Def a. T.
slant, without any visible effort, he
leaped his charger over to my side.
Wen have work here to-day" he
eroaked, work, work"
/ shivered slightly, and glanced at a
low, fiat line, far down the valley, and
through the rising mists, thought !
could distinguish the CLEAN Of a can
non. So these were the trenches we
were to charge. Even as I thought, a
white puff, a dull boom and the
shrek Of a shell, awoke the echoes Of
the distant hills. And the Hussars OF
Death had work to do.
At my elbow a bugle blew, but 1
scarcely heard or understood the notes.
l saw a thousand right arms bend, l
heard the %scraping Of steel on tin, and
in a moment a thousand blades flash
ed in the air, breathing defiance at the
smoke ahead.
Around me I could dimly see strain
ed and bloodless faces, trying to look
encouragement at one another. But
yes we're not for them. Far as
the eye could reach were hosts Of
black figures, comforting and writhing
in silent glee, waiting but for the sig
nal to begin their work.
Out from the works ahead leaped a
tongue Of flame, to be followed by a
shrek Of agony. Through a rift in
the vapor I caught a momentary
glimpse Of a trooper laying in the
road, the CHASTITY multitude surround
ing him in exultation.
Our first recruit" gibbered the one
In black, clicking his horrible jaws to-
gether, "our first recruit"
His words, and the sight Of the man
set my brain on fire, and gripping the
bridle-rein in n hand, I rose in my
stirrups and swung my sabre for his
head. The sword passed through him
as it would have passed through space.
and / fell back in my saddle sick at
heart, his mocking laugh ringing in
my ears.
The bugle blew the charge, and the
blades flashed higher and brighter in
the morning sun. Forward swept the
troop, onward swept the phantoms.