Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-04-12
MICAH CLARKE
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followed by n few scattered bodies OF
horse. who soon abandoned their pursuit
in order To fasten upon some more easy
prey.
We were passing q small clump Of
alder bushes when 4 loud. manly voice
raised in prayer attracted our attention.
Pushing aside the branches. we came
upon 4 man. seated with his back up
against great stone cutting ut his own
arm with Il broad hladed knife. and Civ
ing forth the Lords prayer the while.
without pause or q CULVER in his voice.
As he glanced up from his terrible task
we both recognized him as one Hollis.
whom | have mentioned as having been
with Cromwell at Dunbar. His arm
had been half severed by a cannon ball,
and be was quietly completing the sep
aration in order TO free himself from the
dangling and useless limb. Even Sax
ON. used rs he was to all the forms and
incidents of war, stared 0pen-eyed and
aghast at this strange surgery; but the
man. with short nod of recognition,
went grimly forward with his task, until
even as We gazcd, he separated the last
shred which held it, and lay over with
blanched lips which still murmured the
prayer. THE incident is historically
true. and may serve to show what sorr
ct men they were who had learned their
soldering under Cromwell We could
do little TO help him, and. indeed. might
by our halt attract his pursners to his
hiding place; so, throwing him down my
flask half filled with water. we FASTENED
on upon our way. Oh, war. my chill
dren. what a terrible thing it is! How
are men cozened and created by the rare
tfapplnSS and praDcing SteedS, by the
empty terms Of honor and glory, until
| they forget in the outward tnsel and
| show the real, CHASTITY horror of the ac-
cursed thing. Think net of the daz-
cling SquadronS. nor of the spirit stirring
| blare of the trumpets but think of that
lonely man under the shadow of the
alders. and of Mhat he was doing in
! Christian age and a Christian land.
Surely |. who have grown gray in har-
ness. and who have seen as many fields
as have years of my life. should be
the last to preach upon this subject. and
! Yet | can clearly see that, i'll honesty.
men must either give up war, or else they
must confess that the words of the Re
| deemer are too lofty fer them. and that
there is no longer any use in pretending
| that His teaching can be reduced to
practice. | have seen Il Christian min
| lister blessing Il cannon which had lust
| been founded. and another blessing 4 war
! ship as il glided from the slips. They,
| the so-called representatives of irist.
| blessed these engines Of destruction
which cruel man has devised to destroy
and tear his fellow-worms. What
would we say if we read in Holy Writ
of our Lord having blessed the batter
! ing-rams and the cataputS of the le-
gions: Would we think that it was in
agreement with His teaching? But
there! AS long rs the heads of the
church wander away so far from the
spirit of its teaching as To live in pal
| aces and drive i'll carriages, what won
der if, with such examples before them,
the lower clergy ovcrstep at times the
| lines laid down by their great Master?
! Looking back from the summit of the
low hills which lie to the westward of
| the moor. we could see the cloud of
| horsemen streaming over the bridge of
the Parret and into the town of Bridge
water. with the helpless drove Of fugi-
| tives still flying in front of them. We
had pulled up our horses, and were look
! ing sadly and silently back at the fatal
plain, when the thud of hoofs fell upon
! our ears, and, turning round, we
| found two horsemen in the dress
of the Guards riding towards us.
They had made circuit to cut us Off
| for they were riding straight for us with
| drawn swords and eager gestures.
More slaughter" / said. wcarily
Why will they force MS TO it,
Saxon glanced keenly from beneath his
| dropping lids at the approaching horse
men. and a grim smile wreathcd his face
in a thousand lines and wrinkles.
! 1t is our friend who set the hounds
upon our track at Salisbury he said
This is happy meeting. | have Il
score 10 settle with him."
! 1t was, indeed, the hot-headed Young
cornet whom we had met at the outset
| of our adventures. Some evil chance
/ bad led him to recognize the tall figure
| of my companion rs we rode from the
| field. and to follow him, in the hone of
fE,4,
which he had met with ut his hands
! The other was lance corporal. a man Of
square. Soldierly build. riding "A heavy
! black horse with a white blaze upon his
| forehead.
| Saxon rode slowly towards the officer,
while the trooper and | fixed our eyes
upon each other.
Wei. boy" | heard my companion
say, Il trust that YOU have learned To
/ fence since we met last"
/ The young guardsman gave q Snarl of
rage at the taunt. and an instant after
wards the clink of their sword blades
showed that they had met. For my own
part, | dared not spare a glance upon
| them, for my opponent attacked me with
such fury that it was all that | could do
to keep him off. No pistol was drawn
upon either side. 1t was an honest con
| test Of steel against steel. So constant
We're the corporafS thrusts. now at my
/ face, now at my body, that | had never
an opening for one of the heavy cuts
which might have ended the matter,
| Our horses spun round each other, biting
and paving. while we thrust and parried,
until at last. coming together knee 10
/ knee. we found ourselves within sword
| point aud erasped each other by the
! throat He plucked Il dagger from his
belt and struck il into my left arm. but
dealt him blow with my gauntIcted
hand. which Smote him off his horse and
stretched him speechless upon the plain.
| Almost st the same moment the cornct
dropped from his horse, wounded in sew
! eral places. Saxon sprang from his sad
die. and picking the soldiers dagger
| from the ground. would have finished
them both had l not jumped down also
aud restrained him. He flashed round
upon me with 50 savage a face that /
could see that the wild-bcast nature with
in him was fairly reused.
What hast thou to do?' he snarled.
Let co.
Nay. nay: Blood enough hath been
she'd" said /. Let them lie"
What mercy would they have had
upon u.s." he cried, nassionateiy. strug-
! Cling to get his wrist free. They have