The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-05-29

plunge u Lalu' "Hleu uesdu
in the gray of morning and
lasted till the gray Of sunset-it was
pleasant enough to come to camp ut
last; to find tents, fires, dry cloth
ing, food and drink. 1t was less pleas
ant to learn that, In the opinion Of
those most competent to Judge, that
fraction of the British Army to which
we had just attached ourselves was IN a
particularly tight corner, and that there
was a practical certainty Of battle
against overwhelming odds in the
morning. Hunger and thirst being APP
peascd, and some faint sensation Of
returning warmth being apparent, No
Ian, Dolan and l, who occupied the
same tent together, sat down to a dis
cussion Of the situation Expected re-
Inducements had failed upon our side,
a fanatical and merciless enemy had
trebled in numbers, and it was long
odds against any of us seeing to-mor-
rows nightfall. We became very grave
in while, and we sat down to write
home letters in case anything should
happen. Nolan and Dolan had tesla
mentary dispositions to make, and in
the case of each acted as witnegs. l
had nothing to leave and nobody in
particular to whom to say goodbye,
and had finished my unimportant lit
tie scrawl much sooner than either Of
the others.
We arranged among ourselves that If
any one of us survived the hazard Of
tomorrow he should transmit the let
tiers to their several destinations, and
there is no doubt that on that anxious
night many such compacts were made
about the camp. Men who had long
known each other exchanged surpris-
ingly intimate condolences for the first
time, and men who were almost stran-
gers admitted each other to heart Sc
crets which would have been forever
unrevealed but for that shadow of i'm
minent death which overhung us all.
1t was DoIan's first experience of
war. He had so far never seen a shot
fired in anger, and he was naturally
more perturbed by the prospect of the
morrow than his two war-hardened
comrades. He was a fair-haired, blue
eyed, handsome lad of about five-and
twenty and gave one a general idea OF
having lived a clean and wholesome
life, and of being generally unspotted
by the world. But that night he made
a confession.
Il want you fellows to treat this" he
said, las if you were just a couple OF
old priests and as if I were at the con
fessional. Here's Give has got charge
Of all our letters and If we pull through
tomorrow he'll hand 'em back to us
and if we don't and he does, he'll see
that they reach their destinations. Il
case he shouldn't pull through, anC
either of US should survive, the same
thing holds"
eyes, yes" said Nolan; that's all un
derstood"
Nolan should tell you, was a maj
Of about forty, who had rummaged tn
world pretty well inside out, and hat
seen a score Of campaigns, big and lit
tie He was rather dark and sour il
manner, a man OF few words and on
OF those people with whom it is no
easy to grow intimate even after man,
years.
Pm not worth a lot of money" Dc
Ian went on, "but I have somethin
like three hundred a year in the fund.
and if / drop tomorrow I'm afraid
shall give my executors-that will b
one of you fellows, Supposed lttl
bit of trouble. I've left everything
have to a woman-a lady-whom
haven't seen for two years past.
wish to heaven I'd never seen her {
ALL but in way I'd made myself r.
sponsible for her, and in point of faC
she's the only woman / ever care
about. I don't know where she is.
don't even know her present name.
used to communicate with her before
left England to come our here throue
a solicitor in Lincoln's Inn Fields. bl
about the last hit Of nows 1 got WI
that he was dead"
You're leaving hopeful sort Of il
\ behind YOU" said Nolan, shredding
\ loose handful Of tobacco for his Dit
owand rubbing it between his palms.
v i've given oil the guiding particular
can said DOlan. He gave us II
Aame and address Of the late lawye
Ind he named his managing cler
THAT he said, is the man to ask n
4 He knows pretty well everything abo
u the business, and If he can be found
Will arrange matters. Only I'm Z