The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-02-08
THE BREAK OF DAY
4 StoTy of the Last DaUS of the ITTepTeS-
sible Conflict and a Meeting of the
Blue and the GTdy.

ious attention to this portion Of tho
earth"
Never mind" said BeItone; its tns
same moon that's shining, or rather
not shining, for the enemy over there.
So long as the darkness Is as thick a.
this they VIII not attack. They could
not tell friends from enemies"
They are silent in the wood, resum-
ed BeItone. a moment later. "a Such
considerable force lying 50 very nea,
Us makes no noise that we can hear. !
should say that circumstances certainly
portended an attack They are resting
before the rush. An, what is that?"
You have nerves as well as l."
chuckled Carson. when the boot Of
swamp owl. which you have heard many
and many a time before, would disturb
you like that"
4 don't deny it," said BeItoner nor
am ashamed of it. It is hard enough
work to lie down with the reserves IN
a big battle and wait your turn to be
called, while you hear the cannon thun-
dering in front, and the wounded are
taken by you to the rear. and the mimic
balls are zip-zipping over your head
But then you have the bright sun shin
ing over you, and there is no friend like
the daylight. Here you crouch in the
darkness and wait for a hand to cIeave
the black veil and strike you"
There was perfect silence in the camp.
In the distant wood. the notes OF the
night owl rose higher and higher and
grew more mournfuI the higher they
rose.
Isn't that a brooding raven?' whis-
pered Carson. He makes the lines of
that old poem sing through my head"
1t may be the dirge Of some brave
man." returned BeItone; again. he may
be lamentiHg mans folly"
"Confound it, wish he would stop,
whatever he means. The swamp and
The darkness and the owl together may
be too much for me said Carson.
Beltone did not reply. A faint breeze
sPrang up, but it brought to them moth
ing but the rustHng Of the leaves and
the OWLS melancholy measure The two
young men still sat by the earthwork
and tried to pierce the darkness. Pres
emily BeItone said:
The moon is getting brighter: can
you see anything in the wood there
pow?"
Nothing except the tTeeg that com
pose 1t. D." returned Carson. we might
send a cannon ball into il. That would
stir them up"
IT'S not worth while, said Beltone.
They would simply draw farther back,
II they are not already out Of range.
There's nothing for US but to wait"
''Beltone," said Carson. 7 don't
mean to be melodramatic or senumen-
tai, but If 7 fall you wiz tell them at
home what became Of me-"
Certainly" replied BeItone. calmly.
even cheerfully. If you are the one
taken and l am the one left. II it is
the reverse, / ask you 10 do as much for
me II we both fall, probably enough Of
our comrades will be left to make all
the history Of it the world needs"
They reIapsed again into silence. but
remained beside the breastwork, vol
untary and vigilant sentfneIs. Old Time
moved on with heavy step. The owls
boot died away. and only the rustling
Of the wind through the leaves was
heard
IT seems a week since the sun set"
said Carson.
And that means that it will be an
other week until the sun rises again"
returned BeItone. II must be about
midnight now. DO you see anything in
the wood yet?"
NO, only the trees swaying in the
wind. I think I shall climb upon the
breastwork and get a better view"
Don't do it,
"Why?"