St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-01-30

became harder, and sometimes there
| was a grating noise, as If from loose peb-
bles.
Yet we rode on at rapid pace, for
we were coming nearer and nearer to
the light, and, according to our calcula-
! tons, must reach it in ten minutes at the
| latest.
1t seemed strange that neither plowed
land nor fences appeared in the vicinity
of the house, but it was possible that
these signs of habitation were on the
opposite side, while the front over
looked the open moor.
The light burned steadily and bright
ly in the midst of the raging gale.
was riding in advance of my men,
with my eyes fixed intently on the flame,
whose brightness grew still more daz-
cling account of the darkness.
SUDDENLY I started so violently that al
most unconsciously I refined my horse
back, thus stopping the riders behind me.
! With dilated eyes and hair fairly
bristling with terror gazed at the white
robed form of woman who had APP
peared out of the darkness, waving me
back-my mother! Really, and in bod
lily form, the mother who had been Sleep
ing three years in German cemetery at
home.
l saw her distinctly-every line of her
dearly beloved face, her eyes, her lips,
her figure in the white shroud, just as
I had gazed at her for the last time in de-
spairing grief-mv mother.
Now she suddenly stood before me in
the midst of the darkness of the night
in the enemy's country on the lonely
moor.
"Mother!" cried, mother"
The corporal seized me by the arm in
horror
For heavens sake. Captain"
Then. the strange apparition faded
from my sight. Again, with every sign
of the most intense anxiety, she mo-
toned: Back! Back" Then the
thick darkness again surrounded me.
1 sat in my saddle utterly Incapable
of speech. l felt my horse tremble UNI
der me as drew it back snorting.
Captain"
"Hasker;-didn't you see anything? ?"
l gasped, at last.
"No, captain. What?"
"And Gid the rest of you see nothing?"
mo, captain" they answered, in evil
dent surprise.
l drew myself up resolutely.
Halt! Not another step! Some dan
ger is threatening U.S. Haekert, hold my
horse!" / sprang to the ground. Let
me go few steps forward"
Loose pebbles creaked under my feet,
and l heard one roll along the ground
and then rattle as though it was falling
into some deep chasm.
What was the meaning Of that?
AS I stood irresolute, hesitating to
move another step forward, the moon
shone brightly through the clouds and
I looked into the yawning depths OF 4
stone quarry upon whose opposite side
a lantern lad been hung.
A trap set for us by the F'ranc-tireurs!
A chill ran through every limb. Two
steps more and we would have been
crushed at the bottom of the chasm.
I leaped back upon my horse.
wheel! We are On the edge Of
stone quarry" said, in low tone, and
my brave men, who had seen the dan
ger at the same moment, turned their
horses.
Then shots ratified from the opposite
side of the stone quarry. Bullets whis-
tied over our heads; one struck my cor
porals carbine, but he had already
raised it to his cheek, and we, too, fired.
Twice we fired into the darkness. The
moon was again hidden. We no longer
saw the foe and now dashed through the
wind and rain to the shelter of the
woods.
Not until later, when we had rejoined
our own troops in safety. did the MEM
ory of what we had experienced over
whelm me with Its full power. opened
my pocketbook, gazed at my dear, dead
mothers picture, pressed my face upon
it, and wept like child.
I have never found any explanation
of the mysterious ghostly vision except
that, during her lifetime, had always
been my mothers favorite child, over
whom she had extended her loving pro-
tection.-N. Y. Sun.