The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-10-25
THE SHADOWER


lor do not think there are any
Mexicans in the region between our
two separate forces, but there may be.
You can either take an escort or scout
your way alone
Captain Allen Duane paled. His gen
eral looked at his aid-de-camp curious
", wonderingly, for he knew him to be
a brave man, then asked, Which
course will you adoptY
Il shall scout through alone"
AS if the captain had chased away a
disagreeable suspicion as to his cour
age, the general turned complacently
to other matters
What was It that caused the color to
momentarily leave the cheek Of the
young officer at being Ordered upon an
ordinary duty? lie did not know him
self. lie only knew that some vague
message had come to him TO tell him
that this would be to him a night Of
what? He did not know More ID
fear Of cowardice than danger, be
shook off the dlsagreeable impression
which melted before his resolution like
mist before the sun
Riding to the euposts, he left his /
horse and moved away into the debata
bic land held by neither American nor
Mexican A young moon shone down
on his shoulder, casting faint shadow
to his left and to his rear 1t annoyed
him. Turning to glance at it, he could
not refrain from a fancy that figure
was following him. Looking straight
ahead, he fixed his gaze on the plain,
over which here and there grew scat.
tered clumps Of tropical trees
1t was lonely out there on that desc
late plain where the poorest Mexican
disdained to build even. an adobe hut
The vipers with which the country
abounds had crawled into their holes
the few birds were hidden, silent, inI
the branches of the trees. II seemed
to him that even the melancholy cry
OF whippoorwill, with which he had
long been familiar Ia the north, would
sound eompanionable. There were only
the plain. the trees. the moon and the
sky. over which iioated small clouds
with dark bodies and fieeoy borders.
Despite bis efforts to drive away the
Impression that his shadow was some
one following him this impression grew
stronger. Turning again, he cast q
quick glance behind There was the
shadow as before Raising his eyes 70
the sky, he shuddered The moon was
behind cloud.
Ii was now clear to Captain Duane
that the mysterious follower was not
his shadow. What was itg IL hui
man enemy il would have long before
this shot or knitted him IN the back
If friend, why did it not declare Il
selfg And why did be not hear Is
treadq He listened. bat By the closest
attention he could not detect q foot
step. And why, he asked himself, die
he. q soldier who had been twice
brevetted for bravery, shrink from
turning and confronting this mystica
intensity Of shaded
By al effort he gathered strength Z
turn his head for one more glance
There was the figure, more distinc
than before, yet not continuously 50
It seemed to Captain Duane that hi
eyegight was not capable Of hoIdinl
the image long enough to see exactl,
what IT was. Now, for an instant, tn
head ana shoulders would keep thei
form-the face bony. with deep sunke
esa broad. prominent mouth. The
the legs, long thin ones, would b
tramping with one uninterrupted, ~
changed gait, the whole covered by
long flowing mantle which futtered !
the wind. yet there was no wind.
Desperate, the officer halted and IA
ed about
nwho comes thereT' he cried
The words broke The stiffness like
clan OF thunder from serene SIX,
There was In them a singular distres
AZ II they had been for ages asking
question to which there had come I
reply. The figure stopped when 4
speaker stopped, standing, waiting, |
though neither impatient nor tired, Co
fident that the object Of its attentic
would move on and 1t would again e
low
The young captain did move 0
Though his physical strength was u
impaired. II seemed TO him that h
soul was tagging. that il was slow
but surely slipping away from bin
He was as ready 70 meet an accustol
ed enemy and fight as bravely as evs
AS Captain Allen Duane he was st
independent; as o human soul he "
losing himself
And now there In the distance
something white. He shades his ey
from every ray Of moonlight and 4
covers white tents lie is nearing t
end Of his mission, a few more mil
ana he win be within the picket II
Of a friendly army VIII this shadoN
tramper remain behind
Captain Duane pushed on. The
qualities Of the road were no obs
cles. lie took no thought at runni
upon some rowing band Of Mexican
The mysterious figure was closing !
on him. at last It came 80 close Il
he could almost feel It's breath, Ike
moldy chill from a tomb
Who comes therefe called
picket
why did not Captain Duane rer