The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-09-17

liz The Bulletins Daily Story. IL:
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sry ROAD WIN upllrred reads.

uusty ROAD WITH upnrred Eeads.
Long before noon the rumble OF artll-
lery was distinct. The dust rose In
ly, bulgcd and swayed, rejecting the
, suns rays, warped and twisted them
selves, then melted away.
A strange sound, a muriicd sound like
the faint swapping Of sticks, was watt
ed across the hills to groups Of listen
ers gathered on the knoll opposite the
widows house. Then Il fringe the mer-
est fringe, of men appeared on the ho-
rizon.
Fifteen minutes later stream Of
wounded Federals limped through the
village The villagers were beside
themselves with fear when the adju-
tant of brigade, handsome young
man In a new uniform, rode through
the village ordering the inhabitants to
retire or be caught between two
fires"
The widow looked on composedly.
Shcrefused to leave her house No ar
guments, no Inconsistencies, no induce
ments or threats affected her resolve.
III the Federals We're coming perhaps
she would see her son.
The suns rays on slanting muskets
resolved themselves into shafts of
white fire as wave after wave of men
passed in undulating pillows with
mufIled tread in dust ankle deep. The
sheen of bright buttons, the glitter Of
scabbards, the glare of bright steel,
danced along innumerable waves Of in
fantry and cavalry. 1t seemed as il
the coil steadily rounding the hill
would never end.
This coil, this relentless coil, was in
deed the leash, the rapidly loosening
leash, that held the dogs of war. They
were freed from the mighty strain i'm
posed by long inactivity Soon they
would he at the enemy's throat The
fire tAat tipped their guns, leaping
from file TO file, would soon be dimmed
by the awful glare Of battle.
Suddenly a flash split the air in line
with the widows vision. A shrek
that rent the heavens startled her. She
stood on her feet. Two more flashes
two awful shrieks, followed by crash
that seemed to lift the house from its
foundations succeeded SO swiftly that
the widow shut her eyes. And then
his presence was simultaneous with
the fiashesa man with angry eyes
and bearded face pushed her out
among the soldiers now rushing past
In trot.
They paid no attention to her. They
were looking forward; every man
there had his head well up. Their
eyes were fixed on something distant.
The bursting shell high overhead
solved the riddle. They were moving
In the direction of the enemy's cannon.
The widow cast one look at her house
An immense hole was torn in the ga
Bile. The roof yawned over the cavity
n shell made in lis murderous mission.
In terror the widow sped to her low
springhouse. 1t was scarcely higher
than her bake oven. Standing there,
She strove to regain her self command.
The clamor of battle filled the summer
air.
Out of the dlmness and vagueness of
confused masses twisting in tangled
lines wherever she looked the widow
slowly discerned a stream of wagons
returning with the Federal wounded
They moved slowly at first, so slow
that the road became blocked. Then
the cries and oaths of the suffering, the
awful groans and means of the dying,
drove the widow into the farthest part
OF her sprlnghouse in an ecstasy OF
fear and horror.
But the imagination of terror
stricken woman is greater than CON
temptation of actual suffering Soon
the widow emerged from the spring
house again. Gods sunlight, stained
as il was; Gods beautiful earth, blast
ed, torn ruthlessly as II was by wicked
men, was blessed relief from the sen
sations she experienced while seeking
refuge in the earth.
So. standing there In the door of her
springhouse. with the never ending
chill OF fear at her heart now, the Wild
ow Lacy looked and listened like one In
a day dream more frightful than a
nightmare.
She could hear and distinguish voices
now as question and answer followed /
Vague apprehensions OF defeat commu-
nicated themselves TO the thrOng of
men gathered on the roadway near her |
house. A single expression aroused !
b." With strained ear
she hung on the response that followed. |
Captain Lacy's battery will be here
In an hour. Our orders are 10 remain
here and support him"
rs Lacy all rightly
The widow clinched her hands. Oh |
for the strength to pierce that crowd Of |
men and horses,
"He was all right fifteen minutes
ago"
Jack-her son Jack was alive.
Suddenly a cannon shot fairly cut 1
its way through the throng. leaving a /
quivering mass lying on the ground /
whore sturdy. brave men stood a mo
mcnt before.
The widow was shading her eyes /
with her hands. trying TO bansh the 4
horrible vision. when the earth trem- I