The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-02-16
CHAPTER xv11.-tcontinued.,

CHAPTER AVll.-(COntlnued.)
Quayle was lying prone and motion
less on the ground, some five or six PAGES
from her. His hands were stretched out
to their full length, and his face was
buried in the grass. Henri had slid into
crouching position against the side OF
the hut, and he stared at her with CLASSY
eyes, She whispered:
''Are you hurt badly?"
There was no reply, but the eyes seem
ed to glare at her reproachfully. She
Was about to rise, so as to be able TO
assure herself if help were possible for
the wounded man, when another line of
figures came toward her out of the haze,
and before she was aware of so near a
presence, a Federal officer stood before
her.
whats thisT' exclaimed the officer.
"a civilian wounded, and a woman just
frightened to deathv'
Helene looked up and rose. She knew
not what to say, nor sshat to do. The
officer wss a tall man, with a jovial,
square face, on every line of which
creamed good humor as rich as his
brogue.
Where's the rest of yez?" the officer
continued. where's the RebsY'
II don't know" replied Helene. tim
Idly. If you mean where are the South
ern soldiers, there are none about here.
'Nonev' cried the Irishman. "Shure,
an it isn't you two that have been kickin'
up all this bother. Why, here's another
wan of thin, an he'll niver fight no more.
Is it fghtin' among yerselves we've
been?"
Helene knew not what to answer; but
the Irishman seemed inclined to con-
tinue the conversation by himself
FAX, an / know what ye are. It's
q peck O. rebel spies ye are, the whole
boilin' lot o. yez, and it's hangin' yez
they'll be afther when they get yez into
camp"
Indeed, 1 am no spy" replied Helene.
Il came here with the hope of being able
to see dear friend in the Unite d States
service, Captain Demon, of the United
States regulars
Yell be tellin' that to the marines, or
to the gineral when you see him." retort-
ed the officer. "and Olive got no tonne to
be wastin' of it here wild yez. Here,
Ofn take We back to the guard-house.
Ye can pitch yer tale to the provost mar
shall. He's a nice man, he is, though he
isn't particularly soft hearted"
Helene felt amused rather than fright
ened when the Irishman, without further
ado, slipped his arm through hers and
led her away toward the creek. They
were walking across the field which sep
Rrated them from the trees by the creek
side, when the firing, which had nearly
ceased, on a sudden burst out with a fu-
rious rattle.
"Halloor' exclaimed the Irishman.
"An' what's thisr He stopped and
turned.
Volley after volley crashed out in the
wood, and at the same moment bullets
came singing toward them.
"Oi thought SOP exclaimed the Irish
man. Its in the woods they've been
hiding, these rebels of yours, and our
men have just reused them OUT
The bullets Missed by them more furi-
ously, and the edge of the forest grew
alive with flashes, and Helene could
sec the dim figures of the Federal skirm-
ishers running back, having evidently
come upon a stronger force of the in
closing Southern outposts.
While Helene looked on with a vague
sense of awe weighing on her disturbed
mind, she felt sting in her shoulder,
and putting up her hand, withdrew it the
next moment moist with blood. Then
she brew giddy, and her sight seemed to
fail her. At the same moment she stag
gered, and would have fallen to the
ground had not the officer caught her in
his arms.
Poor womanw said tie Irishman.
Its her first foight, an she's wounded
already. Let me see! What was the
mans name she was lookin' afther? Cap
tain Demon. Well, had betther let Cap
tain Demon know about this"
He took the limp figure in his arms as
If she had been a child, totally needless
of the bullets that whirred about him.
He could not have been more careful or
gentle had Helene been his own daugh-
ter.