Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-19
CHAPTER XI.

l It was, indeed tougher business than enehy's country, where my poor head was in excellent demand. D'ri and were to cross the lake with band of 1 raiders. troop of 40. under my com mand. We were to rescue some pris- oners iI lookup or the other side. ! They were to be shot in the morning and our mission therefore admitted of ! no delay. Our horses had been put aboard brig at midnight. and soon ] after the noon mess we dropped down the lake, going into a deep. wooded cove south of the Grenadier island There We lay waiting for nightfall. A l big wind was bowling over the woods at sunset. and the dark came on it's wings an hour ahead of time. Ths ] night was black and the lake noisy wheE we got under way, bound for a flatboat ferry. Our skipper. it turned out. had little knowledge of those wa i ters. He had shortened sail. and said he was not afraid of the weather The wind. out of the southeast. came hard CT as it drove us on. Before we knew It, the whole kit and poodle of us were in devil of shakeup there in the broad water. Dri and I were down among the horses and near being trampled under in the roll. We tried to put about then. but the great gusts of wind made us lower sail and drop anchor in hurry. Soon the horses were all in tumble and one on top of the other. We had to jump from back to back to save ourselves. It was no pretty business, I can tell you, to get to the stairway. D'ri was stripped of bootleg, and was cut in the chin by front hoof, going ten feet or so to the upper deck. To the man who was never hit in the chin by horses hoof let me say there is no sucE remedy for proud spirit. Bullets are much easier to put up with and keep a civil tongue in ones head. That lower deck was kind of horses hell. We had to let them alone. They got astraddle of one another's necks, and were cut from ear to fetlock-those that lived, for some of them. I could zee, were being trampled to death Hcw many never knew. for suddenly He hit reef there in the storm and the black night knew we had drifted to The north shore, and as the sea began to wash over us it was every man for himself The brig went up and down like sledge- hammer, and at every blow her sides were cracking and cav Ing. She keeled over suddenly, and was emptied of horse and man. A big wave flung me far among the founder
 ng horses. My fingers caught in wet mane: clung desperately between
 Iowding Hanks. Then big wave went ,ver us. hung on, coming up astride my capture. He swan vigorously, his oose high. blowing like a trumpet. I Thought We were in for time of it.. md had very little hope for any IanO- Ing. save in kingdom come. Every min ute I was head under in the wash, and the roaring filled me with that mighty terror of the windfall. But. on my word. there is no captain like good horse in bad water. Suddenly l felt tim hit the bottom and go forward on his knees. Then he reared up, and be- gan to jump in the sand. A big wave washed him down again. He fell on his side in shallow, but rose and ran wearily over a soft beach. In the black ness around me l could see nothing. A branch whipped me in the face, and ducked. was not quick enough: 1t was like fencing in the dark. A big bough hit me, raking the withers of my horse, and I rolled of headlong in a lot of bushes. The horse went on. out of hearing. but was glad enough to lie still, for I had begun to know of my bruises Tn a few minutes l took of my boots and emptied them and wrune my blouse, and lay back, cursing my i'll luck.
 But that year of 1913 had the kick of i'll fortune in it for every mothers SOL of us there in the north country
 have ever noticed that war goes in waves of success or failure. If we had had Brown or Scott to lead us that year. instead of Wilkinson. I believe 1t had had a better history. Here was in the enemy's country. Gcd knew
 where. or how. or when I should come
 ont of it I thought of D'ri and how i, ! had gone with him in that hell of Wa. ters. knew 1t would be hard to tirowr him. We were SO near shore. if h, had missed the rocks felt sure h.
 would come out safely I thought O ' Louison and Louise. and wondered i i ever l should see them again. Theil ! faces shone upon me there in the win l, ' darkness. and one as brightly as th, 1 other. Afterwhiles l drew my we ' blouse over me and went to sleep. shiv
 ering
 X familiar sound woke me-that o , the reveille The sun was shining. tn sky clear. the wind had gone down 1 A crew sat calling in the tree above m.
 head. lay in a strip of timber. thi' ( and rarrow. on the fake shore Througl the bushes could see the mssts of in : brig slanIing cut of water some rod | away. Beyond the timber was a fiel
 of corn. climbing side-hill that slope, of 10 level. grassy plain. Beyond tn , hilltop. reveille was still sounding military camp was near me. and al { though made no move. my mind va ? up and busy as cat at a mouse-hols looking down at my uniform. not in ] deed. the most healthful sort of dires