The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-01-26
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
The Federal field hospital adjoining
the depot at Savage Station on the Rich
mond and York River Railroad was a far
from unpleasant spot even in the fierce
June heat of the Virginian summer sun.
Walter and Demon lay side by side in a
huge tent near the palings with which
the railway station was fenced De-
mons wounds, though severe. had proved
to be not dangerous, and the doctor pro-
nounced him fairly on the road to recov-
cry.
Walters case, however, was a very Sc
rious one. The bullet had struck the un-
fortunate man on the side of the fore
head, and had smashed clean away a
portion Of the skull. Fortune, however,
was kind. and the brain itself had not
been injured except by a scratch or two
from the splntered bone.
The surgeon who had the case in hand
was surprised when he saw the young
man, for he found that there was pre-
vious fracture of the skull on the spot
where the new wound supervened.
Walter, of course, was totally uncon-
scious, and remained so for days, the at
tendants being compelled to keep him
alive by liquid food poured between his
lips, and nearly a week elapsed before he
gave signs of recovering consciousness.
Demon improved rapidly, and showed
the most assiduous attention to his for
mer opponent. Had Walter been his
brother or his father, he could not have
devoted more care to him or expressed
greater grief for his stricken state.
One morning, as the surgeon was bath
ing and bandaging his wounds. Walter
opened his eyes and looked about him
| with a vacant stare. At last he raised
his feeble hand to his eyes, but dropped
it again in a moment and shook his head
| YEARLY.
rs De Bardinot alive? he asked, in
faint whisper; sis De Bardinot alive?
Surely you know him. He is captain in
the second battalion of the Nationals.
and he was with me when that villain
blew us up"
| Demon looked at the doctor, and the
doctor looked at Demon.
Il am afraid he is slightly delirious,"
said Demon. He Is mixing up some
thing with his present CASE
HE is feverish STILL" said the man Of
science, ''but he is not delirious. The
wound in his head may account for his
speech, but we shall know more about
| that as we go on
Walter, finding that he received no
answer to his question, looked around
| again with an expression of piteous
pain In his eyes. The objects which met
his gaze were strange and unaccounta-
BILE to him evidently, for again he shook
his head as if the task Of fathoming
] the mystery were too great for him, and
then he dozed off to sleep.
| Another day passed like that. and an
other night. On the following morning
Demon was surprised to find Walter half
seated on his straw bed, supporting him
self painfully with arm. Demon
jumped up, and finding sn old knapsack,
covered it with his own blanket. and
thus formed a support for Walter to lean
against.
''Thank you" said Walter. weakly. 81
am Sc much obliged TO you. Where
am III
"You are in the field hospital at Saw
age Station" replied Demon.
Savage Station? Savage StatiouY'
questioned Walter to himself. 81 don't
know such place and-can you per-
haps tell me what has become of my
friend, De Bardinot?''
DE Bardinot?" asked Demon. "Who
is hep
Don't you known" exclaimed Walter.
with febrile excitement. "Ie commands
company Of the Second National
Guards of the Seine. He was blown up
with me in the Rue st. Jacques"
Il am afraid you are not clear in your
mind" said Demon, shaking his head In
pity.
"Oh. 1 am perfectly clear" said Wal
ter I'VE stormed the barrlcade, and we
took the house in which tina. villain, Rus
trome Parlowe lived. 1 had got into his
very room, and had just seen that Helene
was not there. and | was asking him
where she was, when the whole thing
blew up, and sent us sky-high, and / re-
member no more"
Demon sat there for moment or tw,
in a panied silence.
81 don't understand you," he said.
| You are speaking of some French place.
We are in American Virginia"
II also don't understand you," said
Walter. Il am the Honorable Walter
Glaydes. son Of Lord Yorley, and was
hurt In the Rue st. Jacques. All want
to know is, if my friend Do Bardinot
is alive, and il THAT villain, Rustrome
Parlowe, is deadT'
Inc surgeon nfd entered In the mean
| time, and STOPPING over Walter. felt his
pulse.
81 must forbid all further converse
tion," he said. you have been excit-
ing yourself. major"
"Majorw exclaimed Walter, IL seem
| ing establishment
Yes" interposed Demon. Surely you
know who you are. You are Major Jack
Adams, of the First Louisiana Battalion
of the Rebel army
Il am Walter Glaydes," said Walter.
| pitifully, and the doctor again interposed.
Now, this will do he said Fur
Their we must not go. You must try to
not think. else we shall have you laid up
with brain fever"
A week passed. during which Walter
improved rapidly in health OF mind and
body. He could rise from his bed and
walk. and the surgeon allowed him to sit
IN the shade of a couple Of great beech
trees which stood in the depot yard.
And the wourded soldiers, who had
heard the strange case of the rebel who
had q piece of his head shot away and
still lived, came and looked at the man
who had had such wonderful escape.
The sight Of their uniforms and doz-
en- wounded Confederates who were kept
as prisoners in the hospital helped much
to restore the equilibrium Of his mind.
he soon remembered how he came to be
there He remembered Helene's protec-
fior, of Dono0 and HE a CHI Nth <ho 10