Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-06-17

tdH very wen utlp myself. SOlen was
like him. He would have it that it was
all his own skill that took Male safely
| through the kitchen that night Ny
husband said it was luck / know that
whenever they are put on the test their
deeds disown their words, but at those
moments / never have the heart to catch
them.
Soren wanted to see me safely through
the wood on to the road, but | would not
let him do it, for had promised that he
should not leave the place, and / consid-
cred the garden fence its border. So he
helped me on to Males back, and we
parted with heavy hearts but without
many words. The time when / used to
ride the unsaddled horses home from the
meadows being not so very far back, |
could still feel at home sitting on a horse
like boy. and, being born and bred in
the country, | could stick to a narrow
road running through dark wood by
keeping my eyes on the top of the trees
as they stand out against the sky
which is the only way to do it. Male,
too, did her part without any mistake,
though | am sure she felt uncomfortable
in her stockings, and so we managed be-
tween us to get noiselessly and unno-
ticed on to the high road.
BY the time we had reached it the
moon had disappeared, and it was rain
ing. My hands and feet were like so
many humps of ice, and remember being
suddenly aware that l was moaning in
time to Males movements: Chilean
not-do-it," and stopping myself with
very stern ''Nonsensei"
I have never been able to find out the
exact place where we had our fall, but /
should say that we had been on our way
for almost an hour when Male went
down, heels over head, her feet having
got entangled, / suppose, in the rem
nants of the wornout stockings; at all
events, we could not have been far from
the crossroad where you leave the high
road for Kiddelund / was at first per-
fectly stunned by the fall, and some time
went by before | thought of pulling my
self together and moving from the spot
where / had fallen And when at last /
got up, the pain in my right ankle was
so agonizing that | sat down again on
the edge of the road, with my feet in the
ditch and my head in my hands, uncon-
scious of everything but the terrible pain.
And not till Male actually poked her
soft, hot muzzle into my ear did | recol-
lect where l was, and that all my trouble
would be lost if | remained there. / got
up with the greatest difficulty, and, get
ting hold of Males name, / crept along
two or three steps till we hit upon one
of the gravel piles on the roadside, and,
after having rested a little, l managed
from that to scramble on TO Males back
When she took her very first step l real
lied that she was as lame as | was my
self
And then it was that gave myself up
to despair. | remained where l was, be-
cause | did not know what else to do:
but l closed my eyes, and all l could
think of, while Male, who had more en-
ergy and perseverance than her mistress,
manfully strobe on, on her poor, injured
legs, was how to keep my head from
tumbling off my shoulders. So dead tired
and detected were we that neither of us
was the least startled by a sudden "Wer
da? Haiti" called out to us from the
darkness, straight in front of us. Nor did
we think of stopping stifT we were actual
ly stopped by two men on horseback
barring the way They said something
to me that | could not take in, and so /
made no answer. Then they struck a
light in my face, and after that they had
another consultation, and | think they
laughed. After that they tied my hands
in front of me, and, pulling Males reins
over her head, one of them turned his
horse and led us on. l never thought
where. For not till we stopped in front
of door from which the light was pour
ing out upon us did | realize that we
had been going in the wrong direction,
and that, being left to arrange matters
all by herself, faithful old Male had car
ried me back to my own door.
At this discovery l felt absolutely no
disappointment, for by this time it was
| who was stunned, and my poor, over
wrought body that had the upper hand.
Lanterns were brought and the officers
came out. They spoke to me and they
spoke to one another, but what did |
care? Not even when | understood that
the colonel was ordering me to dismount
did | move, for l could not, no, not if
they had pointed all their pistols at me.
And when they lifted me out of the sad
die and on to the ground, l simply col
lapsed and sat down in the dirt in the
midst of them. They picked me up and
carried me into the house, and / remem-
Der only feelng ANXIOUS about the cover
ing of the armchair in which they placed
me, which proves how much stronger was
the woman than the hero in me.
Some one, l suppose it must have been
the doctor, pushed back my hair-when
we fell my hat had been lost and my hair
had tumbled down-and washed my face
and my hands in hot water. Then they
gave me some brandy to drink, and
standing over me, they gave me some
moments to recover before they spoke to
me again.
And for all this kindness-if kindness
it were-they had only a poor reward;
for not only did they restore me to my
senses, but they left me time enough to
think it all over, and to make up my
mind that I would have yet one other
try to save our men. So when they be-
gan questioning me again l told them
how, having found out what their plans
l. L