The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-05-11
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Are you ready? Speak thcn.'

care you ready? Speak thcn.'
The officers call seemed to me-
strangely enough. to be directed rath-
or 10 Ogden than TO me. nor did it
sound harsh or even mllindly. Hc
continucd:
"Let the lad tell his story, if the
matter be as you suspcct.'
Ogden's left hand, which had till
now covered my pale face to shut
out the ghastly sight Of the dead
body lying near by, was gently drawn
away and took firm hold upon my arm
and raised me up. There was a re-
asSnrin" smile on his features. "IIc
will tell you, sir. and YOU will not
think the time lost to listcn; for
though you are soldier, Your expert
cncc, be it long or short, has nothing
in it so bitter as this.' "Procecd,
thcn," again he spoke more to Ogden
l thought. than to me, and as [ look
ed he kept curiously lit eve upon the
lad, and [ hcsitatcd, somehow doubt
ing if he would hear me when I did
begin. My voice must have been we'll
nigh inaudible at first and provoking-
ly slow. How could I repeat in the
face of strangers, and Yankee soldiers
at that, the awful tale. 1t would new
or have been possible but for the sup
porting presence Of my friend who
seemed ever, by his very look and
touch to nerve me, otherwise all too
weak and timid, to 10 what erstwhilc
were impossible. AS well as l re-
member, I finally told the story this
way: "Last night ! lay on bed be-
side my mothers. My fathers ell
trance about midnight or later, awokc
me. but when [ heard him talking III
low tones to my mothcr | lay quite
still and heard it all. a late train
coming from Columbia brought Il COM
pany Of negro soldiers. In another
coach sat two ladies under escort Of Il
Young Texan Confederate soldier re-
the nc"r" soldiers entered The ear and
acc"Strd the ladies'. lie must have
been impudcnt: for the Texan struck
him at once and drove him from the
car, and then Knowing there would
soon be upon him the entire company
. Of outraged negroes, he Immediately
4, placed the ladies somewhere in safe
. ~ and prudent V Withdrew.
"Thc whole black band rushed
hcadlon@ int" the car, cursin% and
! demanding vengeance. Not finding
{ either the ladies or the Texan there,
I they rushed forth again and my
father who temporarily had charge
Of the train, being the only white man
/ il sight, they laid ruthless hold upon
i him and would have killed, cut him
TO pieces with their flashing swords
: without a word from him and he
would never have known why, had not
3 the brave Texan seeing the critical
5 danger Of my father and dislaining to
Z let another man die in his stead,
y stepped boldly forward from the
darkness into the bright light of the
torches and dcliantly declared he was
the man they sought. Astonishcd at
3 first by his bold defiance, they turned
my father loose and drew back apacc,
#but observing he was alone and I'M
armed they picked up courage again
and with yell of cruel hate they seiz-
ed upon him unrcsisting and bore him
away
# 1t seems so cold and lifcless, this
story Of Calvin Crozicr as I write it
now. 1t was burned into my child s
mind and heard in the darkness of
that bitter night so long ago, and as
told it to the Federal officer the night
following it's occurrence I must have
let my imagination run, and the hor-
&ror of it took me like a nightmare.
AS L drew near the close of the story
lI drew gradually near the dead body.
I'm the fitful glare Of the camp fire it
Seemed to breathe again, and the
shadows shut off somewhat the ghast-
Illness of death. And as I finished and
@looked upon the still features and
Stfhr,,r,ht % ,,,l,o@ fho,, ,oo,,,1 l,o...