The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-04-04

linen HIS keen eye caught another
pe,uiia'lt7. "Ah. see that" be add.
cd pointing to ragged break ia the
knob that once made part of the hin
joint. s'This is a fractured thigh
bone. This man WAS evidently struck
by bullet just below the hip, the
shot killed him very likely"
"A fractured thigh bone, a tall man
struck by shot just below the hip"
Oh what o world of meaning that
diagnosis had for me. It told me
that Caleb Gordon's hope would not
be biighted. "Th.." ssid I. "is the
thigh bone of John Briggs, Florida
soldier"
The doctor smiled inoredulously.
"Aud how Oh earth do YOU know
that?'
u know it," I replied, "beoause
John Briggs, a great muscular fellow,
who stood six feet four, vas the one
and only man who died 10 the barn
hospital from fractured leg who had
not previously had that leg amputated.
he was struck 80 high up that ampu-
tation was impossible"
"Well, must admit that looks
plausible" said the doctor, oontem-
platively, picking the loam out of the
ragged fracture With tbe blade OF his
knife. "Now, if you could only re-
member when this Briggs died"
"Exactly,"' / interrupted. "He
end Donald Gordon died the same
night, and Gordon lies right there be-
side him, for the two were buried
within en- hour" ....
"Thank Godl" exclaimed Caleb
Gordon, and the old man for the first
time in all the trying ordeal, broke
down and wopt like child, with hie
arms about my neck. But he was
too eager now Go yield to bis emotions
long. Sam was digging again about
10 inches to the right OF where we
found the thigh bone Of John Briggs.
Two more corn stalks had been up.
rooted, and the father Of Lieutenant
Gordon was down on his knees in the
corn field peering into the. deepening
hole and listening to the dull grating
OF the negro's spade. A few min
utes of patient digging and Sam turn.
ed up The rotten fragments of board. :.
Then with careful hands, we removed
one by one Of the deoayed splinters Of
the cracker box, from which that rude
coffin was improvised eight years
before and gradually uncovered the
whole length Of the body. The dank.
mouldy shreds Of the blanket and the
army jacket that shrouded the. &C l.
dier's se:sa dropped 70 pisces ss We
touched them, but six brass buttons
with the. letters @: s. a. stamped
upon tho ehield dropped sr-es. :.ke
damp shreds Of the jacket, and Caleb
Gordon seized them like man who
has found q precious treasure. Then
one by one the bones OF Lieutenant
Gordon's body were lifted from their
grave and laid aaah in ise r.epe. place
uron the ground until there, was not
a5 E. fragment niasiDg save the lower
par' os the right leg that was severe d
By the,a,lputalion. ~ "* ::z$. .i !,
Caleb Gordon stopped again and
taok In his hands the skull oS histsonn.
For q moment the old mans eye eyes easeld
into she sightless aockets OF his airst.
born; his hands :oare5sed the smooth
frontal bones OF the well rounded
Forehead and then be carefully ex.
amined the perfect rows. Of teeth
still firm ind white. i S.s:. st s.
Il 5he.,. hesfalt.e,irIed: tiI; .;vould
know ny poy s#Ioretui eau 81 ANY ;yH ywners.
Kes, there cao .;he no { doubt. & ssss,, s,
even che teath complete the eviiae ae,ice
Those Two gold ti.lings were thiss only
imperfeotionss e . u q Sss y:tii s
While the old man stood fEaerina m 4
the skull and pointing out betX Xean his
soba each evidanae OF j2antitvG lid
doster, WHO had been ssaalssaehiDg alsa ID tils
1shreds Of 34io a,ttea blanket that
dropped from tks dead man az i s.ribs. m
made disoovsxy that removed 81 s., stbs
aSukS ,,rsaskfnt ~ y s Fls