The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1906-07-06
THE SHAnOWER

T .as3 ~ Ci1er II once to General lay
4 10 not think there are any
+ 1sesicans II the region between our
40 seHarate forces, but there may be.
/ Yoa sIn either take an escort or scou,
tour WY alone"
Capsain Allen Duane paled. Ills gen.
afal looked ut his ald-deeamp curious.
| ". naa1erieglr. for he knew him to be
brave man, then asked, (which
course will YOU adopt?"
= shall scout through alone
As II the captain had chased away 3
/ iisagreeable suspicion as to his cour
/ aee. the general turned eomplacently
| 10 other matters.
What was it that caused the color 10
momensarly leave the cheek of the
young officer ut being ordered upon an
/ ordinary duty: He did not know him
self He only knew that some vague
message had come TO him to tell him
that this would be to him night Of
what? lie did not know More in
fear OF cowardice than danger, he
shook off the disagreeable impression,
which melted before his resolution like
mist before the sun.
Riding to the outposts, he left his
horse and moved away into the debata
BILE land held by neither American nol
Mexican \ young moon shone down
On his shoulder, casting faint shadow
to his left and to his rear. 1t annoyed
him. Turning to glance at it, he could
not refrain from Il fancy that figure
was following him. Looking straight
ahead, he fixed his gaze on the plain,
over which here and there grew scat
tered cumps of tropical trees.
1t was lonely out there on that DESC
late plain where the poorest Mexican
disdained to build even an adobe hut.
The vipers with which the country
abounds had crawled into their holes;
the few birds were hidden, silent, in
the branches of the trees. 1t seemed
to him that even the melancholy cry
of a whippooiwill, with which he had
long been familiar in the north, would
sound companionable. There were only
the plain, the trees, the moon and the
sky, over which 'floated small clouds
with dark bodies and fieecy borders.
Despite his efforts to drive away the
impression that his shadow was some
one following him this impression grew
stronger. Turning again, he cast a
quick glance behind. There was the
shadow as before Raising his eyes to
the sky he shuddered. The moon was
behind n cloud.
> nlAa In
that the mysterious follower was not
his shadow. What was it? II hui
man enemy it would have long before
this shot or knitted him in the back.
If friend, why did 1t not declare It
self? And why did he not hear its
treadf He listened but by the closest
attention he could not detect a foot
step. And why. he asked himself, did
be, soldier who had been twice
breyetted for bravery, shrink from
turning and confronting this mystical
intensity of shade?
By.an effort he gathered strength to
turn his head for one more glance,
There was the figure. more distinct
than before, yet not continuously so.
1t seemed TO Captain Duane that his
eyesight was not capable Of holding
the image long enough to see exactly
what il was. Now. for an instant, the
head and sho1l3ess would keep their
form-the face bony. with deep sunken
eyesa broad. prominent mouth. Then
the legs. lons Thin ones, would be
tramping With one uninterrupted, un-
changed gait. tie whole covered by
long flowing muntle which futtered in
the wind. yet there was no wind.
Desperate the officer halted and fac
ed about
"Who comes therefe he cried.
The words broke. the stiffness like a
| clap of thunder from a serene sky.
| There was In them Il singular distress,
as if they had been for ages asking
| question to which there had come no
reply. The figure stopped when the
| spe..ker stopped standing. waiting. as
| though neither impatient nor tired con
fident that the object of lis Autlon
would move on and it would again fol
low.
The young captain did move on
] Though his physical strength was III
impaired. It seemed to LIN that his
soul was tagging. that it was slowly
but surely slipping away from him
/ He was as ready TO meet IN aeeuston
cd enemy and fight as brayey rs ever
AS Captain Allen Duane he was still
independent; as human soul he was
losing himself.
And now there in the distance is
something white. He shades his eyes
i from every ray of moonlight and dis
covers white tents. He is nearing the
end of his mission. a few more miles
and he will be within the picket line
of friendly army. VIII this shadowy
tramper remain behind?
Captain Duane pushed on. The In
eQuallties Of the road were no opsta-
cles. He took no thought at running
upon some rowing band of Mexicans.