Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-12-10

but the men Sn0ulQ DE hanged, Iof
they shot our captain, aud he may die.
The little man spoke with sad ca
dence. a pathos ID his erect. sturdy
figure, his lowered tone as he referred
to Armitage. touched Claiborne.
lie will get well, Oscar Everything
will seem brighter tomorrow You had
better sleep until it is time to drive to
the train "
/ Oscar stepped nearer. and his voice
sank TO a whisper
Il have not forgotten the tall man
who died; it is not well for him to go
unburied. You are not Catholic
no!"
You need not tell me how or any
thing about it. But you are sure he is
quite dead?"
/ He is dead He was bad man and
| died very terribly" said Oscar, and he
took off his hat and drew his sleeve
across his forehead q will tell you
just how it was When my horse took
the wall and got their bullets and tum
bled down dead, the big man they
called Zmai saw how it was, that we
were all coming over after them, and
ran He kept running through the
branbles and over the stones, and
thought he would soon turn and we
might have fight but he did not stop.
and | could not let him get away 1t
was our captain who said. We must
take them prisoners was it not so?"
Yes; that was Mr.. Armitage's wish. :"
Then | saw that we were going to-
ward the bridge, the one they do not
use there at the deep ravine. had
crossed it once and knew that it was
weak and shaky, and ! Stacked up and
watched him He kept on, and just
before he came to it, when ] was very
close to him. for he was a slow runner
yes p being so big and clumsy. he
turned and shot at me with his revoiy
er. but he was in hurry and missed,
but he ran on His feet struck the
planks of the bridge with a great jar
and creaking, but he kept running and
stumbled and fell once with mad
CHATTER of the planks. He was a COW
ard with a heart of water and would
not stop when ! called and come back
for a little fight. The wires of the
bridge hummed and the bridge swung
and creaked When he was almost
that held it began to Shrek out of the
old posts that held them. though | had
not touched them, and it seemed many
years that passed while the whole of
it dangled in the air like a bird nest
in Il storm. and the creek down below
laughed at that big coward | still
heard his boots humping the planks
until the bridge dropped from under
him aud left him for a long second
with His arms and legs flying in the
air. Yes; it was very horrible to see
And then his great body went down.
down. God, ii was very dreadful
way for a wicked man to die"
And Oscar brushed his hat with his
sleeve and looked away at the purple
and gray ridges and their burden of
stars.
Yes; it must have been terrible.
said Claiborne
But now be cannot be left TO lie
/
was so wicked and died like beast
am bad Catholic. but when was
boy used to serve mass. and il is
not well for man to lie in a wild
place where the b.Zzards will find
him.
But you cannot bring a priest
Great harm would be done if news of
this affair were to get abroad You
understand that what has passed here
must never be known by the outside
world Ny father and Baron Won Mar
hof have counseled that. and You may
be sure there are reasons why these
things must be Kept quiet or they
would seek the laws aid at once =
Eyes; have been soldier. but after
this little war | shall bury the dead
In an hour ! shall be back to drive the
blackboard to Lamar station"
Claiborne looked at his watch.
Il will go with you' he said
They started through the wood to.
ward the Port of Missing Men. and
together they found rough inches IN
the side of the gap. down which they
maue their way IoliSOmely 10 the
bowlder lined stream that laughed and
tumhled foamily at the bottom of the
defile When their work was done 0s
ear took off his hat and knelt down by
the side of the strange grave and
bowed his head In silence for a mo
ment. Then they climbed the steep
side of the gap and turned toward the
bungalow. Oscar trudged silently al
Claiborne's side, and neither spoke
Both were worn to the point of exhaus
ton by the events Of the long day
The stubborn patience and fidelity OF
the little man touched chord in Clai
borne. Almost unconsciously be threw
mis- arm across Oscars shoulders and
walked thus beside him as they trav
ersed the battlefield of the morning