Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1909-01-15
-----, ~
AapterXXVI !,
DECENT BURIAL


an LAIBORNE called Oscal
RN through the soft dusk o.
the April evening The
phaIanx OF stars march
- ed augustly across the
heavens Claiborne lift
s face gratefully to the cool NIGH
re. for he was worn with the
and anxiety Of the day and
-emained much to do The bun
had been speedily transformed
hospital. One nurse. borrowed
convalescent patient at the
lgs vas to be REINFORCED by an.
summoned by wire from Wash
IN.
ne ambassadors demand to be al
ed to remove Armitage to his own
se al the Springs had been PROMPT
rejected by the surgeon. fever
a hold eff John Armitage, who was
enough without the wound In his
.oulder, and the surgeon moved his
APPS to the bungalow aud took charge
e the case. Oscar had brought Clai-
Horue's bag and all was now in readl-
.ess for the night
Oscars erect 6gure at salute and his
spectful voice brought Claiborne
wn from the stars.
1--WE can get rid Of the prisoners to-
ight-yesP
AT midnight two secret service men
will be here from Washington to travel
with Them 70 Baltimore to their boat.
The baron and ny father arranged
It over the telephone from the Springs
The prisoners understand that they are
IN serious trouble and have agreed to
go quietly. The government agents are
discreet men You brought up the
buckbOard2"
But the men should be hanged. for
they shot our captain, and he may die"
The little man spoke with sad ca
dence. A pathOs in his erect, sturdy
figure, his lowered tone as he referred
20 Armitsge. touched Claiborne.
ale viii get we'll, Oscar. Everything
will seem brighter tomorrow. You had
better sleep until it is time to drive to
the train. l."
Oscar stepped nearer, and his voice
sank to a whisper.
Il have not forgotten the tall man
who died ID is not well for him to go
ynburieh You are not a Catholic
flOY'
'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 of his hat and drew his sleeve |
across his forehead. Il 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 |
brambles and over the stones, and |
thought he would soon turn and we 4
might have a 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 SOP
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. l had
crossed it once and knew that It was
weak and shaky, and l Stacked up and
watched him. He kept on, and just
before he came to It, when l was very
close to him, for be was a slow runner
so big and clumsy, he
turned and shot at me with his revOlv-
er, but he was in a 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 a mad
,latter Of the planks He was a cow
ard with a heart Of water and would
not stop when l called and come back
Tor little fight The wires Of the
bridge hummed, and the bridge swung
Ind creaked. When he was almost
midway Of the bridge the big wires
hat held It began to. shrek out Of the
I'D posts that, held them. though l had
lot touched them, and it seemed many
rears that passed while the whole Of
t dangled in the air like a bird nest
n a storm, and the creek down below
aughed at that big coward. l still
leard his hoofs humping the planks
lntn the bridge dropped from under
i'm and left him for a long second
With his arms and legs flying in the
ir. Yes; it was very horrible to see.
w Then his great body went down,
4. Cod it was a very dreadful
for a wicked man to dieI'
And Oscar brushed his hat with his
leeve and looked away at the purple
nd gray ridges and their burden OF
tars.
Eyes; it must have been terrible"
aid Claiborne.
"But now he cannot be left to lie
own there on the rocks, though be :
7as so wicked and died like a beast
am bad Catholic, but when l was
boy used to serve mass, and it is
OF wen for a man to lie IN a wild
lace where the buzzards win find
i'm"
"But you cannot bring /, priest.