The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-10-12

l actually believe her first impulse
was to refuse haughtily this proffered
civility from an enemy of her coun-
try, but the deep sense of need con-
quered her to accept the Offering. An
other hill followed and then another,
and finally we swept swiftly down a
long slope densely bordered by trees
and with irregular piles of rock up
rearing ugly heads on either hand. |
caught a swift glimpse of a rough
log house on the right so set back
among trees that half doubted its
real existence, when-there was a
slip, the crunching of a stone, long
stumble forward that fairly wrenched
my hand loose from the woman's rein,
and then, hopelessly struggling to re-
gain his feet, my horse went down
with a crash, head under, and | was
hurled heavily forward upon my face.
Craig, startled at the sudden crash be-
hind him, spurred back to learn the
full extent of my disaster. BY this
time had regained my feet
I'm all right think, sergeant" l
said hastily, but the sorrel has brok-
en- her neck"
He began to swear at our III luck,
but stopped him with a gesture he
knew better than to ignore.
Enough of that" commanded,
sternly. bad fortune is seldom bet
tered by hard words First of all,
help me to drag this dead body out of
sight"
On one side Of us the bank fell away
with such precipitancy that when we
once succeeded in dragging our load
to the edge, We experienced no diff
Guilty in sending It crashing down
ward. The body plunged through the
thick underbrush at the bottom of the
oggre, where | knew 1t would be COM
pletely hidden, even in the glare Of
daylight, from the spying eyes Of any
troopers riding hard upon our track.
AS we rapidly worked on this disa-
greeable task, l thought and planned;
two horses and three riders-one of
these a woman In need Of protection
"a dispatch TO be delivered by day
light, at all hazards. 1t was indeed
difficult proposition, and | saw only
number must press on; two of us
must remain behind. Which one?
what two? II rode with the dis
patch land how eagerly | longed to
DO SOD and succeeded in bringing
Lees message safe to Longstreet, 1t
meant much to me-promotion, dis
tinction, honor On the other hand,
I Nv
cessfully carried out the duty which
had been especially intrusted to me,
should be fortunate indeed to escape
with a reprimand instead Of more Sc
rious consequences. If failure result
ed, II meant certain and deserved dis
grace. Yet | could absolutely trust
him With the dispatch; he was a SOL
der, ann would faithfully perform
soldiers duty. More, he would carry
the message with even greater GER
tainty than |. for he knew the roads
much better. anu~% wute the words
hesitatingiy-a bould not trust him
there alone With the woman.
glanced eside at him % I thus
turned TO pauaAxjng situation over
III ny uiuhf-P R4 gopbt tupuhkn
eer, whose cole Gtsolp,inb Cf oiinn end
body had beep the artnyt hardensd by
service until erery muscle In his lean,
sinewy fJame svas like steel q eayelry,
man who would follow d,s tsAd6f thto
the very Jaws Of hell, but whose NOR
ais were those Of the camp. and
whose face revealed audacious devil
try such as no man would care to see
In one to whom he intrusted the well
fare Of sister or wife.
Sergeant" ! asked, fiinging aside
the improvised brush, "how far do you
suppose we are from Longstreet's
picket line7" ,S~-Hs9sSsGezEaSa. ..sza.'s'a ~ 80
"Ten miles at the very best, SIR"
he answered. promptly, "an' reckon
with another Yankee outpost atween."
with fair luck and good riding 1t
might be made by daylight"
II reckon as how It might, captain,
II we only he'd sum fresh hosses," he
said glumly; but it's bin mighty hard
on my nag; I've looked fer him to roll
over like yer sorrel did fer the las
two mile"
We'll, Craig, you shall have both
horses Ride the woman's. 1t is the
fresher OF the two; but you are to
get through If you kill them both and
then walk"
His face frightened, and he raised
his hand In salute.
"And your" he asked, wonderingly
II remain with the woman; there
is no other way. Wait here moment
while I speak with her."
left him standing there, and moved
back to where she waited. AS came
up she faced me, and for the first time
(for the night had lightened some
what / could see her eyes and dis
cern some faint outline of her fac'
where the night wind flung back th'
upturned cape. II was winsom'
sight TO soldier vision, but with ceT
tain semblance of pride and reserv'
about it that caused hesitancy in m.
speech strange to me.
ID ha.