The St. Mary banner., 1911-12-09

guide from Blamed II ever see such
a dark night: it's like bein' inside
pocket sir, an | reckon as how II
must be nigh onter ten year since |
run loose in this yere country as
kid. Thet thar cut off We took while
back has sort o confused me: that's
a fac. and | don't just know Whar
am; but | reckon as how the main
ridge road We're huntin' after ought
er run scmewhar out wonder" he
pointed forward into the night
Very well, hand me your rein. and
see what you can discover out there
on foot. Sitting here isn't apt to
mend matters. and We surely cannot
afford to cripple our horses among
those rocks
The sergeant, gaunt. treless
mountaineer. slipped silently from his
saddle. swung his light cavalry car
bine from his back 70 the honow or
his arm. and in another moment was
lost to sight In the darkness. snake
could not have slipped away more
stealthily. | heard stone rattle un-
der his foot. half-suppressed oath.
and then the night had completely
swallowed him
How utterly alone | seemed; how
intensely. painfully still everything
was! The silence felt almost like
weight. SO greatly 1t oppressed me.
Even the accustomed voices of nature
were hushed, as If war. with Its un-
speakable cruelty, had cast spell
over all things animate and inanimate
1t was weird, uncanny. With every
nerve strained. leaned forward
across the pommel of my saddle. lis
tening for the slightest sound out In
that black void. My head burned and
throbbed as with fever. and | felt that
strange, unnatural stiffness as though
1t had been physical thing; surely
others besides us were upon this hill
top! For | knew well-my every sol
dier instinct told me-that somewhere
out in that impenetrable mystery were
blazing the camp fires OF an enemy.
Vigilant eyes were peering every
far away they might lurk could not
even conjecture perhaps merely
around some projecting wall OF rock,
and we might even now be within
the range of their ready rifles. |
could hear the quickened throbbing of
my heart. and my hand fell heavily
on pistol butt In nervous expect
ancy.
The soft night wind. heavy with
pine odors. began suddenly to play
amid the leaves of low tree beside
me. and the pleasant rustling mingled
like strains of music with the slow
breathing OF the horses. | recall 1t
now as one of the loneliest moments
of my life, one of those almos- un-
accountable conditions of mind and
body when 1t seemed to me that the
thin, sinewy fingers of an inexorable
fate were closing down with pres
sure which no strength Of man might
resist | was worn with fatigue In
the saddle. but did not dream OF
sleep; my mind. In firm endeavor
| to cast aside the uncanny influences
of the hour. recalled In swift pano-
rama those three years of civil STRIFE
which had run their course since l.
| a slender. whitefacec lad. had stolen
forth into the moonlight from the por'
tails OF the old home. to ride away into
the northward where the throbbing
drums called me. So deeply had my
every thought become merged IN
these musings that Craig. slipping 81
lently as a ghost from out the engulf
| ing darkness. laid hand upon my
bridle-rein before | became aware OF
his approach.
Il got er all right now. Cap" he an
nounced quietly. peering up into my
face. I'VE uns are not more nor 8
hundred yards ter the right OF the
road. but reckon you'll find ther way
a bit rough"
He led both horses forward, NOV
ing slowly and with that silent eau
ton so characteristic Of his class
| With scarcely the scraping OF hool
on the flinty rocks We came forth ir
safety upon the defined. hard-beater
track
THE south is over yonder ter the
left" he whispered. as he swung ul
into saddle. AN tho trend Of the roae
Is mighty nigh due west"
But in which DIRECTION does theil
main camp lie. sergeant?"
"Durn it: thet's just what ! can
quite figure out. sir-whether we unl
be to ther north or south OF the
white church Then. somehow or 9th
er. 1t seems like to me as II thi'
we're road lay a bit too close ter th'
edge OF ther plateaus ter ever ba tn
main pike what the Feds marched
over. reckon from ther direction
| IL ruro that mayb0 II might be