The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-07-03

and half-blinded by the clouds OF
dust and acrid smoke, but he had re-
ceived no bodily injury beyond few
slight bruises. Right across his body
in a slanting direction there was a
heavy wooden beam. 1t had just stop
| ped short of crushing him, but it
| rested on him with sufficient weight
to prevent him moving.
"Luck's with me after all, - he muir
INJURED. "I am not hurt, and this
beam is not too heavy for me to lift.
| can raise it up and crawl
He paused with sort of gasp, for
his eyes, rowing round the place, had
rested on a cleaning rifle barrel. 1t
| was pointed straight at his head and
there was a mans hand just behind
the trigger guard, his forefinger rest
ing on the trigger. The man was the
rebel who had surprised him. He
was lying on his face amidst the
wreckage, and there was the blood
streaming from terrible wound at
the side of his head. A splinter of
the bursting shell had killed him.
The spy gave sigh of relief. For a
moment he had thought that the man
was alive and was taking aim at him.
But his relief was of short duration.
He did not like that rifle pointing so
steadily at him, even though it was
only held in the dead mans hand;
and when he saw that the lower end
of the beam which was lying across
his own body rested against the mans
right forearm he liked it still less.
| He could not move the beam upward; !;
| he could only move it downward or
sidewise. If he shifted it ever so
little it was bound to press more
| heavily on the dead rebels arm, and
that would cause his stiffened finger
| to press on the trigger, which would
fire the rifle. The bullet would enter
-Tyler's-brains, because his
| head was so wedged that he could not
move it to one side or the other. He
could raise it little, but that would
be of no advantage. The bullet
would take him then somewhere
about the mouth and pass upward
through the base of his skull.
He shook with fear like man
| with the ague, and the sweat stream
ed down his face. Inadvertently he
| moved his body slightly, causing the
beam to shift its position the.fraction
of an inch. That caused the dead
rebels arm to move little, and his
stiffened finger seemed to tighten on
the trigger. The spy cried out in his
terror; or at least queer sort Of
croak passed his lips, for that was all
he was capable of, as parching
thirst, and the dust which had got
into his throat deprived him of his
voice.
1t was borne in upon the spy's
mind that he might lie there until he
died of starvation. There was the
alternative of pushing the beam
little more, so that the dead mans
finger should press harder on the
trigger, and thus end his misery with
bullet from the menacing rifle.
But he had not the courage for
that. He clung desperately to life.
He had known fear before, but never
had he experienced such an agony of
terror as now held him.
Then all at once something in his
brain seemed to snap. A red curtain
dropped before his eyes. The noise
of rushing wind howled in his ears
and then came black oblivion.
Early the next morning three
mounted men reined up close by the
ruined boiler-house. They were Col
onel Voruba, Captain Berwick and an
orderly. The fight was over and the
rebels we're beaten.
1.-TWO men in there said Berwick.
"They may have some life in
them"
The orderly dismounted and peer
ed in among the wreckage.
"Senor, one is REBEL" he report
ed. "The other is Senor Tyler. Both
dead"
"The spy!" exclaimed Berwick.
He and Voruba gave their horses
over to the orderly and entered the
building.
1T is strange" said Voruba, bend
ing over Tyler's body, there is not
mark upon him. He has received no
wound-no hurt. He could easily
have lifted this beam and extricated
himself.'
Look at the expression on his
l.