The Prescott daily news., 1914-02-11
SONG IN THE NIGHT
BY JAS. WILLIAM JACKSON.

Inc young IeulSHdnI CrOuCDeQ IN
the mud of the gully. Every man OF
the squad was wearied to the limit of
endurance. and the leader was bur
dened with terrible responsibility
The enemy was close at hand and alb
solute silence imperative. The colonel
a few hours before, had detailed this
little force to cut out a detachment of
the enemy.
For hours they had plowed through
the mud, eager for the encounter. Be-
fore darkness fell the discovery was
made that the enemy numbered four
times as many men as supposed. It
would be madness to hope for more
than drawn battle, the lieutenant re-
f1ected; and yet-the colonel had CIV
en- his orders. At daylight the COM
mander would march on the assump-
ton that the work was done.
Il can't go back and say | was
afraid the boy told himself: "but 1t
would be murder to charge with this
little band. If l had to think only of
myself"
There was another hour before he
need act
And | wonder" he thought. in a
listless way, 81 wonder where she is
tonight"
A few hundred yards behind the gull
ly doomed up an old mansion. AS the
men now lay in silence, save for the
dreary, pattering preudle of the rain
and the slushing of mud as one
changed his position slightly, light
shone out across the wet field from a
window of the house. A moment later
the distant, sweet tones of a piano
were audible. The lieutenant heard the
opening chords with sense of their
familiarity,
Some one began song. The words
were not distant; not even the music
was sharply defined at that distance.
But as the song proceeded. coming out
into the night with a mystic sweet
ness and power, the lieutenant remem.
bered its mesmeric harmony.
Granton called to mind a certain dav
before his uniform grew ragged. The
settings of the song then had been
fine old room, glorious woman, a
fascinating voice. 1t was not a song
that luils; it thrilled and hfted-high
and higher it exalted, until the impos-
sible seemed easy to grasp
AS the song proceeded the heuten-
ant felt the full strength Of its quick
ening impulse; and gradually he put
away from himself the weak and I'M
nerving dependency. Almost before
the last note died away on the night
he had the squad afoot, confident that
his own spiritual intoxication was
shared in some measure by his follow
ers
Just beyond the woods a faint indi-
cation of a sentry was discerned in a
half defined shadow.
The little band, deploying, came out
OF the deeper shadows in long line
ranged against the whole face of the
opposing force.
At that instant just one thrilling
CHARGE" was ordered 1t came from
the lieutenant, and 1t was keyed in
the sharp, enthralling harmony of the
song.
1t was over soon. The charge itself
became wild pursuit. The lieutenant
still led the way until-the sword
slipped from his fingers and he sank
headlong into the soft mud and lay
still. while his men hurried on
1t was hours after, ana ael' day,
when the lieutenants III oed
with intelligence. For as
his glance ranged about ..... n
in questioning way. From tae couch
where he lay he could see but part of
che room; and as he strove to turn
himself a quiet figure came quickly
to his side. Then his eyes looked
| straight up into those of a woman.
There came another wondering ques-
ton into his glance and great, glad
establishment to find her there. But
his lips formed a different query.
"The fight?" he asked. weakly, and