The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-08-20
CHAPTER xxvI.
CAPTAIN OF THE TROOP.

And now he had left Roanoke. and
was living In the great old house on
Pietro's land. the old house which had
been lived in 100 years before Pietro's
father had bought II, the old house In
which grandchildren OF Pietro live to-
day. E
Something In his odd broken English.
something In his vivacity and energy
something in the warmth of heart
which the poor souls felt In him-none
quicker than negroes to feel a heart
fascinated the slaves who fell to his
nnaccustomed management He had
met Henry Clay and the proud aTisto-
Gratis Of Virginia as men and women.
and given them the best of himself;
he met these thick-lipped, dim souled.
black people no otherwise. and gave
them the same. BY the crystal truth
In him the first had been vanquished,
and II happened not differently with
these other human beings. Pietro's
mishandled property grew orderly
month by month; Francois, In the sad
die most OF the time. riding from end
to end Of the plantation. found his
haHds full and his work interesting,
and his health and strength coming
back-though that was slower prog
ress.
The people who do moot are likely to
be the people who can do thing more.
the larger part of his natural pleas
ures by that stern bylaw OF nature,
which had made him lame. appealed to
Francois sympathy every day more
deeply. In his devotion to his discoy-
cry. his brand from the Austrian burn
ing. his own peculiar friend-all this
Harry considered Francois to be-the
boy was very much at Carnifax. and the
older man, hardly more than q boy
himself. came to know the suffering II
meant 10 a strong and active young an
imal. TO drag ball and chain. The
sort, Of lad who would have led others
at fencing. wrestling, swimming, run
ning-at every sport--he had to sit
outside, and with aching heart and
muscles tngling to be at work. to
watch his friends. He was generous
and cheered on the others: he was re-
served and never spoke OF himself;
people, even his own people had come
to take his lameness for granted, had
forgotten that the trial was always a
fresh one to him, But Francois under
stood. There were no words spoken
between them. but Francois. full OF
warm friendliness toward this boy who
had helped him back to life, turned
things over In his mind and found a
scheme which seemed to promise
pleasure Tor young Hampton-which
seemed besides to be good practice for
the work to which the gaze OF Fran
coils looked forward steadily, through
and beyond all this temporary living
the work of fighting for the Bona
parties. 8
The one thing which the lad could
do was riding. Henry" Francois
spoke. as the two trotted together down
shady lane Of the plantation on the
way to the far fields where negroes
worked in the autumn sunlight, what
would you think OF organizing a
mounted troop of militia ?"
The boys face famed with excite
ment. What would he think OF t.?
He would think 1t glorious. wonderful,
half dozen big adjectives. Ha
There were many young men In the
neighborhood; all of them rode; none
of them had enough TO do; Francois
had q hold on them---a man may not
spend five years In dungeon because
OF dashing mad act OF bravery with
out acquiring halo which adlleres az
terward; 1t was fairly certain that a
military company. originating with the
Chevalier Beaupre. would succeed. And
Il succeeded. Three days later II was
started with the cordial sanction OF the
fathers and the enthusiasm OF the sons.
spirit and the responsible head, and
Francois was hard at work calling back
the old lore OF his school days at Saint
Cyr and reading books on tactics and
all military subjects.
Harry" said Colonel Hampton one
morning after breakfast at Roanoke
House 4 want TO speak to you mo-
ment In my study"
Harry went calmly into the dim,
pleasant old room. with It's ,banAed
walls and portraits set into the panel
| Ing: he had no fear of what his uncle
might say. for he was not merely the