Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1915-04-29
A Deai'h
Shadow
By F. A. Mitchell

An officer of the Belgian army was
summoned before the king. They We're
i'm Flanders. and the Belgians consti-
tuted the tip of the left wing of the
allied army.
Captain" said the king, II wish you
to carry message to the commander
Of the nearest British troops south of
US. Go on foot and on the beach. The
distance is short. but is full of danger.
You will be as safe on the edge Of the
water as anywhere. We are not In
touch with our allies, but there is no
fear Of any force pushing into the gap
for our rear is defended by the chan
mel Your danger will come simply
from any accommodating or other small
force that you may happen to meet
The captain took the message. rolled
in a ball the size of small pill. put it
in the lining of his hat, saluted and de-
parted The hour was dusk. In the
eastern sky was moon in the first
quarter. The beach was broad. and
the officer walked midway between the
line or foam ana the dunes.
Was that his shadow down at his left
and trifle in advance of him? No.
A shadow must lie in line with the
light interrupted. This one formed an
obtuse angle with his body and the
moon.
Was it shadow? 1t was so faint
that he could not tell.
There was a moaning sound to the
waves that were washing over bar
not far from the shore. The wind was
chilly, and the captain felt CORE
spending chill in his heart he did
not like that dark spot or shadow or
whatever it was. He looked down on
the hard sand to his left. 1t was there,
barely distinguishable. but surely there.
He looked up at the moon. The dark
spot surely could not be made by the
moon, for it would lie behind him,
whereas this was slightly in front of
him. He looked at the planet Venus
and saw that it was covered at the
time by haze. He cast his eyes again
down at his feet, hoping that the dark
SpOL Auo OlSoppCulSu. was SUN
there.
To the south were the lights OF a
camp: how far he could not tell. That
camp was his goal. He wished him.
self safely there. At night one cannot
readily measure distances. and he could
not tell whether the lights were far or
near. He longed to reach them to es-
cape that intolerable loneliness which
weighed upon him.
He knew that at any moment he
might receive a shot in the back or
from the front. If 1T came it would
come from the dunes on his left. not
from the water. He cast occasional
glances in the former direction, turn
ing his head to the rear to see if he
was followed He thought he saw a
dark something like the figure of a
man against the sky line behind him
If it was Il nan he was soon in hiding
for it passed into the dark dune
He edged down to the verge of the
water and walked almost in the foam
The sand was wet and reflected the
light Of the moon. Beyond We're the
lights. slowly growing more distinct as
he advanced Usually there was at
night deSultory firing. not so far from
the shore but that it could be heard.
Tonight there was absolute silence of
war. There was the moaning of the
waves on the bar, with their nearer rus
tie on the beach. This was all.
n,,t n MI t.
away The captain tried hard to con
vince himself that there was no such
thing there. He could not He saw it
OF that he was sure. But it was so
faint that he could not always see it.
AT any rate. he looked at it. concen-
trating his gaze upon it. till it seemed
to fade away. But when he had rested
bis eyes and looked again there it was.
And now the lights Of the camp are
so near that another ten or fifteen min
utes will surely bring him there The
dunes where he looked for danger had
fattened, and what rise there was had
receded. The sky line was visible, and
he could have seen even a crouching
figure. But he saw none A breeze
stirred some low weed or bush and
sent his heart to beating. but in an
other moment he saw that it was not
man.
A short distance from the camp he
came to place where reeds grew out
of marshy spot just above the foam
line. He must go to the left Of them
Seeming danger wherever there was q
possibility Of it lurking, he gave it a
wide berth. passing hundred yards
to the left of it. After leaving it be
hind him, looking down. he saw that
the black spot was directly in line with
the reeds. 1t seemed to him as he
walked that the spot advanced, keep
Ing in line with his body and the reeds.
Suddenly he felt his legs giving way
under him. He fell headlong on the
sand, gasped and died.
A figure with rifle rose up from
among the reeds and advanced toward
the body. Turning it over with his
foot. he looked down into the marble
face and upon the uniform and. NUT
foripo Npnlrrior %,,,n,o1 md