The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-22
A Death
Shadow
BY F. A. Mitchell

summoned before the king. They wer
in Flanders, and the Belgians consti
tuted the tip Of the left wing Of tn
allied army.
Captain" said the king, II wish yol
to carry message to the commando
Of the nearest British troops south o
us. Go on foot and on the beach. TIT
distance Is short, but Is full OF danger
You will be as safe on the edge of thu
water as anywhere. We are not II
touch with our allies, but there is. NJ
fear of any force pushing into the gar
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 ball the size of small pill, put II
In the lining Of his hat, saluted and de
| parted. The hour was dusk. In the
eastern sky was a moon In the first
quarter The beach was broad, and
| the officer walked midway between the
| line of foam and the dunes.
Was that his shadow down at his left
and a trifie 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 1t 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 a haze. He cast his eyes again
down at his feet, hoping that the dark
spot had disappeared. 1t was still
there.
To the south were the lights of
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. II 1t came 1t would
come from the dunes on his left. not
from the water. He cast occasional
giances In the former direction, turn
ing his head 10 the rear TO see If lie
was followed. He thought he saw a
dark something like the figure of
man against the sky line behind him.
IL IL was man he was soon in hiding, |
for 1t 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 were the |
lights, slowly growing more distinct as
he advanced. Usually there was at
night desultory firing. not so far from
Tonight there was absolute silence OF
war. There was the moaning OF the
waves on the bar, with their nearer rus
lie on the beach. This was all.
But that dark spot II would not so
away. The captain tried hard TO con.
vince himself that there was no such
hing there He could not. He saw 1t.
Of that he was sure. But IL was so
'sint that he could not always see it. Z
At any rate. be looked at II. concen-
rating his gaze upon il. till II seemed
o fade away. But when he had rested
lis eyes and looked again there il was.
And now the lights OF the camp are
o near that another ten or fifteen min
ties will surely bring him there. The
unes where he looked for danger had
attened. and what rise there was had
eceded. The sky line was visible. and :
n could have seen even a crouching !
CURE. But he saw none. breeze
TIRED some low weed or bush and /
ent his heart to beating. but in an
Their moment he saw that II was not RI
man. v
A short distance from the camp be +
anne 10 q place where reeds grew cut a
T a marshy spot Just shove the foam 4
ne He must 60 10 the left Of them Y
centing danger wherever there was y
ozsibillty Of IL lurking. he gave II a g
,ide berth. passing a hundred yards
, the left 81 II. After leaving Il be.
Ind him. looking down. be saw that
le black spot was directly In lire with a,
,e reeds. II seemed 10 him as be \,
siked that the spot advanced. keep n
& In line with his body and the reeds. n
Suddenly he felt his legs giving wav r
1der him. He feil hesdloug on The b
nd. easped and died. r.
A fgur. with q rife rose M from az
nong the reeds and advanced toward 81
q BODY Turning o. over with hts =
-. he looked down into the marble -
30 and upon the uniform and. nut ~
ring Belgian turned away snd
uTht q German camp not far inland
the same time q dark cloud covered s.
. moon =,
yras what the captain saw the shsd- a
: ~ deafhs Who csu tell There +.
? ulors thinEs brought out ~ vnr i.a