The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-01-14


10 convince ourselves the DANCER was
less uan We imagined There wes
nothing to be done but wait for .6av
light Finally Fox crept forth agafr
70 make another round Of the plckets
10 assure himself they we're alert and
before ne returned had fallen asleep
The ch1ll Of the night awoke mo
cold and 8hivertng. The wind had
arisen and swept down the funnel in
"hlch lay with an icy breath against
"hlch my single blanket afforded no
projection. The man who had been
lying next me was gone. and so there
musI have been a change Of guard
WINE | slept ! could distinguish.
uimIy outlined against the sky. the
oVerhanging rock.wall which incIosed
our camp, and the deeper shade Of a
ebert gard or two to my left where
'Ae dead trunk Of a tree stood like
a gaunt, ugly sentinel
As lay staring The figure of a man
slipped ous from behind its protec-
ton and, dropping on hands and
Knees, crept forward across the omen
space Another and another followed
mere ghostlike shadows. scarcely an.
pearing real For the instant douht.
ed my eyesight, imagined I dreamed
Then, before | could raise voice in
alarm, a rife spat viciouslv. the red
lame OF It's discharge cleaving the
night A fusillade followed and In the
hare | caught grotesQue gllmpses Of
men Ieaping forward, and there was
confused yelling of voices. a din OF
noise
was upon my knees, revolver in
hand but in the melee below couId
not distinguish friend from foe-alike
they were a blur OF figures, one in.
slant visible, the next obscured. Yet
there could be no doubt as to the final
ending OF the struggle. Taken by sur.
prise, outnumbered, the little squad OF
troopers would be crushed. annjbiIat.
ed Nor was there reason yhy +
should sacrifice myself in their defense
"a yalueless sacrifice. My choice was
instantly made, as there flashed to nv
mind what my fate would be II |
ever fell into Cowan's hands attired in
Federal uniform.
On hands and knees | crept to the
cleft in the rock wall and began n
Chamber up over the irregular rocks
The shouts and yells. the cries for
mercy, the sound OF blows, grew faint.
pr and finally ceased altogether. Lean. .
ing back and looking down could per. !
ceive nothing in the black void. A
voice shouted an order, but 1t sounded
lar of and indistinct. | was in a
narrow gully, the incline less steep
han amid the rocks below, and could
perceive the lighter canopy of the sky
lot far above me.
AS | crept out into the open space
someone touched a match to a pile of
Try limbs In the cove below, and the
ed flames leaped high, revealing the
cene. | caught a glimpse Of it
taring down as though chung at the
mouth Of hell, seeing moving black
igures, and the dark, motionless
hadows Of dead men The one
limpse was enough, the fearful
ragedy Of 1t shifting me like a blow,
nd ! turned and ran, stumbling over
he rough ground. my only thought
hat Of escape.
There were stars in the sky, their
i'm light sufficient to yield some faint
My course led ME close
eside the edge Of the ridge Here
be ground fell away to the banks of
shallow stream and some instinct OF
'oodcraft led me to wade down with
o current for a considerable distance.
ntil the icy water drove me to the
ank once more. knew | had GOV.
rec several miles and was beyond Dur.
ut and slfe from discovery re-
Iained there until dawn. the first
ray light giving assurance that my +
Ight had been to the north along the l
,othills. From the ridge top q wide {
sta lay revealed OF rough, seeming !
uninhabited country. growing more /
stinct as the light strengthened I
here was no house visible. no sign OF r
~ road; all about extended rude t
ountain solitude, but to the north. s
est there WAS q perceptible break in b
% chain OF hills as though a pass led v
,wn into the concealed valley be- 6
md With this for guidance ! &
unged forward. eager to get out Of o
at drear wilderness I
II was considerably after the noon c.
'ur before came upon a dismal a
ack Of logs In the midst OF q small o.
caring. The light streaming In p
rough the open door revealed that II VI
Is unoccupied Yet someone had a.
en- there. and not so very long ago, g
r there we're scraps Of food on one m
the overturned boxes. Unappetiz- d
g as these appeared, sat down and
g heartily. then got to my feet and. e.
)sing the door securely behind me. b.