Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1917-10-12

command. l had received leave from
General Colfax, and had gone out to
Baskingridge to see my old master
besting him in what provedsto be oul
final bout.
His story of the duel in the dark
had brought wildly to mind the fellow
with the red scar; but said nothing
about 1t to Ledare, and soon took my
leave of him to walk seven miles
back to camp. the sun then being
close to its setting.
II had been a warm day, and bid
fair to be a warm night, and there
was nothing but fairness to the pros.
pect Of land and sky, the green of the
trees being still lusty, and a new
moon, like bent silver wire, appear.
ing as the sun sank behind the west.
ern woods. Small notion had I of
what the fulling of that same moon
would bring to me.
along the deserted trail (for l had
taken a short cut) when had a feel
ing that l was being followed. 1t was
rather the warning of an undeveloped
sixth sense than from anything /
either heard or saw. But that there
was danger in both time and place /
knew well enough.
IS For there were frequent raids from
Amboy by the British. and Delancy's
Rangers were forever narrowing the
country, though they were hardly like.
ly to go near the American camp. My
feeling was not so much of fear as of
q premonition OF coming trouble but it
caused me to keep my wits alert, and
made me wish could see behind each
tree / passed; and my alertness in.
creased as the dusk deepened.
Armed only with single pistol l
strobe along, looking back anon and
seeing no one, until came to spring
near the roots of fallen oak. Here
l bent to drink, little knowing that my
hour was about to strike-that | was
about to really live.
For as l knelt there came a crash
of shot; bullet clipped the upper
edge of fallen oak. glanced by my
face with a wicked snarl, and buried
itself in the messy bank within foot
OF my head.
Startled enough was, but not SO as
to be paralyzed in either body or
brain. Like stone dropped behind
the log. just as l would have done had
the bullet found its mark.
From the direction of the lead, |
knew that the shot had come from the
opposite edge OF a natural clearing
through which had just passed; and
having a curiosity to see the man who
had shot at me, / hurriedly crawled
along behind the PROSTATE tree until !
was thirty feet from the spring. Then
1 cautiously lifted my head and peer
ed through the tangled brushwood
that made an effective screen. BY then
my late depression had cleared; now
recognized the warning had been too
gross to understand, and drawing and
cooking my pistol, waited, hoping to
stalk my unseen enemy; heart beat
ing so that / could hear it.
And l did not have to wait long;
for hardly had my breath become free
when / saw him step out from the
shelter of the opposite timber, replac-
ing the rammer of the rifle he had
stopped to reload. l think he felt sure
he had potted me; but for all that, he
possessed caution, for he came across
the clearing bent like an Indian fol-
lowing a trail, his rifle cooked and
ready, his eyes fixed on the spot
where he had last seen me.
1t was plainly to be his life or mine
AS he got within easy range / slow
ly lifted my pistol and, taking careful
aim at his head "a small mark in that
light, fired. He went down like a
bullock stunned with a mallet.
Had it been broad day, doubtless
would have killed him (Which would
had been well for mel, but in the
deepening gloom my aim had not been
true; for when went up to him saw
he was far from dead, my ball having
passed close along his temple. blowing
furrow and only completely stun
ming him. He was breathing hoarsely,
as one does after shock to the brain,
and / saw he was a stranger.
And yet not total stranger, either;
for had casually marked him in the
camp at Morristown, taking him to be
a farmers yokel glamored by the mill
tary. But God knows he was anything
but a farmers yokel.
Now he lay there face upward, his
broad chest heaving, and l wondered
why he had tracked me. l knew the
answer later. The first thing | did
was to go through his pockets, and
from them / took four or five papers
in wallet Though the light was then
too poor to read word of them.
long-bladed clasp-knife, a pipe, tobac.
CO, and some coin.
I let all bide but the wallet, and this
thrust into my own pocket. Then
went to the spring. and filling my hat
with water, bathed his handsome but
MISUNDERSTANDING face, and listened to
his breathing grow more natural.
Finally he opened his eyes. and at
length sat up, staring around like one
aroused from a deep slumber.
'fWell nv friend" I said az he