Part 15 (1/2)

”Oh, dry up! Give us a rest!”

”Ouch! Stop that! If I don't----”

”Clubs again, by gad! Every time Stumpy deals, its clubs. I believe----”

”And friends we love so dear.

Many are the hearts that are weary to-night, Wis.h.i.+ng--”

The clear tenor had risen into steady continuity as the young corporal sat half up to shake the tin can again. The card dealer joined in with a mocking ba.s.s, then suddenly, voice after voice took up the refrain and the very air seemed to come laden with it, from far and near. The volume of sound died with the last note of the refrain, and once more the clear tenor, lying on his back now, with both hands under his head, ran softly on alone:

”We've been tenting to-night on the old camp-ground.

Thinking of days gone by--”

He drew a letter from his breast-pocket, and, as he unfolded it, stooped over and took one swallow of the coffee, and replaced the can on the fire. Some hard tack lay beside him, and one biscuit reposed on his stomach where he replaced it when he lay back again, and finished the verse slowly. When the refrain began again, the cards were held down, men in other groups straightened up from rekindling fires, others stopped short in a game of quoits played with horseshoes picked up on the banks of the creek. Water carriers set down their loads, or halted, with pails still in hand, and added their voices to the melody. The effect amongst the trees was indescribable. The picket in the distance half halted in his tramp, and turned to listen. The moon was beginning to swing up over the hill, from which the signal had come, and between the trees it touched the face of the delicate-featured young corporal of the sweet voice, and he turned the letter to catch the light from it, and add to the glow of the firelight, that he might the better re-read the treasured words. He was still humming softly, inarticulately, now. A stick burned in two, and the can of precious coffee was slowly emptying its overturned contents on the ground.

There was but one bite gone from the biscuit which lay on the blue coat.

Music and sentiment had triumphed over appet.i.te and the young corporal dozed off, asleep now with the letter still in his hand and the noisy players about him. In the distance Griffith and his escort were returning. Suddenly a shot rang out in the clear air! Then another and another! The men were on their feet in an instant. The General was hastily adjusting his field-gla.s.s, but in the moonlight it was but slight help. He could see, as the smoke cleared away, six men instead of four. So much he could make out, but no more. One was being lifted on to a horse. All were dismounted. There was activity in the camp. Hasty preparations were made to send a relief party. Who was shot? What did it mean? Was there an ambush? Was the Guide deceived as to the safety of this position? Would they have to fight or retreat? Had the Guide been killed? Had some angry native seen and a.s.sa.s.sinated Griffith?

The officers consulted together hastily and orders were given, but the little procession was slowly approaching.

They were not pursued. At least there was not to be a battle--and there had been a capture, but who was killed? The Government Guide? Two were walking--were they the a.s.sa.s.sin and his companion? When the little procession reached the picket line it halted and there was some readjustment of the body they were carrying, stretched between two horses, where it lay motionless except as others lifted it. Beside it walked another figure not in the federal uniform. Tall, lank, grim, and limping painfully, with a blood-stain on the shoulder and a bullet hole in the hat. The sharpshooters had done their work--but who was it--_what_ was it that lay across those two horses that they were leading? The whole camp was watching and alert. Cards, quoits, letters had disappeared. At last they could see that the Body was not Griffith.

He still sat astride his splendid chestnut horse and the relief party were talking to him. The procession moved to the General's tent.

Griffith looked pale and troubled. The sharpshooters were radiant. The Body was lifted down, and its long pendant beard was matted and ma.s.sed with blood.

The pride, the joy, the ambition of Whiskers Biggs was brought low at last! He was breathing still, but the feeble hand essayed in vain to stroke the voluminous ornament and ambition of his life. The hand hung limp and mangled by his side. The General questioned the other prisoner in vain. He pointed to Griffith and preserved an unbroken silence.

Griffith spoke to him aside. The prisoner turned slowly to the commander:

”I'll tell _him._ Few words comprehend the whole.” Then he lapsed into silence again and nothing could induce him to speak. The General threatened, coaxed and commanded in vain. The imperturbable mountaineer stood like one who heard not. All that the sharpshooters could tell was soon told. Some one had fired from ambush, apparently at Griffith. They had returned the fire instantly. Then they had found this man who was dying and the other one beside him. ”I know this man, General,” said Griffith. ”He says that he will talk to me alone. May I--shall I----”

”He'll talk to _me_, G.o.d d.a.m.n him! or he'll get a dose of---- Did you fire at our men?” he demanded of the mountaineer. Lengthy Patterson s.h.i.+fted his position to relieve his wounded leg. He gazed stolidly, steadily, expressionlessly before him, and uttered not a sound. His gun had been taken from him, and his hands seemed worse than useless without this his one and only companion from whom he never separated. The hands moved about in aimless action like the claws of some great lobster.

”It will go a good deal easier with you, you infernal idiot, if you'll out with your story, tell your side of it How'd this thing happen?”

Lengthy glanced sidewise at the Body as it lay on the ground. ”Friend of mine,” he said, and lapsed into silence again.

”Will you tell me, Lengthy?” asked Griffith. ”Will you tell me in the presence of the General? It would be better for us both if you will. I wish----”

”'Twill?” asked Lengthy giving Griffith a long, slow look. ”Better fer yoh?”

”Yes,” said Griffith, half choking up. He thought he had solved the problem of why, with these two mountaineer marksmen as their antagonists none of their party had been shot in the encounter. ”Yes, better for me.

Do you care for that, Lengthy?” The woodsman gave another long look at Griffith, and then pointed with his thumb at the figure on the ground.

”I done hit. Whis aimed t' kill yoh. Few words comp--” Griffith grasped the great rough, helplessly groping hands in his. ”I thought so, I thought so,” he said brokenly.

”And you stood by me even---- He was your friend, and----” Griffith's voice broke.

In the pause that followed Lengthy was staring at the form on the ground.

”Yes. Whis wus a frien' er mine; but Whis tuck aim at yoh.