HIS SON'S DEATH WARRANT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11231, 28 November 1899, Page 3

HIS SON'S DEATH WARRANT.

' i. Dnir, drip, drip! Tho sound of tho rain as it splashed through tho branches on to the rotting foliage below alono broke tho deadly silence. And yet, from one end of the groat forest to the other, silent cavalry vedettes sat waiting— By a master-stroke of genius, General Grant had pushed forward his cavalry screen thirty miles ahead of his main body, with orders to seizo tho Chattanooga Forest, and to act as though it were tho main body. Camp-fires were lighted in every direction; so that the enemy, poorly served by its scouts, reported an army corps in possession of the coveted ground. No ono but the cavalry leader knew that lie had orders to stand and die, rather than vacate the position so deftly occupied. " Death to the spy was tho order, for every man's life was at stako should the real weakness of the cavalry bo discovered. One trooper sat, covered with his long military cloak, completely sheltered under a great spreading blue gum-tree. His thoughts were jar away from his duty, for the war had been long and arduous, and he longed for tho fields ana the homestead of his native village. Suddenly he saw his horso's ears cock forward, and, with every faculty alert, ho listened. Then ho heard a faint, rustling and wriggling in the undergrowth on his left front, and silently he slung round his carbine, from his position ho commanded a broad pathway, which ran duo east and west through the forest, and which must be crossed by anyone behind the position desiring to get through to the enemy. Nearer and nearer carao the noise, and, gripping the hammer of Ins carbine with his right, tho ivcdetto eased the trigger with his left hand, thus cocking without making a sound. Then from out of the scrub peered a head—a yellow-haired, curly head; a head which gazed stealthily in every direction before proceeding any further. Then the spy, satisfied with his view, crept into tho open, wriggling like a snake on hands and knees. " Halt, or I fire!" rang out the stern order, which carried conviction to the soul of the unfortunate, who rose slowly to his feet. " Lock your hands over your head! Quick !" sharply exclaimed the trooper. " And turn your back to me!" "Woe. to tho vanquished!" muttered the spy, a bright-faced lad of twenty, clad in a long, tattered smock. " It's all up with you, Stovens!" A long, shrill whistle woke the echoes of the forest. In a moment it was answered from rich' and left,and the sound of galloping horses at once followed. Helter-skelter came a dozen troopers down the open glade, headed by a young officer, who reined his horse almost on to its haunches as lie came abreast of tho captive. " Right-about-turn !" he shouted fiercely, whilst the vedette, who hated him. and intended »'io day to put a bullet through him. felt an odd compunction for the youth ho had taken prisoner. With military precision, the spy turned about and came face to face with the lieutenant. " What. Stevens?" "By Jove, Akers!" they instantly exclaimed. as the two old school rivals recognised each other. Not for nothing had Stovens half-killed Akors for some mean trick at school; not for nothing was Akers now on top. "You know the penalty, prisoner?" " It's the fortune of war," he replied. " Had I got through, your fate might have been mine." The tone was proud and utterly free from fear, and Akers smiled an evil smile. " Do you know who is in command of the regiment which you intended to give away co l'endilv?" " No." " Our colonel is Colonel Bob Stevens, late of the 15th Cavalry. Ah. that touches yon on the raw, does it? Tf you had got away, and your people had rat us up, your own father would have been your victim." "By Heaven, that settles it!" said the vedette. under his breath. " I owed the devil one for past favours, lint to jeer at that poor chap like that beats all. Yes; next skirmish I'll shoot him." The spy stood with all his manhood bumbled in the dust, and with a crcat thankfulness in his hear!. At all events, ho had not been his father's murderer. /'Bring along the prisoner, Stokes, to the colonel'? quarters. I'll ride 011 and warn him. And." he said, so that 110 ono hut Stevens could hear, "get the provost-mar-shal and a rope." With his hands tied behind his back, and a stalwart trooper on each side, the prisoner tramped on through the wet forest, but "looking,* as the vedette remarked, sotto voce, to his horse, " more like an officer then our lieutenant!" The civil war, with its endless opportunities for patronage, had foisted many an unfit, soldier unon gallant regiments, a fact which Colonel Stevens, the hero of countless dashing forays, keenly resented. More than once be had soon fit to privately reprove Akers for undue care for his own life, and, indeed, had threatened next- time to expose him. . "Expose me, will he?" lamrhod hi- subordinate, as he dashed through the bridlepaths to headquarter*. "Two can play at that game!" 11. As bo rode up he saw the non-commis-fioned officer who acted as provost-marshal landing waiting for orders. "Bates, I've a prisoner, who will be hanged nut of hand. Get a rope and a few men, and be rcadv outside the colonel's tent in half-an-honr." " Yes, sir." replied the man, saluting, and makin? a note of the order, Tossinc the reins to an orderly, Alters entered the colonel's tent, and stood wait'"The white-haired chief was busily writing snd he looked up as the, junior entered, with some surprise. Laying down hi? pen, , tie rose from his seat hurriedly. 1 "Has anvthine happened to No. 2 picket. I "No, sir." replied the lieutenant., with ; pome trepidation, for in his anxiety to deal j hie blow he had forgotten hi- duty. j " Then why the deuce are. you here? Ive had occasion to speak to you before, sir, "But T have a prisoner, sir, caught redhanded, having iust completed an inspection of our position." "How many men have you on picket, was the eurt question. "Twenty. sir." "Couldn't you have sent, one of them back' Come, be off. sir, and rejoin your men. or it's the last duty you'll do with the Ist Cavalry." . , The order admitted of no question, and Akers shrank away, cowed. "Curso the fellow! If Lincoln had not sent him to me I'd have court-martialled him months ago!" His quick ear soon detected the tramp of what ho guessed to be the party with the prisoner. Eager to finish his work, he bent once more over it. ~ • 1 " Please, sir, there's a prisoner here, said his orderly, standing at the tent door. "Bring him in and let him wait in the tent," he said, without raising his head. "Send the men back to their picket, and let an extra sentry miard the other side of the tent at five yards' distance." The busy pen scratched and spluttered loudly in the unfortunate spy's ears, as he waited for his doom at the "attention. ' At last, with a sigh, the C.O. laid down his papers, and rose stiffly and turned to the prisoner. , , , „ • " God in heaven! he easped. is it you, Rex. or who is it?" His florid face was streaked with patches of grey, and his eyes glared wildly. „ "Yes. father; I am your unlwpnv son. "Butfell me—l don't understand! Surely I sent you and your sister months aeo to Europe, and how are you here, and fighting on the Confederate side?" "I'm sorry, father, to have disobeyed you; but it wasn't altogether my fault," his son answered, "You sent me to college where everyone was Southern to a man. My friends, my schoolfellows were all going to fiiyht, and —the best swordsman and shot in the town —was ordered to escort my sister to Europe. Well, father, I returned, as you would have done. You didn't ask me to join you— "No! Heaven help me, you and Mildred were all that I had left of your mother, and my care lias been well repaid. How came you here to-day? Hadn't Lee any other to send on such an errand?" asked the colonel, hopelessly. "No one volunteered, father, and it was of vital importance to our general to know, and—" "So you came, did you? And you know the penalty?" "Yes: it's death. I know. But, father, we had to find out somehow." "Yes, you had. and so Rex Stevens came with his life in his hands, whilst hundreds of others older than lie let him go! I m proud of you!" "Father, I'm glad I failed, for I didnt know you were here. Take these plans. Ho took from his breast a paper, which tho colonel eagerly perused. "By Jove!" he muttered, "beautifully done, and with his young life as the price!" "You've forgiven me, father, haven't you?" "I've 110 power to savo you, for the general's orders are explicit— when caught,"

it / 0U surely didn't think I was asking [or life father? Come, dad, make an end of it. I d do the same for you," he added, with a wintry smile, which nearly broke the father's heart. " It's no good, Rex; I cannot write it. I'll give the order verbally." " Good night, dad!" The thoughts of both went back to the days when the father, last thing at night, went to kiss his children. "Good night, Rex! God bless you, lad!" "Same to you, father," the boy replied. And then the old man kissed the boy as heretofore. "Sentry!" lie. shouted, gnawing his lip until it bled. " Sir," said the man. Call up Sergeant Bates with a file of men." "He's here, waiting." " Who for?" snarled the colonel. "The prisoner, sir. Lieutenant Akers ordered him to bring a rope and a file of men when ho rode up to report to you, sir." Tim father and son looked at each ether. "We were old enemies at school, father, and he recognised me," said the son. "And I've reproved the cur for cowardice!" muttered the father. "Never mind. Take the prisoner a./ay; march him half-a-mile back and shoot him." " Shoot him, sir?" queried Bates. "Did you hear my order?" thundered tho colonel, as ho was wont to thunder in the day of battle. Without a look or a word, he saw hits boy, the applo of his eye, marching off to execution, with his head erect and a jaunty step, and lie loved him better than ever before. " Orderly!" he shouted. " Sir." "Take a horse and ride out to No. 3 picket, and report yourself to Lieutenant Akers, and request him to come to me at once—at once, do you hear?" The colonel entered his tent and threw himself 011 to his cot, and nut his head between his hands, and rocked from side to side in his agony. Now ho rose to counteract tho merciless order; again ho sat down and tried —for he was a religious man— pray, but words failed him. Then tho blood rushed into his face once more, and his brain steadied as he heard the sound of galloping hoofs. Then there was a jingle of accoutrements as the rider dismounted, and, with a smile on his lips, Akers triumphantly entered the tent. He looked insolently at his chief. "You sent for me, sir?" ho said, cheerfully. "Yes, I did," replied the colonel, hoarsely, hooping his sinewy hands clasped behind his back. " Did you hear the firing-party as you came up?" Slowly the smile died away from Akcr's lips. "I didn't hang him, as my services to the Slate warranted my extending the grace of a soldier's death to my own son. Don't you think so?" A great fear was dawning in the youth's eyes as he noted the tense lilies in his chief's face. " Rut surely you haven't sent you own son to dentli, sir? Why, I would have said notion!;!" "You unutterable scoundrel!" broke out the colonel, with his wrath flaming like molten lava. "Without warning, you sent my son to my presence as a spy; without warning, you—you, tho greatest coward in the army—ordered the provost-marshal to wait with a rope. And now you come, with a grin, to hear, as you thought, my prayer for mercy. I would have you to know that my son lias gone to his death like the gentleman he with a smile on his lips, and with love for mo at his heart. Rut lam left behind to pay his debts, and 1 resign my command to-morrow, and you and I will settle our quarrel to the death Stung to fury, Akers muttered : I'll report the whole affair to-day to the general." Maddened, the chief, forgetting all, savo that he was—or had been— father—sprang at his junior and gripped him by the flu older. " and—tellthe—general—!" ho shouted, emphasising each word with a shake, and then hurling the frightened man headlong from him. The tent door was lifted up, and a short stout, man in a plain bluo uniform entered. 111. "General Grant!" exclaimed the colonel, breathing heavily, and still flushed with rage. "Yes, sir. And what means this undignified exhibition? Your explanation, sir?" ho said, looking at the chief, and moving away from Akers, who came near, as if for protection. "I'm sorry, sir: hut I've been sorely tried this afternoon. This man"—pointing with contempt to Akers—" whilst in command of a picket, captured my only sonsafe, as I thought, in Europe. Recognising him, lie eamo on to me, ordering the provostmarshal to bo here with a rope. All unsuspectingly I was allowed to meet my son in this tent without a word of warning." " Sorely in such a case you could have postponed tho execution, colonel;" said C:r,ut, kindly. "I could not, general, under the circumstances ; and. Heaven help me, I had to send my boy to his death. Thou, and '.hen on'y, I found the hangman, waiting, by 1 his man's courtesy, for his prey. Now ho inn taunted me with the threat to report the occurrence to you, and, my boy, being dead, I forgot discipline." Outside, the champing of horses and the subdued talk of men told of a large staff, but within all was silence. "Lieutenant Akers, is this account true?" He answered never a word. "Colonel." said the general, with his hand raised in the military salute, "I honour you. and it rejoices my heart to be able to tell yon that your boy is not dead. Rear up, man!" he added, as Stevens dropped on to 'lie bed, and, heedless of those present, buried his face oil hi* pillow. "The main body had made better speed I hail I could have expected, and arc now not two miles behind us. Pushing on in front, I came on a firinc party about to proceed to their duly, and"—the colonel rose, with a great joy in his face—" I stopped them, mid, after inquiring of the prisoner. I came or here. I must say I was not surnn j?d to find you holh here. Mr. Akers, yon arc suspended from duty; I should advise you to resign, before a worse fate befall you. Remember, when von rejoin civil life, that, if you desire to honoiu your late colonel, tell how he signed his son's death-warrant. Como, colonel, I'll ride round tho outpost-line with you."