登陆注册
15324900000033

第33章

Nearly all of the passing thousands were too much engrossed in the miseries of their toilsome progress to notice the blue-coated figure on the bare knob above the road.But the rear of the fugitives was brought up by a squad of men moving much more leisurely, and with some show of order.They did not plunge into the mass of men and animals and vehicles, and struggle with them in the morass which the road had now become, but deliberately picked their way along the sides of the valley where the walking was easier.They saw Harry, and understood as soon as they saw, who he was.Two or three responded to their first impulse, and raising their guns to their shoulders, fired at him.A bullet slapped against the rock upon which he was partially leaning, and fell at his feet.Another spattered mud in his face, and flew away, singing viciously.

At the reports the fear-harrassed mob shuddered and surged forward through its entire length.

The companions of those who fired seemed to reproach them with angry gestures, pointing to the effect upon the panicky mass.Then the whole squad rushed forward toward the hill.

Deadly fear clutched Harry Glen's heart as the angry notes of the bullets jarred on his senses.Then pride and the animal instinct of fighting for life flamed upward.So swiftly that he was scarcely conscious of what he was doing he snatched a cartridge from the box, tore its end between his teeth, and rammed it home.He replaced the ramrod in its thimbles with one quick thrust, and as he raised his eyes from the nipple upon which he had placed the cap, he saw that the Rebel squad had gained the foot of the knoll and started up its side.He raised teh gun to fire, but as he did so he heard a voice call out from behind him:

"Skeet outen thar! Skeet outen thar! Come up heah, quick!"Harry looked in the direction of the voice.He saw a tall, slender, black-haired man standing in the woods at the upper edge of the cleared space.He was dressed in butternut jeans, and looked so much like the Rebels in front that Harry thought he was one of them.The stranger noticed his indecision, and called out again still more peremptorily:

"Skeet outen thar, I tell ye! Skeet outen thar! Come up heah.

I'm a friend--I'm Union."

His rifle came to his face at the same instant, and Harry saw the flame and white smoke puff from it, and the sickening thought flashed into his mind that the shot was fired at him, and that he would feel the deadly ball pierce his body! Before he could more than formulate this he heard the bullet pass him with a screech, and strike somewhere with a plainly sharp slap.Turning his head he saw the leading Rebel stagger and fall.Harry thre his gun up, with the readiness acquired in old hunting days, and fired at the next of his foes, who also fell! The other Rebels, as they came up, gathered around their fallen comrades.

Harry ran back to where the stranger was, as rapidly as the clinging mud and the steep hillside would permit him.

"Purty fa'r shot that," said the stranger, setting down the heavy rifle he was carefully reloading, and extending his hand cordially as Harry came panting up."That's what I call mouty neat shooting--knock yer man over at 150 yards, down hill, with that ole smooth-bore, and without no rest.The oldest han' at the business couldn't've done no better."Harry was too much agitated to heed the compliment to his markmanship.

He looked back anxiously and asked:

"Are they coming on yet?"

"Skacely they hain't," said the stranger, with a very obvious sneer.

"Skacely they hain't comin' on no more.They've hed enuff, they hev.Two of their best men dropt inter blue blazes on the first jump will take all the aidge off ther appetite for larks.I know 'em.""But they will come on.They'll pursue us.They'll never let us go now," said Harry, reloading his gun with hands trembling from the exertion and excitement.

He was yet too young a soldier to understand that his enemy's fright might be greater than his own.

"Nary a time they won't," said the stranger, derisively."Them fellers are jest like Injuns; they're red-hot till one or two gits knocked over, an' then they cool down mouty suddent.Why, me an'

two others stopt the whole of Zollicoffer's army for two days by shootin' the officer in command of the advance-guard jest ez they war a-comin' up the hill this side of Barboursville.Fact! They'd a' been at Wildcat last Friday ef we hedn't skeered 'em so.They stopt an' hunted the whole country round for bushwhackers afore they'd move ary other step.""But who are you?" asked Harry, looking again at his companion's butternut garb.

"I'm called Long Jim Forner, an' I've the name o' bein' the pizenest Union man in the Rockassel Mountains.Thar's a good s'tifkit o'

my p'litical principles" (pointing with his thumb to where lay the men who had felln under their bullets).Harry looked again in that direction.Part of the squad were looking apprehensively toward hiim, as if they feared a volley from bushwhackers concealed near him, and others were taking from the bodies of the dead the weapons, belts, and other articles which it was not best to leave for the pursuers, and still others were pointing to the rapidly growing distance between them and main body, apparently adjuring haste in following.

The great mental and bodily strain Harry had undergone since he had first heard the sound of cannon in the morning at the foot of Wildcat should have made him desperately weary.But the sight of the man falling before his gun had fermented in his blood a fierce intoxication, as unknown, as unsuspected before as the passion of love had been before its first keen transports thrilled his heart.

Like that ecstacy, this fever now consumed him.All fear of harm to himself vanished in its flame.He had actually slain one enemy.

Why not another? He raised his musket.The mountaineer laid his hand upon it.

同类推荐
  • 云溪俍亭挺禅师语录

    云溪俍亭挺禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说未曾有因缘经

    佛说未曾有因缘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 维摩经义疏

    维摩经义疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Gala-Days

    Gala-Days

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 白香集

    白香集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 爱情大魔咒

    爱情大魔咒

    雷烈华原本和小侄子在田里抓青蛙抓得不亦乐乎,却意外发现有个好看得让她猛吞口水的男人朝她走来,她不
  • 腹黑墨少爱上涵丫头

    腹黑墨少爱上涵丫头

    小说男猪脚墨少日久生情的爱上了傻傻又可爱,嘴巴有点毒的涵丫头,其实呢?同时我们的涵丫头也是喜欢墨少,但由于双方都不好意讲,使得双方矛盾加深。废话不说,让我们看文章。还有一位作者九槿。
  • 通灵哥的传说

    通灵哥的传说

    莫名其妙穿越,莫名其妙被光明神拿书砸晕18年,清醒后莫名其妙和圣域老爹PK,又莫名其妙的牵连到几十个圣域,莫名其妙的引出了半神,然后,扯呼之。主角召唤流,第一个小弟九尾,打遍魔兽森林火山地带无敌手,第二个小弟无限龙兽建立钢铁帝国,曾经打哭龙皇,第三个小弟(母的?)雪拉比,为主角勾得精灵MM无数。当然,一个月免费一召,你咬我啊!
  • 时光女孩

    时光女孩

    泰戈尔说,飞鸟从天空飞过,可它并没有留下痕迹。可是,我的朋友,你知道吗?你自己应该懂,你在这座天空飞翔过。我们一直在这个地方生存,请记住,无论你以后变成什么样子,我都会像以前那样守护你,因为这个世界有你,有莲子,有许多许多人,纵然最后分开,但我还是会像以前那样,初心从不改变。
  • 帝魇

    帝魇

    前世的她,死于最亲近的人之手,再次醒来,却穿越成了荣安王府的废物三小姐云雪墨。大陆第一学院的的录取使她慢慢走入了神魔妖的世界,她势要站在那九星踏月耀眼无双的位置与他相伴。他,神界尊首,清冷如孤月,高高在上,在青梅与恋人之间,他终是伤害了她。他,洪荒谷主,清风如玉却神秘莫测,永世的守护分毫不求却只为情,如血的朱砂又是谁的叹息。他,上古魔君,风华绝代,亦正亦邪,当笑看天下到心系于她。一场神人魔妖之战,最后谁又能笑看风华
  • 尽管如此也请不要放弃

    尽管如此也请不要放弃

    秀明中学高三(10)班,学习成绩常年年级垫底。她,成绩不错,却一直杞人忧天。他,高考失利,渴望逆袭再战。她,把高考当作是一场镀金提升价的机会。他,过于逆反,一心想着借高考的机会原理父母,独自闯荡。一切的一切,皆因为这位新老师的来到,有所转变。本文讲述的是刚从清华毕业的新兴教师——丁世翔,带领自己的一众学生闯过高三的故事。
  • 呆萌无下线妖孽站住

    呆萌无下线妖孽站住

    看呆萌小白免从现代洗澡穿入美男澡盆,发展一段又一段的呆萌搞笑故事……“说好了不要动我,你有听我话么!!!”白小荼怒气冲天的咆哮着云萧瑟,云萧瑟很无辜的笑着摇头“是没动啊,我只是忍不住摸了两摸而已,又不会少块肉!!!”
  • 九州修真记

    九州修真记

    九大洲混战年代,掌控天地大道,手持混沌异宝,脚踏日月星辰,身旁红颜陪伴。夫复何求?
  • 党员干部道德建设学习读本

    党员干部道德建设学习读本

    党员干部加强道德建设,可以凝聚党心民心,是形成好的政风民风的关键。加强和改进党员干部道德建设,既是全面推进党的建设新的伟大工程的一个十分重要的环节,是建设高素质党员队伍、高素质干部队伍,提高拒腐防变和抵御风险能力的一个重要切入点,也是营造和谐的党群关系、干群关系,构建社会主义和谐社会的重要内容。
  • 一生一世,相影随

    一生一世,相影随

    这本书字数不会很多,亲们将就着看看吧~万水千山总是行,给点面子行不行≥﹏≤记得推荐一下哦~