The Colonel's Wife — page 45: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

38 THE FINDING OF THE DRUM-HEAD COURT. ocurred that was not down on the bills, and upset his plans. Not seeing a trooper caine under some bushes, - John made a jab with his pointed stick. There fol- ~ lowed a shout of rage, and a human cyclone de- scended upon him, with arms flying like flails and a bellowing voice demanding satisfaction. John was disgusted, foreseeing discovery in this in- cident. He might still have fled, but that was not according to his disposition. So he ‘met his adversary face to face, and a furious hand-to-hand struggle ensued. Attracted by the row others came hurrying up, and it was speedily discovered that the trooper’s ad- vetsary, the man who fought with the skill of a pro- fessional boxer, was an utter stranger. ‘Surround them both—by my life we’ve cornered the fox,’’ shouted the major, and John caught more than ordinary satisfaction in his strident tones. Thus he soon found himself again a prisoner and roughly handled. ‘“To the fire with him. Iam curious to see this Yankee spy who has in one night run across my path -and blackened my chances for future happiness,”’ said the major, and- John could only dimly guess what it all meant, though his mind at once reverted to Mollie. — ‘Do you identify him, Peters???’ demanded the officer, as the overseer. bent forward and peered into _ the face of the prisoner. ‘‘Positively—it’s the same critter, major.’ “That's bad—for him. I’m afraid Mollie will be wife and widow in one night. Here comes Crockett. We'll have his opinion in. the matter, and then organize a drum-head court. ‘These unpleasant feat- “ures of war are best done as quickly as possible. GU a8 Kotabal caught the name and no longer wondered at the lights in the house. Crockett Ridgeway was a _comicbooks.com