The War Library: Phil, the Scout — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

THE WAR LIBRARY. a ** And from the presence of Colonel Font- neroy ?”’ “Yes. But why do youask? Has evil be- fallen him? Speusk, quick.”’ ““He was shot in his room by some one un- known. That isall I can tell you.”’ “Shot!” shrieked the girl, wildly. ‘‘Shot, aud you will not let mesee him, I must go on! Remove your hand or [ will strike you. You know uot what you are doing.” She raised her riding whip as she spoke, and urged her horse onward up the drive. But the soldier retained his grasp and half a dozen eempanions leaped to his assistance. The horse reared frantically and almost unseated the girl. Another cry of terror broke from her lips. Through the darkness suddenly there unged a horseman, before whom the Con- ederates retreated in haste. The blows he dealt frem side to side about him with the butt of a heavy pistol fell withsuch violence that no one cared to stand before them, *““Unhand that woman!”’ he said, iu a low, commanding tone. ‘‘ You have no right to beset herin this way. Back, you scoundrel, or i will strike you down!" he exclaimed, thrusting himself upon the spot where a rebel was holding the girl's horse by the bridle. Startled by this unexpected and vigorous attack the man dropped his hand and crept back into the shadow of a thick cypress. Then grasping the reins himself, the stran- ger guided the animal he rode and that upon which the girl was seated back into the highway. Stupefied for the moment, Laura remain- ed silent in her saddle, wondering who this unknbown person was. [t was only when they were far out of reich of danger that she said: ‘**}do not know who you are, sir, but I must thank you for your kindness, and beg you to leave menow. Iam beyond any pos- sible harm now, and I must return to the house yonder.”’ ‘“Return! Madness. It would be but to rush into deepest peril. Have you not seen that already? Pardon me for refusing to grant your request. It is not through any wrong intention on my part that I do it.’’ ‘‘¥You do not understand—I cannot tell you my reason forasking whatI do. I must know the truth about the shot I heard at the wwansion. Colonel Fontneroy is——"’ ‘‘Say no more, miss. I know what you would say; and I promise you shall soon know what you wish. Wemust goon now, however, as every moment this place is be- coming more dangerous. The Confederates will be swarming in every direction present- ly. If you will accept my attendance home, then I wiil return and ascertain all [ can about the matter.”’ Silently acquiescing, the girl urged her steed forward at the top of his speed. She felt she could trust herself in the hands of this man, and relying upon the thought she determined to give him his own way. The house occupied by the Doanes was a beautiful one, standing several rods from the highway,in the midst of grounds the loveliest of the vicinity. When the two reached it, the stranger turned up the path as if he had been ac- | quainted with the locality for a lifetime. The wonder of Laura was momentarily deepening. Who was this stranger? Bringing their horses to a standstill before the door, they dismounted. Hardly had they doneso when a flood of light streamed through the opening, and a young girl holding a lamp high above her head met them. * Laura, oh, Cousin Laura! You don't know whatafright you have given usall. Why, we have hunted high and low for you, you naughty girl, all this great house over. And when we found that Tom was gone from the stable we gave you up for lost.”’ ‘* Molly, | wish I were lost. Oh, why must it be! Why must it have happened!” Rushing up the stepsand past the aston- ished girl, who stood holding the light, Laura disappeared in the house. Mlinging herself, all wet and cold as she was, upon asofa she gave way to a passion- ate outburst of tears. Molly, with asad expression on her pretty face, turned toward the young man who_ still kept his position at the foot of the steps, | saying, in a choked voice: “Sir, you must know something about the cause of my cousin’s grief. Tell me, I pray you, what has taken place to pain her so.”’ Advancing alittle so that the light rested | full on his features, the stranger was about | B4 | to reply when Molly sprung forward, a cry of surprise escaping her. ‘* Phil!’ she exclaimed. The young mau held out his hand. ‘““Yes, Molly, it is I, though I hardly ex- pected you would know me.”’ “Know you! Oh, Phil! Asif lever could forget you! Come in out of the rain and tell me how it happens that you are here to- night, and what is the matter with Laura.” Phil Lamonte gladly obeyed the invita- tion. In days sone by many and many had been the time when he had sat under that roof, listening to the charming voice of Molly Grame and her cousin, the proud, passionate Laura Doane. ‘Those were the days when he was the only son and prospective heir to old Jared La- monte, master of the great plantation ad- joining that owned by Paul Doane. Happy days they were, too, and full of naught but youth’s bright dream. Though never a word of love had passed between him and the golden haired Molly, each knew the heart of the other, and slept in the sweet consciousness that those hearts beat in unison. But the spirit of enterprise had seized the ambitious Phil. In the Far West for three years he had wooed the fickle goddess of fortune, and his wooing had not been in vain. Meanwhile the aged Jared had been gath- ered to his fathers, leaving the wide estate in the hands of afew overseers who ruled the negroes who remained with a high hand. Then war blew its brazen blast over the land; and Phil, notwithstanding he had been born a Southerner, saw, with an eye more far-reaching than his kinsmanat home, that right was with the. North—that the South would be crushed in the end. High in his heart burned the love of home and friends, but brighter still shone the lamp of patriotism. So he had come back to the old plantation, but to find it in the grasp of Southern hordes who thought not of the owner as they burn- ed and plundered. Seeing thisstate of things he had resolved to cast his lot with the North- He did so, and was once again in the old country, this time with a mission. Following Molly into the house, he re- plied: “It would take too long for me to tell you what brings me home again. Only this will Isay now: Lam fighting for the Union.” ** Wor the Union! Oh! Phil, how glad Iam to hear you say that! But your clothes— they do not agree with your words. They are those of the other side.”’ ‘““They cover a suit of the truest blue, Molly. See.”’ He opened the breast of the Confederate uniform, displaying a coat of deep blue. ‘“But why are you disguised? Canit be you——”’ “T am a spy, Molly. To-night I have learned something which may prove of the greatest importance to our generals. Before this time 1 should have been on my way. Your cousin, Laura, has detained me, as you see.”’ ‘““Yes, but how? me.”’ ‘You may be able to understand better than I when I tell you that Colonel Fontne- roy was shot notan hour ago in his quar- ters.”’ ‘‘Great heavens! shot, Colonel Fontneroy ! Now it is plain to me. Poor Laura—poor Laura!” Molly sprung from the chair in which she had been sitting, and put her little hand up to her head, as if trying to comprehend the full meaning of the news’ she had just heard. “You are sure? There can beno mistake? Was the wound fatal ?”’ ‘“‘That I cannot tell you. I have promised Laura that I would return and learn all the articulars possible. I must not delay onger.”’ He rose as he spoke. ‘* Back again? Oh, Phil! [am afraid you ought not to do this. May there not be dan- er ?” : ‘‘T will not conceal the facts from you, Molly. It will be dangerous for me to re- trace my steps into the Confederate camp. ‘‘T have been detected, and nothing but the shooting of Fontneroy has kept me from be- ing pursued. My promise to Laura shall be kept, however. Not yet has the word of Phil Lamonte been broken,’’ He stood there so proudly that the heurt of little Molly leaped as she looked upon him. What a noble man he was?”’ That is what mystifies i ** Does Laura know that you are Union in > sentiment ?’’ ‘*No; and Molly I want youto keepita secret for me for the present. I don’t know on which side you stand, save through one little word you spoke a moment ago; but I know for the sake of the old times I can trust you.”’ . The eyes of Molly glistened. ‘No heart in all the Union army is truer to the cause than mine, Phil. Your secret is safe. But, Laura, hark ! that ?”’ . ‘“The sound of of horses’ feet on the gravel walk!’’ exclaimed Phil, as he peered through the window. ‘ Kither they want Laura, or they have tracked me hither. Iam afraid in any case I shall bring you into trouble by remaining here. If I am quick I may be able to escape by a back way. Can youshow me out?” ‘‘T willsee. Here, come quickly !”’ _ The girl bounded out of the great parlor into a hall leading to the rear of the house. HuNine open a door she looked cautiously out. They were too late! Let her gaze rest where it would there was a man on horse. Hurriedly withdrawing, she shot the bolt in the lock, whispering ; ‘‘Tt’s no use, Phil. They are everywhere. We must try somewhere else.”’ Atthat momenta loud rap was heard at the front door, and a hoarse voice said: ‘We want Phil Lamonte.”’ : CHAPTER IV. A STARTLING ACCUSATION, The pistol shot which struck down the Confederate colonel brought to his rocm—- every man in the spacious Lamonte man- sion, and for a moment nothing was thought of but to ascertain the extent of the injury done by the blow. What was Even the guard outside deserted their | posts, and left the coast clear in all diree- tions. Captain Drury, who was in command of the guard, was the first to reach the side of the wounded officer. Raising him from his falleu position he car- ried him ascarefully as possible to a sofa, and laid him upon it. _ ‘“Call Surgeon De Jarnette at once,” he commanded, and half a dozen men sprung te obey his bidding; for the proud colonel, — though sometimes severe with his men, was a favorite with all a4 Speedily the surgeon made hisappearanuce, and while he went through his examipation — there was a deep silence in the apartment. ‘“The wound is severe, but not dangerous.” said De Jarnette, after :: few moments. “ was a singular shot. | cannot understand it. It looks as if it had not been intended to kill, but to injureterribiy. Who knows any- thing about this affair !"’ ' The question recalled to their senses the — soldiers crowding around. For the first time the query presented itself: Who did the shooting? In atwinkling the seareh for the midnight assailant was commenced. : Rallying from his state of inconsciousness, — Colonel Fontneroy was inashort time able to relate all he knew of the shooting, which — ss wk was nothing further than that from some source a bullet came crashing through his left breast. Then he became insensible. Search revealed that the oldivy vine out- — side the window had been disturbed, and the rh sash even then stood up a little way. ; In the hurry, consequent upon the alarm, no one had noticed the stiletto which still re- mained pinning to the floor a bit of paper. Here was a clue. Directly it was discovered that it was brought to Surgeon De Jarnette, who pulled the paper from the pointof the weapon and handed it to Colonel Fontneroy. With hands white and trembling the officer unfolded the note and glanced at it. But a single word met his gaze. That word was: ‘‘ Justice!”’ The pallor which had hitherto overspread the face of Fontneroy heightened till he was deadly pale. For an instant he leaned back upon his pillow, his eyes closed, and the piece of paper crumpled between his clinehed fin: fers. ‘‘ How is it, colonel? Does that revealany: thing that can be of use to us?”’ It was the voice of Captain Drury. ** Yes; no—that is—I cannot tell you now. This is nothing, lassure you. It will be of no use to try to trace the fellow. I know him. how dangerous he is! michboo But what am I say- ‘S7Gom Ar (E() Curse him! I know him, and know —