Show CHAPTER the Ret reckoning koning it was m its war nar lne e drew drem apart SO uto into hostile camps ili 11 mid south Va calolina lolina eipl I pl neoima agabi if a flor ida louisiana louls slana texia ji hid i 1 I withdrawn flow the union I 1 bilte aiosa tw ti 0 cap capi tall tain each claiming lah ning it a baeb planning hig mar ashington 11 oud and lich mond ks s lor me I 1 had seen been the flag on oil our far fi fion onalei ticia s in ili wide N ide fi feic ce I 1 mils it was mal j it oliue when nihon elicit each maist clince T for himself I 1 knew with whom 1115 0 olin n lut must be oust clit I 1 I 1 self melt to follow tho the of ali flouter flOUt lr Ile lell it might 0 o NN licit tile gun glin of sumter I came on oil hat flint sad daa da ot of arll I 1 nay aing beadi it of AIO alio had known ame join 1 of diall till it lhost ind find ho had bella gal s nd enough to elect lue jue for theli captain mot mo t of mi 1113 biln little flow flom tile of tein 1 I 1 I 1 genid tit at cylo colo lid not join the aliu buth flit 4 the old olund and blo on oil hart N Ns arc r of oni w P tot foi the hc south and early in ili 1 inu ili nan tw tho both left bonje tot foi rich I 1 anond on oil flit lie hand again our filand Capt aill tood stood fol foi tile the lef 1111 and so HO I 1 lienig tilo did oung hi ikimis of tile tho matli di 11 iconis 4 4 i it gall int lo ho 10 who icae tied distin tiou mid died a gallant gil lunt wan H s lentil lit it sill 1111 loll loh later inter on mi M mother all foi peace dept when she sin me in uniform and brit belt see she said llie e lippel fipps out oui long ao ago ne e thought us jig the coith thinks ils gibli mai ai Is not for the So iet of af I 1 i imide bt she he saw m mi flithers flit hirs blood in ill me tignell and sighed go cio then slie he ul oer tile the nui coith ali find south caina the sime 4 td d tons ton t nt lit of the file ii buien go then and so 0 o me e cneill benl enl out to ull 1111 each othel JL t u ito ho should nil all tune been bl OtIlLIS N none olle of us its olied listen 1 lie 10 eich on ligina lip ligi lui nt oll boll oon ill out tiam trampled pled fiell fields nid binan heid lipids nit mined lops chops in out nud find e bloth cis ci in ili america le arriA the lie significance of if NN it ir r M i 1 ll 11 most of them boling feline i XV 11 d to t 0 horbe ors e and a n d aims a I 1 ili NN ei e bi ig i d t d lit 2 go them than she said ai linfanti ln in fanti fantiN ith oue one of the four airl slona of mt pien who versed along different differ elit hues toward fairfax it was not until the of july that out lenders daei mined upon it flanking movement to our right which nang ns to cross null mill run at the sudley ford I 1 eon so we dallied long until ej eiliv deiv one knew our I 1 bilins 1 ins back of ui the battle opened on the following day dat a regiment it a timer nith ith no concert it plan my ruen inen were ivere with N ith tills right wing ii ing which 11 wide W do the tinning wo movement but four brigades in till all I 1 out oui other brig ides those of dionn howard ard hn bui aside blaside 1013 inoes LIS and schenck Sc benck nele lost logt some heie to th lear jear of us finally we e crossed and leached beached the left gank of the estates under Ileaure gaid find and swung south along bull run nun our attal attack was scattering and ill planned but by 3 0 clock of the next day at w were in the thi thickest clett of tile the fighting around the slopes which led up to the henry house back of which lay the confederate co n federate bea I 1 saw the batteries of nichetta and grimn griffin of our regulars leg ulars advance ind take this height the steadily thickening line of the confederates who had now bad full time to concentrate there came a hot cavalry charge upon the zouave regiment on my left and I 1 siw the lie do the boods abd relt melt the line of that chaice alth their nil find and albre the bailery IM for it n time then lit in I 1 nw gaw that blunder lii ili which the bit toy alliy allOl ned ltd C men inen the third I 1 aluk it IN ans to tn nun within n s or en ell rot foi rederic loops I 1 qa div thain blout ioni a it fit illige i into tile the guns gull 1 abich wiped bip out liehr liand lers and I 1 t through the vitar ging lines now rapidly upon tipon un um riun alit n it was nit but in ma first battle I 1 anew hat flint our must fail chilt our line bl lalog tipon nothing supported in bi nothing must roll back in M along a trough rond road isheim the barseg and auni would nimi mow us diwi stuarts wen men r came 11 TOP on oil riding through us as we io 1 bibko bi oho t s I 1 doumana out talin ca we I 1 our as well ilio ale ie pi helically mel end us find gone when ai 01 a i I 1 rode to the light flank of lie ile splinter of my little c I 1 PW filly TIl illg don upon lid rt a splendid s sollitt solli tr alone and antl to teach hla his oin inand aftel yonie sonie delav at their the iMir ar UP lie mas s mounted on oil a tine fine horse a great black ifie tall figure anas oad dod in tile pim gini mil lotin of tho ern leq i m ith it 11 blick il iek hit it it sweeping back bioni hn his flieh ul id I 1 saw tint hi I 1 halt rie ale onie one tile avi four times standing in ili the to lil s ibea cilto cadi one u if which dropped it n antin ile iio and lilt lil t hoise moved to gechei a splendid i engine of hutch butchin ri I 1 look out lap cap I 1 I 1 gouid a squeak ing olce nolee behind me lite cull call and looking boji I 1 ha sann oil gnp of m DH nun his left nim hanging 1004 loosa r his gun across a 0 log with nith 1 ight git out 0 the ni al n lie repeated I 1 in coill to kill 1111 him it N wib th tint it ie wide audie who had drifted back anck into out front some gome alae and joined my corn com pally soon n after its aig 1 ordered the boy now to drop his guiti ileane him alone I 1 cited I 1 hebe longs to me it was gordon ornie orme at latt last fate had relented for me S my ity enem mai m tit at liand no nian but onne line could ride mv old horse hore satan this Is to be gald of f gaidon that lie he feared no man or tiling filing ou on arth tie lie smiled at ine now non tiow show lug ing hn his lony long bairow teeth as he fim am lightly twirling his long blade two pistols lay in my holsters hot stera and both were freshly loaded but without thought I 1 had find bravn my sword for a scalon Wc alon I 1 suppose because lie he was wag using hla his lie ile was a master of 0 the sf tord ord I 1 but a bee innet with it 1 I e rode straight in and I 1 heard the ll istle of his blade as he circled it about hl bi bend bead like a baud band of light As ag ve in joined enjoined be made cut to the left easily Pa gently as he be leaned fori forwald vaid but it batile a me with inith such swiftness that bad it landed I 1 doubt not my neck N rould have been shot n like a robin a ve wheeled and came on oil again and yet again und and each time dine he put me on defense and each time I 1 learned more inore of what N hat was before me to do my old servant servi tnt satan was now his big set sei vant and the gibat cical blade horse was wag savage against me its as waa nas his 1114 rider wishing nothing so much as ai to kill his own rival he came eai h time with ill his ears back and bis big mouth open wicked la in the old blood lust that I 1 knew it was wag the feiy of his horse thit saved me I 1 sup suppose poe for as tint thit mad beast bored in striving to overthrow avei throw my own onn hoise the latter f 1 0 P my blade met his with a shook would flinch away in spite of all I 1 could do so that I 1 needed to give him small attention when we met in these short sli ort desperate de charges charge 3 I 1 es with more than a rip across the shoulder a touch on the i beet beek on the aim where his bi point reached me itne lightly its as my horse horbe wen i ed away from the encounters I 1 could not reali reach ornie orme at all at dinst I 1 know not how we clash ed front on and his horse bore mine hack back with a scream fastening his teeth in the crest of my iny mount as a dog selves bis prey I 1 saw orme a kwoi d turn lightly easily again around hla his head bead saw bi his wrist turn gently smoothly down don and extend in n cut which was aimed to catch me full iter across 04 0 4 the head bead dhere was no parry I 1 could think but the full fill counter in kind my bly blade met his with a shock that jarred my arm to the shoulder I 1 saw him give back bach pull off his mad ad horse and look at bis bi hand where his own r sword was broken off IT a foot above the hilt smiling he saluted with ith it reigning bacar his horse and 1 no more afraid of me than it I 1 were a child lie saluted so again with hn bis b bro ro leu heu sword and made a as though to t 0 i toss it aiom him ua as indeed he be did then like a flash his bla hand dropped to chiq holster bolster I 1 load lend his bis thought i 1 presume when ben he be made his bla second ilia motion ot of tossing away the sword hilt gave tue me the frac fraction tiou of time which sortie sometimes times la Is the difference between we life and death our fire was almost at the instant In but wu nit quite 01 III 1114 bullet exit cut the epaulet clean from my left shoulder but he be did not dot lite file adalu not noi did I 1 I 1 saw him up lit in hla his huddle precisely as aa I 1 had once seen au an indian chieftain do under truje oruje n own fire lie ile looked at me knitli it expression on his bis face at tant moment there came from the edge of the woods the crack of a musket the lite horse home satan pitch ed his bis head fiend foran d and dropped limp sinking to his knets knees As he be rolled he taught aught his imer ilder under olm I 1 myself sprung down doin shouting out tome some corn com mana toxin il tit in edge of the wo wood id that chev mi I 1 leme this man to mo me I 1 sto olti alid caught hold of the hind leg of the treat great black horse horre and even its as I 1 had once turned a dead bull to t o iio now I 1 turned this carcass on its luck I 1 picka up tip the fallen rider and ibid I id iid him to the woods and there I 1 d bia hl ioda against a tree I 1 haun N wu on oo 00 0 wall man he said the hot hoise so was deucedly deuc deu cedil edl heavy spoiled that leg I 1 think ue pointed to his boot I 1 I 1 seinei eidly be a good fellow and end it I 1 anstet answered ed him by tossing down one of his hil own pistols lets talk it over a bit first he said 1 I 1 ro done did you ever know in me e to breal break parole 0 no o said 1 I aud and I 1 threw down the othea weapon on the ground lu mercy to us both orme die I 1 do not want nant to kill you ou now and you tou shall not live im safe enough he be said its ita through the liver and stomach I 1 cant possibly get ovel avei it ile he stared straight litt ahead of him as aa though mim summoning moning his will swai swa I nil ml I 1 heard him mutter as though addressing some one 1 I 1 here flints better he be said finally y lie ile sat almost erect smiling at me it Is 19 asana the art of posture he said anid 1 I rest my body on my ribs my iny soul on the air feel noy my heart I 1 did GO and drew away my band almost in terror it stopped beating it his will ill and began again ills ilia un rann nit ait was still under his control I 1 I 1 shall be master here for a little while he be said so I 1 move those hurt organs to ease the flow but 1 I tint cant stop tile the holes boles nor mend them N c e cant get at the tissues to sew tapin afeei awhile I 1 shall die ile he spoke elf arly with utter calmness dispassionately I 1 looked down at n strange facci inting soul a fearsome personality whose like I 1 never knew in all my life will you make me a promise he said smiling at me mocking at me no I 1 ans answered I 1 was wag going to ask aou j ou after my death to take my beart and send it back to mv people at orme castle gori don arnis arms in england you know whole it would be a kindness to the fahlin I 1 gazed at him in a sort of hoirup but he smiled and went nent on medieval today as ever we were NN ere some of us are always making trouble one corner or the other of the world and until the last gordon heart omes comes home to test lest theres there s nu peace for that generation hundreds of eara icara traveled all over the ind been lost and stolen and hidden my fathers Is lost now s me whet e had it come back home to rest my own life might have been dlf dif ferenti say cowles you do that fol foi me it Is not for me to say whether or not I 1 mide it a promise to gordon orme or to whether or not things medieval in or occult belong with us today neither do I 1 expect many to believe the strange truth about gordon orme I 1 only say it is hard to deny those nebout to die orme I 1 said I 1 wish you had laid aut i our life differently you are a wonderful man 11 1 I the be great games he smiled boort love lore war then his face sad deded I 1 I 1 say have you kept bour our promise to me he asked did you maria man that girl what was her name miss sheraton ms nl ss ahei aton Is dead he be asked no isu she died within two months after the night I 1 caught you yon in the 3 annl 1 rd I 1 should have killed you then orme lie nod led yes but at least I 1 showed shon ed some sort of remorse the first tuno time I 1 think not a bad sort that alil gli 1 but madly jealous fighting blood I 1 imagine liang lne in that family 1 I es cs I 1 gild s ild her father and brother nud and 1 I till all three swore the same oath 11 1 lie he some spirit was in the girl he said nodding again revenge that xa was 3 what she walled why it nil fill happened it was what I 1 wanted too lou ou blocked me with the only worn wom in do not speak her name I 1 said to film quietly ul etly the nails on your alil gers tire are growing blue orme go with ith some sort of squaring of your accounts he shrugged a shoulder my swami said raid we do not dil die we only change worlds or forms 1 I gordon orme to be blotted out to lose my mind aud and soul coul and body and senses not to be able to enjoys no cowles there are other worlds with women in them I 1 do not dlee dlly I transfer but sweat stood on his big forehead youre an awfully decent give 01 ve we me a bit of paper I 1 want to write I 1 found him a penell pencil and some pa pages of my notebook to pl e i 3 on ill try to square some things he be said bald youve youre been so deuced square and straight with me all along im I 1 in gordon now im english word of n fighting man mail commy my my friend ho he leaned peering down tit at the paper via as though lie he did not clearly see eee but he be wrote slowly foi at time absorbed lu in thought thou slit in all the death scenes scene Nit which ilett our country knew lu in thousands thou ands during those years I 1 doubt it if hui aa more un nn believable than this ever had occur rence I 1 saw the blood soaking all his garments lying black on the gi ground aund about him I 1 hla his face glow gra and his bis i alls balls grow blue his pallor deepen as the veins veini lost their contents I 1 saw him bim die hut dut I 1 swear sear that he be still oat eat there calm as though tic he did not suffer and hl hn body to do his will at last smiling again as be looked up ringers ingers I retting getting dieal fully still stiff tongue illi go next mug cles clea stul still under the power fui an a little time ifera tale take this youre going to live and this ig 13 1 3 the only thing wale make you miserable but happy too goodby ill not stop longer like a flash bli hand band shot out to the weapon that lay near him on tile the ground I 1 shrank back expecting the tall full la in my face instead it passed through ills own brain at last I 1 rubbed tho the blood from tny my own face and stooped to read what he be had written then I 1 thanked god that he be wits was dead theo were the boidi wol d L I 1 gordon orme d ang july 21 1801 1861 con fess feas that I 1 killed john cowles sr br in the month of april at tho the 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