Show wa aj or jarc ZT C CHAPTER between life and death it was a glorious morning when colonel john received orders from headquarters that the last train laden with stores had safely reached at lanta and giving him explicit orders to destroy the road utterly as he hast wed ened to join sherman by a certain time his men caught the enthusiasm of the hour they had fought desperately to de end tend the road so long as it was use tul ful to sherman and now that he de vired to prevent it being used b he enemy at any future time they would be just as ready to destroy the orders went forth fires began to arise every building connected with the station was in flames men tore up the tracks and twisted the rails uhe reign of destruction had begun that was not to end until their eyes tested on the blue sea the tables had been turned it was for the confederates to en on to defend the road but they were not present in numbers to do with mith much hope of success while he thus burned and destroyed the cavalry colonel made his nay may southeast intending to join sherman at atlanta there were toes between however foes that bad had gathered from time to time until they made a formidable aggregate when hen the true state of affairs be came known to these men their lead ipas set a trap in the hope that colonel john and his command would tall fall into it they counted without their host for the federal clonel anticipated borne some aa col john was down ouch movement and was constantly on the watch the city was within a days day s ride ind colonel john already anticipated p g short period of happiness at ceding mollie ere the army started on its long eastern march little was mas to be done in this ter for the road had already been destroyed by parties from atlanta pushing out a certain distance in the city itself all was activity cotton and stores that could not be taken along were being daily burned buildings of 0 a public character were blown up all railroad property de and save tor for the private houses of the citizens the once fair gate city of the south had become a heap of ruins it was in the morning that colonel john and his command came upon the toe seeing the confederates were in force the federal leader ordered a charge and awa the cavalrymen went pell poll mell moll at once the greatest contusion confusion en sued unable to force a way through and with no good opportunity for a flank movement the federals were hurled back As a last resource they occupied some old entrenchments long since de sorted and dismounting awaited the coming of the foe ridgeway ay knew the sounds of battle would reach sherman in atlanta and that sooner or later if he could only hold his own a column would be sent to his relief crouching behind the breastworks they awaited the assault of the loe foe it was indeed a sight to look upon the superb disdain with which these veteran fighters awaited the coming of their enemies some were sitting close to together ether laughing and joking in a quiet way others had crawled to more exposed positions where they might have a chance to pick a sharpshooter off and sprawled there they had the appear ance of human pancakes the confederates did not seem in any great haste to make the assault perhaps they were waiting to con cen their forces colonel john feared there might be some tome way known to them a secret path by means of they might get around his little tort fort and spring a surprise upon their r a he endeavored to prevent this to the best of his ability it was ras after noon when mord was as finally passed along the I 1 nes that the enemy had begun to make a general advance up to this time there had beer few spasmodic movements on the part of the ched bodies designed no doubt simply to ag aggravate graNate the fed orals and keep their from an other quarter colonel ridgeway knew what was coming now and encouraged his brave fellows to render a good account of themselves the silence was a at length broken by the discharge of a gun far upon the right it was mas the signal along the line of entrenchments ran a zigzag fire and the rattle of guns almost continuous while the first rank fell back to re load the se ond pushed forward and took their places evidently the affair was to be de aided hand to hand and no one could foretell the result every moment colonel john had hopes of hearing the encouraging cries that would mould proclaim the coming of re from sherman but un less they come very soon it would be too late since his handful of men could not long hold their own against such overwhelming odds this was only one of numerous small battles which history had recorded merely in the aggregate as a eries of engagements around at lanta in which many men were lost on both sides and little save glory y won oil fortune favored the federals in this case for when everything looked the blackest the column from sherman came upon the scene then the tables were mere turned it was mas the confederates now who boight so ight safety in flight leaving many of their heroic dead and wounded in ind around the breastworks tor for the possession of which they had fought so long colonel john was down in the last stirring encounter he had fallen while leading his men into the thick of the fight they carried him to the city here in the hospital he was taken in charge by experienced surgeons and when all had been done that was possible sible they pronounced their ver diet colonel john had a fighting chance for h s life that v as all to move him at that stage would be madness since it must result in his death this meant that whether the colonel got well or not depended upon the en emy since he must be left to their tender mercies thus there came a day when the federal forces rode or marched out ot of the city and headed in an easterly di ecklon those who knew and loved colonel john had gone to the hospital to bid him adieu he was in a deep sleep at the time and the surgeon would not arouse him for the cr sis in his condition had just passed and any excitement might prove fatal the legions in blue marched away and nd the sound of their drums and fifes kad nad hardly died out before the streets swarmed with the veterans ot of johns ton hood being up in tennessee eager to see those they loved to dis cover what damage had been done dur ing the occupation so colonel john became a prisoner again when he regained his consciousness his case had improved somewhat with careful nursing he might live in spite of the severe shock his tern had received of course the wounded soldier thought of mollie god I 1 new he needed her assistance while his life hung thus in the bal ance but bill how should be let her know A confederate officer walking agh the sickroom stopped at john s cot and looking up the wound ed federal beheld behold his cousin crockett ridgeway no longer scowled as his eyes tell fell upon the face of the man toward whom he had en pertained such a hostile feeling SA come I 1 had nu idea you were here cousin I 1 in sorry to se set it and the same time glad of a chance isk your pardon tor for the share I 1 n that ugly business john looked surprised the orthez aughee in a hearty way lou ou think the heavens will next since ive turned saint well the truth of the matter Is I 1 ve learned recently that you acted very generous ly toward m mi poor old mother up in louisville a year or so ago never knew of it before on my honor it made me ashamed of myself and I 1 swore to turn over a new leat leaf let me squeeze your well hand cousin tell me Is there anything I 1 can do tor for you youa I 1 where is the major asked john whose only source of uneasiness lay jay in this quarter lou mean worden word en I 1 helped give him a soldier soldiers s burial he was in that mad dare devir assault which came so near demoralizing the federal line in his glorious death he wiped out any tollies follies of which he may have been guilty while living peace to his ashes amend said john relieved to know this firebrand was removed from his path and yet ready to recognize the bravery of the hot blooded south pru warrior his mad devotion toward coille had swerved him from the path of an honorable gentleman but john could forgive now now that he was rid of this anxiety colonel john had only to do his best to get well wen there was a dearth of nurses in the hospital southern girls had enough to do to take care of their own wounded thus it happened that those of the federal sick who were in a precarious position hovering between life and death as it were found themselves in lit a measure neglected colonel john took a downward course fever set in and the old sur geon in making his round shook his head and said we well 11 have a vacancy here soon the colonel s crisis is approaching and ha has little show to live CHAPTER XVI A gentle nurse hven burgeons ur geons may at times be mis taken for they cannot foretell outside event events that are sure to have a bearing on the case for instance this grizzled array vet yet eran could rot know that in less than ten minutes after he gave his doleful verdict a young woman should enter the old church used as a hospital and inquire for colonel john declaring it her intention to nurse him crockett ridgeway had carried the news neus it was no northern nurse but a lady well known in atlanta so the federal colonel battling with fate threw off the fever and came into his right mind again then a cool hand pressed his brow and he looked up into the face of mol allot lie re she smiled and put a finger to his lips signifying silence and he fore bore to question indeed it was lema whether he could have spoken above a whisper at any rate after that hia his recovery was slow but sure at length the time came when be he determined to speak mollie had nursed him faithfully and he could no longer let that ridicule ous bond stand between them be sides her action in coming to him had don done away with it provisions he would know his fate on the mor row so colonel john decided one night after she had made bin him comfort able and left him that was a terribly long lang night to him at length daylight arrived and the lour when mollie usually put in an appearance ppe arance but she came not he wrestled between pride and tear fear other days passed but she came ot to be continued |