. Shepard. I know also, as you
do, that General Meade's army is not in direct pursuit, and, that in a
flanking movement, he is advancing across South Mountain and toward
Sharpsburg. It is a march well calculated and extremely dangerous to
General Lee, if he does not hear of it in time. But he will hear of it
soon enough. A comrade of mine, George Dalton, will tell him. Others
from Colonel Sherburne's camp will tell him, and I mean to tell him too.
I hope to be the first to do so."
Harry never deceived himself for a moment. He knew that although Shepard
liked him, he would go to the uttermost to stop him, and as for himself,
while he had a friendly feeling for the spy, he meant to use every weapon
he could against him. Realizing that he could not linger much longer,
as the chill of the water was already entering his body, he swam closer
to Shepard, still staring directly into his eyes. How thankful he was
now for those innumerable swimmings in the little river that ran near
Pendleton! Everything learned well justifies itself some day.
Although there was but little moonlight they were so close together that
they could see the eyes of each other clearly, and Harry detected a
trace of uneasiness in those of Shepard. A good swimmer, the water
nevertheless was not his element, and although a man of great physique
and extraordinary powers, he longed for the solid earth under his feet.
Harry drew himself together as if he were going to dive, but instead of
doing so suddenly raised himself in the water and shot forth his clenched
tight fist with all his might. Shepard was taken completely by surprise
and he sank back under the water, leaving a blood stain on its surface.
Harry watched anxiously, but Shepard came up again in a moment or two,
gasping and swimming wildly. The point of his jaw was presented fairly
and Harry struck again as hard as he could in the water. Shepard with
a choked cry went under and Harry, diving forward, seized his body,
bringing it to the surface.
Shepard was senseless, but getting an arm under his shoulders Harry was
able to swim with him to the northern shore, although it took nearly all
his strength. Then he dragged him out upon the bank, and sank down,
panting, beside him.
The great Civil War in America, the greatest of all wars until nearly
all the nations of Europe joined in a common slaughter, was a humane war
compared with other wars approaching it in magnitude. It did no
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