mson muzzles, regarding him suspiciously a second, and then with a
gruff, concerted grunt, raced away out of sight. A horse, its foreleg
splintered by a cannon-shot, lifted its head sidewise from the ground
and neighed piteously. Madwell stepped forward, drew his revolver and
shot the poor beast between the eyes, narrowly observing its
death-struggle, which, contrary to his expectation, was violent and
long; but at last it lay still. The tense muscles of its lips, which had
uncovered the teeth in a horrible grin, relaxed; the sharp, clean-cut
profile took on a look of profound peace and rest.

Along the distant, thinly wooded crest to westward the fringe of sunset
fire had now nearly burned itself out. The light upon the trunks of the
trees had faded to a tender gray; shadows were in their tops, like great
dark birds aperch. Night was coming and there were miles of haunted
forest between Captain Madwell and camp. Yet he stood there at the side
of the dead animal, apparently lost to all sense of his surroundings.
His eyes were bent upon the earth at his feet; his left hand hung
loosely at his side, his right still held the pistol. Presently he
lifted his face, turned it toward his dying friend and walked rapidly
back to his side. He knelt upon one knee, cocked the weapon, placed the
muzzle against the man's forehead, and turning away his eyes pulled the
trigger. There was no report. He had used his last cartridge for the
horse.

The sufferer moaned and his lips moved convulsively. The froth that ran
from them had a tinge of blood.

Captain Madwell rose to his feet and drew his sword from the scabbard.
He passed the fingers of his left hand along the edge from hilt to
point. He held it out straight before him, as if to test his nerves.
There was no visible tremor of the blade; the ray of bleak skylight that
it reflected was steady and true. He stooped and with his left hand tore
away the dying man's shirt, rose and placed the point of the sword just
over the heart. This time he did not withdraw his eyes. Grasping the
hilt with both hands, he thrust downward with all his strength and
weight. The blade sank into the man's body--through his body into the
earth; Captain Madwell came near falling forward upon his work. The
dying man drew up his knees and at the same time threw his right arm
across his breast and grasped the steel so tightly that the knuckles of
the hand visibly whitened. By a violent but vain effort to withd