hind his tree, hesitating between pride and terror, was accessible to
its charm and suasion. He was conscious of a fortified resolution and
ran away only when the skirmishers, under orders to rally on the
reserve, came out of the woods like hunted hares and formed on the left
of the stiff little line, breathing hard and thankful for the boon of
breath.

III

THE FIGHTING OF ONE WHOSE HEART WAS NOT IN THE QUARREL

Guided in his retreat by that of the fugitive wounded, the Governor
struggled bravely to the rear through the "bad bit of jungle." He was
well winded and a trifle confused. Excepting a single rifle-shot now and
again, there was no sound of strife behind him; the enemy was pulling
himself together for a new onset against an antagonist of whose numbers
and tactical disposition he was in doubt. The fugitive felt that he
would probably be spared to his country, and only commended the
arrangements of Providence to that end, but in leaping a small brook in
more open ground one of the arrangements incurred the mischance of a
disabling sprain at the ankle. He was unable to continue his flight, for
he was too fat to hop, and after several vain attempts, causing
intolerable pain, seated himself on the earth to nurse his ignoble
disability and deprecate the military situation.

A brisk renewal of the firing broke out and stray bullets came flitting
and droning by. Then came the crash of two clean, definite volleys,
followed by a continuous rattle, through which he heard the yells and
cheers of the combatants, punctuated by thunderclaps of cannon. All this
told him that Armisted's little command was bitterly beset and fighting
at close quarters. The wounded men whom he had distanced began to
straggle by on either hand, their numbers visibly augmented by new
levies from the line. Singly and by twos and threes, some supporting
comrades more desperately hurt than themselves, but all deaf to his
appeals for assistance, they sifted through the underbrush and
disappeared. The firing was increasingly louder and more distinct, and
presently the ailing fugitives were succeeded by men who strode with a
firmer tread, occasionally facing about and discharging their pieces,
then doggedly resuming their retreat, reloading as they walked. Two or
three fell as he looked, and lay motionless. One had enough of life left
in him to make a pitiful attempt to drag himself to cover. A passing
comrade paused beside him long enough to fire, ap