THE BATTALION
25
might: “Help! help! help! Murder!
Murder!”
He turned to make his escape. But
a dark, uncouth, stumbling form came
rushing around from the back of the
house. It was Turnus roused at last.
The fugitive changed his course, and
ran on the other side of the house.
A grapevine trailing almost to the
ground caught his hurrying feet, and
he was hurled headlong into the dark
ness. One tremendous plunge and all
was silent.
In a few moments the silence was
broken by the trampling of many feet,
and the calls of one another of men
with lanterns and torches searching
for the malefactor.
When all were satisfied that the
thief had escaped, and with thanks
from the ladies the neighbors had re
tired, Turnus called his young mistress
to the porch at the back of the house,
and pointed triumphantly to the well.
“He day in day,” he whispered. “He
tomble hed-fo’-mos’ in de water. He
drown-ded! He dead, sho’ dis time,
Miss Annie, please Gawd!”
It was evident that Turnus had
heard more than they had at first sup
posed. But they were sure of his de
votion, and had some confidence in his
discretion. And their sense of relief,
on hearing the old man’s words, was
immense.
The wells of Brunswick are in gen
eral very shallow. It was an easy task
for Turnus, assisted by the eager arms
of his young ladies, to fill up this one.
Never had young women of their
breeding and beauty so gruesome a
task! Long before the return of Mr.
Westwood, Annie had another well dug
in a distant part of the yard; and a
plausible reason for the change was
readily found. Turnus had his own
way of accounting for the disappear
ance of the well, to the satisfaction
of the other negroes, when morning
came.
•h
Annie Westwood was in her grave
before the secret of her first huband’s
reappearance was told. Of course, the
Dutart house has been haunted ever
since.
TO MY GEOMETRY.
If ever there should be a flood,
For refuge hither fly;
Though all the world should be sub
merged,
This book would still be dry.
“My lips are sore, but camphor ice
I will not have,” said May;
“Of course ’twould cure them, but you
see
’Twould keep the ‘chaps’ away.”
—Ex.
A
Two hundred and twenty-five candi
dates are trying for places on the Yale
track team.
We notice in an exchange the first
of a series of articles written on the
pictures and statuary which adorn the
school buildings. This ought to be a
very practical suggestion to our ama
teur writers who are at a loss for a
subject to write upon.
*
It is reported tha± Oxford and Cam
bridge are going to send crack teams
to this country in April to compete
with Harvard and Yale.
d?
Truth is the highest thing that man
can keep.—Chaucer.