THE WE8T SHORE.
the worst of it. See how the leaves and ground are
raked up."
" Yes, I've been looking at that, and think you
have hit it right; but where is the other party, and
why did they fight?"
" It's my opinion," said Tom, " this old devil had
a partner, and they have had a quarrel about the di
vision of plunder, and t'other feller got away with
this one."
Both then returned to the wounded man, where
they found the plunder bag the vultures had dropped,
which confirmed their opinion.
" There is no doubt," said Jack, " but that the old
rascal down there was one of those human vultures,
who rob dead and wounded soldiers, and he has been
killed by his companion."
" Oh, wouldn't I like to get hold of t'other one for
a few minutes! " said Tom, as he clenched his fists.
" What is that under your foot, Tom?"
Stepping back, Tom picked up the finger Fagan
had thrown upon the ground, saying, as he did so:
" By thunder, if it ain't a man's finger! "
" And here is where it came from," said his com
panion, lifting up the hand from which the finger had
been cut
" Well," said Tom, " this beats me. Them devils
would cut a man's throat for five cents, I do believe."
" Yes, and not hesitate very long about it either.
My impression is," continued he, " they thought this
poor fellow dead, and to easily obtain a riDg, cut off
the finger; and, no doubt, in losing a finger, the man
has gained his life."
" Providing," said Tom, " we can save it"
" We must do the best we can," replied his com
pan ion.
" I'm going to put this in alcohol," said Tom, as
ho put the finger in his pocket, " and if the Yank
gets well 111 give it to him."
" And if he dies, what will you no with it? "
" If he pegs out, I'll give it to my gal as a souve
niras them Frenchmen say of the battle-field."
Lifting the officer as gently as they could, tho two
rebels carried him to their camp. When the reced
ing footsteps of the two men had died away in the
distance, Joe crawled from his place of concealment
and went to where the body of his late task master
lay.
" Now, Mr. Fagan," said he, as ho delivered a sav
age kick upon the body, " I give-a you wbat-a you
give-a Joe; you kick-a Joe, now he kick-a you," and
suiting his actions to the words, ho kicked the old
rascal until he had completely exhausted his strength.
Then seating himself upon a log, he said
" Joo rob-a dead soljars no more."
He remained in this position until tho light, break,
ing through the tree-tops from tho cast, warned him
that day was approaching and it was tirao for him to
be moving on, as it would not do to let tho soldiers
find him there. With difficulty, he roso to his feet
and staggered in tho direction of their lato rendez
vous. Hero we will leavo him, hoping that ho kept
his word not to " rob-a dead soljars any more,"
That Old Fagan deserved tho death ho met, and
that Joo did a good deed in sending his soul to meet
its God, no one will deny, and when wo think of tho
treatment his slayer hail received at tho hands of that
hardened old criminal, who can deny that ho did
right in avenging himself upon tho old vulture, thns
ridding himself of a brutal master, and tho world of a
curse.
It is almost a year since wo left Colonel Harring
ton busily engaged in renovating and, as ho said,
modernizing, his house, and wo must turn bnck to tho
events which followed that act of rejuvenation.
Tho carpenters had driven tho last nail, tho paint
ers had given tho finishing touches, tho carp :t wero
brought homo and laid, and in fact, everything was
in readiness to receive tho distinguished guet Tho
old family 'carriage, which had boon in riisuno for
years, was despoiled of it cobwebs ami sent to tho
shop, whero it received extensive repair, including a
fresh coat of paint A monogram, in gold, was added
to tho panels of tho doors, giving tho equipago a de
cidedly aristocratic apioaranco; and when John drovo
into tho yard, ho called tho colonel to inspect tho al
most now carriage,
" Looks very well, John; looks very well," said b,
walking around and examining it in all it parU
11 Yes, sir, it is almost as good as new; but this
old harness don't correspond with tho carriage."
" That is so, John, I am glad you called myatten
tion to it I will order a new set at Jones this after
noon, and you can tako tho horses down and have tho
harness fitted,"
It wanted tut a few days now until Frank Von
Brean would arrive, and tho colonel was on tho qui
vive of cxrx ctancy. Everything was pronounced fin
Uhed on Friday, and tho following Wednesday tho
visitor was to arrive. In tho meantiwo tho colon!
had gone over tho house at lewd a town Urn, to vn
that nothing bad been overlooked or left nnfi&ishL
Mrs. Harrington, alio, felt anxious about th Comfort
of their cxreted visitor, who she knew had been
brought up in tho lap of luxury. Tho room allotted
to FraiA's use had been refurnished throughout, and
nothing wm left undone which would add to iU at
tractiveness. Now that tho timo for this visit wm so
near, Amy became nervous and resile. Hho showed