Neville Trueman, the Pioneer Preacher : a tale of the war of 1812Withrow, W. H. (William Henry)
History
Neville Trueman, the Pioneer Preacher : a tale of the war of 1812
Withrow, W. H. (William Henry)
Clergy -- Fiction; United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Fiction
A number of Indians, whose chief dress was a breach clout and
deerskin leggings, formidable in their war-paint and war plumes,
with scalping-knives and tomahawks, were only partially held in
hand by Chief Brant, conspicuous by his height, his wampum fillet
and eagle plumes, and his King George's medal on his breast.
"Drive on to the village," said Major-General Sheaffe, who was now
chief in command, to Zenas as he passed. "You will find plenty to
do there."
At the house where Brock's body lay, a single sentry stood at
guard, his features settled in a fixed and stony stare, as though
by a resolute effort controlling his emotions. Beyond the village
a strong guard was drawn up, and two field pieces, with their
gunners, occupied the road.
Soldiers were passing in and out of a large barn which stood near
the roadside. They came in groups of two each from the trampled
hill slope, bearing on stretchers their ghastly burden of bleeding
and wounded men. Although coming within musket-range of the
American force, no molestation was offered. Their work of humanity
was felt to be too sacred for even red-handed War to disturb.
Indeed, both American and British wounded were cared for with
generous impartiality.
Zenas and Neville, assisted by an officer's orderly, conveyed
their hospital stores into the barn. On bundles of unthreshed
wheat, or on trusses of hay, were a number of writhing, groaning,
bleeding forms, a few hours since in the vigour of manhood's
strength, now maimed, some of them for life, some of them marked
for death, and one ghastly form already cold and rigid, covered by
a blood-stained sheet At one side they beheld an army surgeon with
his sleeves rolled up, but, notwithstanding this precaution,
smeared with blood, kneeling over a poor fellow who lay upon a
truss of hay, and probing his shoulder to trace and, if possible,
extract a bullet that had deeply penetrated.
"Why, Jim Larkins, is that you?" exclaimed Zenas, recognizing an
old neighbour and recent schoolfellow.
"Yes, Zenas, all that's left of me. I won't fight no more for one
while, I guess," he answered, as he moaned with agony as the
doctor probed the wound.
"Give him a drink," said the doctor, and Zenas, as tenderly as a
girl, supported his head and held to his parched lips a mug of
cold and refreshing tea.
"Blessings on the kind heart that sent that," said the wounded
man.
"It was Kate," said Zenas.
"I knowed it must be," murmured Jim, who was one of her rustic
admirers. "Tell her," he continued, in the natural egotism of
suffering, "she never did a better deed. Heaven reward her for
it."
Zenas thought of the benediction pronounced on the cup of cold
water given for the Master, and rejoiced in the privilege of
ministering to these wounded and, it might be, dying men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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