The Prisoner of the Mill; or, Captain Hayward's "Body Guard" — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Prisoner of the Mill; or, Captain Hayward's "Body Guard"
John Stuart Mill · en
“What!” exclaimed a dozen voices.
“He lies! the coward that stabs a man in the dark! Hayward is not dead,
but lives, and will soon by his evidence send this murderer to kingdom
come!”
With a shriek Miss Hayward bounded forward, and fell at the feet of
Nettleton, grasping his hands. Wells, who had borne bravely up until
this moment, covered his face, and wept tears of joy and of relief from
the imputation of crime. Sally Long sprung to the side of Nettleton,
and, throwing her arms around his neck she gave him a hearty kiss, which
caused him to roll up his green eyes, and appear in almost as much agony
as if he had been struck in the stomach with a cannon-ball. The word was
soon passed, and the soldiers, catching the fire, made the very welkin
ring with their shouts, while the band chimed in with the stirring
strain: “Hail to the Chief!”
CHAPTER VII.
_A Live Hero—The Retrograde Army Movement._
THE villain Walker was returned to his lonely cell. Lieutenant Wells was
released from all restraint. The soldiers dispersed to talk about the
strange turn events had taken, but the center of attraction was
Nettleton. He was seated in front of the Hinton tent. Close beside him
was Miss Hayward, kneeling, and gazing mournfully into his face, while
Alibamo, Wells, the General, Nettie Morton, Sally Long, the officers who
had composed the court-martial, the especial friends of the parties, and
as many of the soldiers as could get within hearing distance, were
earnestly listening to the narrative of the “body-guard.”
Nettleton went on to relate his meeting the rebel scouts, and the fact
of their having informed him that Hayward had only been wounded and
conveyed toward Wilson’s Creek, by a party attached to the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Price.
[The reader will mark the distinction between Lieutenant-Colonel Price,
who was a ruffian guerrilla, and had broken his parole three times—an
act repudiated by all honest soldiers of either army—and General
Sterling Price, who, although a rebel, always had acted in a gentlemanly
and humane manner to all prisoners of war.]