Abner pushed open the door of one of the cells that had been already
opened, and went in, Perez following. He knelt by the body of his
brother, and Abner turned his back. It was the same cell in which
Perez had found Reuben and George Fennell, six months before. Several
minutes passed, and neither moved. The drum began to beat without,
summoning the men to resume their march.
"Cap'n," said Abner, "we'll hev ter go. We can't do the poor chap no
good by stayin, an they can't do him no more harm."
Then Perez rose up, and leaned on Abner's shoulder, looking down on
the patient face of the dead. The first tears gathered in his eyes,
and trickled down, and he said: "I never was fair to Reub. I never
allowed enough for his losin Jemima. I was harder on him than I should
have been."
"Ye warn't noways hard on him, Perez. Ye wuz a good brother tew him. I
never hearn o' no feller hevin a better brother nor he hed in yew,"
protested Abner, in much distress.
Perez shook his head.
"I was hard on him. I never allowed as I'd ought for his losin his
girl. I'd a been kinder to him if I'd known. Ye must a thought I was
hard an unfeelin, Reub, dear, often's the time, but I didn't know, I
didn't know.
Pages:
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470