Ahead of the Army (Paperback)

Excerpt: ...and Ned took note that it did not tremble at all, as he aimed it at the distant skirmish. It was a number of seconds, however, before he reported: "Hurrah The general rides on, and he rides well. I feel sure that he is not badly wounded, if at all. He has now but three men with him. There are riderless horses. There are men on the ground. There are four only that are riding back toward the Cordoba road. Thank God The general has made good his escape from that party of unlucky lancers. He is a fighter " Then he lowered the glass to turn and shout fiercely to his own men: "Forward We must reach Orizaba before the news of this skirmish gets there, if we kill all our horses doing it. Push on " 157 CHAPTER IX. LEAVING THE HACIENDA It was near the close of a bright summer day, and a deeply interested company had gathered in the dining-room of the Crawford home in New York. Dinner was on the table, but nobody had yet sat down. The number of young persons present suggested that Ned must have older brothers and sisters. "Father Crawford," exclaimed one of the grown-up young men, "what is this about another letter from Edward? I came over to hear the news." "Letter?" said Mr. Crawford. "I should say so I guess I'd better read it aloud. It was a long time getting out and coming around by way of England. There are all sorts of delays in war-time. It is the last of three that he wrote before escaping into the interior of Mexico with his new friends. I am glad that he did go with them, though, and there must be other 158 letters on the way. We shall hear from him again pretty soon." They all were silent then, and he read the letter through, with now and then a few words of explanation, but Mrs. Crawford had evidently read it before, and all she could say now was: "Oh, dear I don't like it I wish he had come home " "It's all right, mother," said...