Sallie Russell 125 



It might as well have been in Africa, for Ashley 

 could not reach it. His canteen soon gave out, and 

 then thirst, little less than that of Dante's damned, 

 came upon him. He vainly tried to make known his 

 want to Sallie. She looked at him with all the ear- 

 nestness of her nature, and tried hard to comprehend, 

 but could not. A stream flowed a short distance 

 away ; but how was she, who in her trouble forgot 

 hunger and thirst herself, to know that Ashley was 

 dying for water ! She would gladly have borne 

 him wherever he willed ; but he was too weak to 

 reach the nearest stirrup, or even cling to her tail. 

 And so there she stood through that hot day, shield- 

 ing him by her shadow from the intenseness of the 

 sun, and never once offering to leave him. The 

 night came, and with it chilliness and dew. Ashley 

 had reached that stage where things around him were 

 for the most part dim and uncertain. Occasionally 

 consciousness would return, bringing with it a reali- 

 zation of his terrible anguish ; and then merciful 

 oblivion would come again. 



When the morning dawned, and a party of the 

 enemy's scouts, hurrying across the country, came 



