Sallie Russell 139 



and joy reigned where but a moment before despair 

 had been supreme. The man was Ashley a fugi- 

 tive, in rags, but the same noble fellow, the same 

 generous friend. The effect upon Ashley was no 

 less marked than upon the mare ; he caressed her, 

 spoke tenderly to her, and at once proceeded to 

 release her from her burdens. Such is the power of 

 friendship, a mystic bond existing between man and 

 the silent creatures about him no less really than 

 between man and man. 



The transition from despair to joy may be pleas- 

 ing, but it is always something of a strain. Ashley 

 understood the state of affairs about him fully ; but 

 he was too weakened to accept them entirely. He 

 satisfied his hunger from the stores in the wagon, 

 meanwhile feeding Sallie from the same source. 

 Then they departed together for the woods, although 

 both were so reduced it was only by the greatest 

 effort they could get there. A quiet sheltered spot 

 served for their camp ; and, for the first time since 

 their separation, both felt content. And that same 

 night, in a quiet home far away in the Blue Grass 

 region of Kentucky, a maiden mourned for two lost 



