"There was a smile upon his face when we found him. He performed his
full duty, Naida, and died as became a soldier and a gentleman."
"But--but, this cannot be! I saw the published list; his name was not
among them."
"The man who fell was Robert Nolan."
Gently he drew her down to a seat upon the soft turf of the bank. She
looked up at him helplessly, her mind seemingly dazed, her eyes yet
filled with doubt.
"Robert Nolan? My father?"
He bent over toward her, pressing his lips to her hair and stroking it
tenderly with his hand.
"Yes, Naida, darling; it was truly Robert Hampton Nolan who died in
battle, in the ranks of his old regiment,--died as he would have chosen
to die, and died, thank God! completely cleared of every stain upon his
honor. Sit up, little girl, and listen while I tell you. There is in
the story no word which does not reflect nobility upon the soldier's
daughter."
She uplifted her white face. "Tell me," she said, simply, "all you
know."
He recounted to her slowly, carefully, the details of that desperate
journey northward, of their providential meeting on the Little Big
Horn, of the papers left in his charge, of Hampton's riding forward
with despatches, and of his death at Custer's side.
Pages:
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440