Carter Druse was born in Virginia. He loved his parents, his home andthe South. But he loved his country too. And in the autumn of 1861,when the United States was divided by a terrible Civil War, CarterDruse, a Southerner, decided to join the Union Army of the North. Hetold his father about his decision one morning at breakfast. The oldman looked at his only son for a moment, too shocked to speak.
Then he said: "As of this moment, you are a traitor to the South.
Please don't tell your mother about your decision. She's sick and weboth know she has only a few weeks to live."Carter's father paused, again looking deep into his son's eyes.
"Carter?" He said, "No matter what happens, be sure you always do whatyou think is your duty."Both Carter Druse and his father left the table that morning withbroken hearts. And Carter soon left his home and everyone he loved towear the blue uniform of the Union soldier.
One sunny afternoon a few weeks later, Carter Druse lay with his facein the dirt by the side of a road. He was on his stomach, his armsstill holding his gun. Carter would not receive a medal for hisactions. In fact, if his commanding officer were to see him, he wouldorder Carter shot immediately for Carter was not dead or wounded; hewas sleeping while on duty. Fortunately, no one could see him. He washidden by some bushes growing by the side of the road.
The road Carter Druse had been sent to guard was only a few miles fromhis father's house. It began in a forest, down in the valley andclimbed up the side of a huge rock. Anyone standing on the top of thishigh rock would be able to see down into the valley. And that personwould feel very dizzy looking down. If he dropped a stone from theedge of this cliff, it would fall for 600 meters before disappearinginto the forest in the valley below.
Giant cliffs like the one Carter lay on surrounded the valley. Hiddenin the valley's forest were 5 Union regiments, thousands of Carter'sfellow soldiers. They had marched for 36 hours. Now, they wereresting. But at midnight, they would climb that road up the rockycliff. Their plan was to attack by surprise an army of Southernerscamped on the other side of the cliff. But if their enemy learnedabout the Union Army hiding in the forest, the soldiers would findthemselves in a trap with no escape.
That was why Carter Druse had been sent to guard the road. It was hisduty to be sure that no enemy soldier dressed in gray spied on thevalley where the Union Army was hiding. But Carter Druse had fallenasleep.
Suddenly, as if a messenger of fate came to touch him on the shoulder.
The young man opened his eyes. As he lifted his head, he saw a man onhorseback standing on the huge rocky cliff that looked down into thevalley. The rider and his horse stood so still that they seemed madeof stone.
The man's gray uniform blended with the blue sky and the white cloudsbehind him. He held a gun in his right hand and the horse's reins inthe other. Carter could not see the man's face because the rider waslooking down into the valley. But the man and his horse seemed to beof heroic almost gigantic size standing their motionless against thesky. Carter discovered he was very much afraid, even though he knewthe enemy soldier could not see him hiding in the bushes. Suddenly thehorse moved, pulling back its head from the edge of the cliff.
Carter was completely awake now. He raised his gun pushing its barrelthrough the bushes and he aimed for the horseman's heart. A smallsqueeze of the trigger and Carter Druse would have done his duty. Atthat instant, the horseman turned his head and looked in Carter'sdirection. He seemed to look at Carter's face, into his eyes and deepinto his brave generous heart. Carter's face became very white. Hisentire body began shaking. His mind began to race and in his fantasy,the horse and rider became black figures rising and falling in slowcircles against the fiery red sky. Carter did not pull the trigger.
Instead, he let go of his gun and slowly dropped his face until itrested again in the dirt.
Brave and strong as he was, Carter almost fainted from the shock ofwhat he had seen. Is it so terrible to kill an enemy who might killyou and your friends? Carter knew that this man must be shot fromambush without warning. This man must die without a moment to preparehis soul, without even the chance to say a silent prayer. Slowly ahope began to form in Carter Druse's mind.
Perhaps the Southern soldier had not seen the Northern troops, perhapshe was only admiring the view, perhaps he would now turn and ridecarelessly away. Then, Carter looked down into the valley so farbelow. He saw a line of men in blue uniforms and their horses slowlyleaving the protection of the forest. A foolish Union officer hadpermitted his soldiers to bring their horses to drink at a smallstream near the forest and there they were in plain site.
Carter Druse looked back to the man and horse standing there againstthe sky, again he took aim. But this time he pointed his gun at thehorse. Words rang in his head. The last words his father ever spoke tohim: "No matter what happens, be sure you always do what you think isyour duty. "Carter Druse was calm as he pulled the trigger of his gun.
At that moment, a Union officer happened to look up from his hidingplace, near the edge of the forest. His eyes climbed to the top of thecliff that looked over the valley. Just looking at the top of thegigantic rock so far above him made the soldier feel dizzy. And then,the officer saw something that filled his heart with horror.
A man on a horse was riding down into the valley through the air. Therider sat straight in his saddle. His hair streamed back, waving inthe wind. His left hand held his horse's reins while his right handwas hidden in the cloud of the horse's mane. The horse looked as if itwere galloping across the earth. Its body was proud and noble. As thefrightened Union officer watched this horseman in the sky, he almostbelieved he was witnessing a messenger from heaven--a messenger whohad come to announce the end of the world.
The officer's legs grew weak and he fell. At almost the same instant,he heard a crashing sound in the trees. The sound died without an echoand all was silent. The officer got to his feet still shaking. He wentback to his camp, but he didn't tell anyone what he had seen. He knewno one would ever believe him.
Soon after firing his gun, Carter Druse was joined by a Unionsergeant. Carter did not turn his head as the sergeant kneeled besidehim.
"Did you fire?" The sergeant whispered.
"Yes.""At what?""A horse. It was on that rock. It's not there now. It went over thecliff." Carter's face was white but he showed no other sign ofemotion. The sergeant did not understand.
"See here, Druse." He said after a moment's silence. "Why are youmaking this into a mystery? I order you to report. Was there anyone onthe horse?""Yes.""Who?""My, my father."You have heard the story called "A Horseman in the Sky". It waswritten by Ambrose Bierce and adapted for Special English by Dona DeSanctis. Your storyteller was Roy Dipeal. For VOA Special English,this is Shirley Griffith. |