Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-04-12

the fighting fever When he first saw
fighting on the Douro, he was sickened
bv it. and when he became corporal, he
received the stripe with di gust, and
would have refused it could such a
thing have been done. Nobody could
say he ever shirked duty. though no.
body could ever praise him for zeal
He went to work like machine, scorn-
ing himself and pitying others, for be-
ing what he called slaves. But brains
will out; and the deserter was soon
found to be something better than mere
food for powder Sometimes an acci-
dent, where intelligence was wanted.
would happen to make an officer stare.
A broken gentleman in the ranks, or
even scholar. was by no means I'M
known; but paragon Of steadiness,
who could make q survey like an engi-
neer, and keep accounts like clerk,
was queer. Sergeant Blackthorn had
become a marked man; and not with
the lash. as he might have been.
He had not yet seen much fighting,
since the passage of the Douro. But
now, when at the sound of the bugle
his regiment fell into position near the
center of the line. he and every man
there knew that their day had come.
How great were the odds against them,
none knew; and if they had, three
Frenchmen to one Englishmen would
have been only fair. They were on
slight ridge, rising towards hill on
the left. and Stephen with the rest, had
plain sweep of the plain for their
eyes. And sure enough the Frenchmen
had passed the river in force; the battle
had already begun. Stephen could see
the advanced brigades falling back be-
fore an advancing French column as
steadily as if they were at a review.
firing as they retreated. till they fell in
to the line of redcoats reaching from
the town to the hill. Then came a
long pause.
But presently two long columns. one
20 right and one to left, crossed the
plain, and, as they neared broke into a
run. One made to the hill for the left;
the other for the Spanish earthworks
and barricades. The center was let
alone. And then. from both flank and
right, came great fighting-all to hear,
and nothing to see but the smoke that
crossed the din. After a while the
noise of firing ceased on the Spanish
side, but only to increase sharply from
the British flank on the hill. Surely
something must happen soon. And
something must be happening; for still
column after column of the French
came to fall upon the left, and still the
fight went on, while the center stood
unattached and unattacking, as if on
endless parade. An aid-de-camp or an
orderly would now and then be seen
galloping from left to rear; but that
was all. Hour after hour passed, and
still the unseen battle ragged, even until
darkness fell
What had happened? The firing
ceased, and cloud-like masses were
seen crossing the plain. All sorts of
rumors came out with the stars. Some
said the fighting on the right had ceas-
ed so soon because the Spaniards had
fled at the first onset in panic; which
was partly true, though their strong de-
fence had given them time to recover.
Some were assured that the left flank
had been turned: but that could not be
true, or the regiments in the center
would not be still left idle where they
were Some saio that the entire French
force had been driven back and routed;
but that was wild. Only they who had
kept the hill all that long summer day
knew that the sun had set on some
eight hundred fewer lives than he had
risen upon.
1t was as sweet and calm night as
ever WAS known, and the carnage
of that day was unseen save by those
who had taken part therein. To Stephen
the battle had been but sound and fury;
and he could almost wish, for once,
that fortune had not placed him where
there was nothing to do Having done
his duties for the night, he lay down to
dream or to think, whichever it might
prove. But first of all he made the
entry in his journal that he was keep
ing for Patience to read one Of these
days, when he should be not only heart
to heart, but face to face, with her once
again, and hand to hand.
Face to face, and hand to hand.
There upon his was still the ring that
should have been on hers. 1t had mar
ried them; it was none the less wed
because it was on the bride
groom's finger instead Of the brides.
As he looked 1t the ring tonight, with
its posy. = strange sort of peacefulness
fell over him-he could not tell why.
The star of truth above him seemed to
become twin with the star Of courage.
Think what he might of war and battle,
there is something more than mere
slaughter to him who sleeps or wakes
on the battle, field, after all. Vaguely
be knew enough of what must have
been done that day to know that many
4 heart had been left more heavy than
his, with youth and hope in it, had any
right to be. There were women in En-
gland and France who would never
hear their lovers hearts beat again.
There were children whose only wealth
would be the boast that their fathers
we're brave men. Even the revelry of
he night, that contrasted with the peal
If the bugle or the sentry's solemn
.All's well" had its pathos: ..Let us
lat and drink, for tomorrow we die''-
'r, if not we, then gallant comrade or
gallant foe. Yes, there was something
strangely solemn in the air. There was
Patience waiting his coming home: he
lad made Legs Croft safe to old Tom,
lnless the Preston's were fools. "All's
yell'-all must and shall be we'll Was
lot despair itself a kind of doubling?
md what should he think of Patience
she were to doub, or to despair?
And so. while sentinel stars set their
watch in the sky" he placed his ringed
land upon his heart, and dreamed of
lome. And so, that lovely night,
lreamed many a man who was never
o see home again. For eight hundred
Inglishmen and a thousand French
men were but the pioneers in the game
~ Al 4