The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-04-06
ON THE PICKET LINE.
A Little description That vii: be Appre.
clatctt by Old SOltiters.

Little description That WIFI be Appres
ciatcd l,y Old soldters.
From the Detroit Free Press.
The sun went down and darkness
began to creep over the face OF the
earth tlIe angry roar OF artillery died
away and thcrrnckle OF musketry was
less spiteful For awhile the tigh ting
on the extreme right hung on, to set.
tie the question OF who should occupy
the old earth works, but at length
dead silence tell upon the whole field.
Silence? No! 1t was silence compared
to the awful roar OF the long after
noon, but it was silence broken by
the screams and groans and prayers
OF wounded mcn--by the mo vement
OF wagons and artillcry-by the sub
ducd voices of 10000 men as they
camped forthe nigh, without fire and
anxiously debated chances for to-
morrow.
A sergeant marches on o the left ut
the head OF half 81 dozen men. He
drops a man at "Pos' No. ~ and
gives him whispered instructions. 1T
is the same at post ., 3, j. etc. until
the last man has been stationed.
There must be viSilant, wakeful men
between friend and Zoe while the long
night wears away.
"Post No. 6" is under great beacl.
tree. Shot and shell have SCARED and
tiven its trunk, and shot and shell
have shattered and river its thick
1;n,,o ~ n no,,t,,r., I,ov,r,
this tree will bear witness OF the terri
ble struggle of to-day.
"From this tree to the
edge OF that thicker, and the
sot,ntcrsisn is Justice" whispered
the sergeant, and as he passes OH the
picket takes. up his beat He counts
as lie passes Them hy-onr, two, three,
four, five, six, seven, eight. What?
Corpses. They are lying on he grass
SO near the path he travels that he
can touch any of them with his loot.
There are others to the right and left.
snrther away. 1t was here that the
enemy charged IL hnttery-here our
forces rallied TO preserve it. Grape
shot and canister, bullet and bayonet,
found victims hero. Some lay as il
asleep. Worn out with lie tremendous
conilirt-o,hcrs r,ved and prayed and
cursed God and man before death re-
leased them from their slferings.
Tie picket counts them as he walks.
and Il sigh escapes his lips. To-mor-
row night some sentinel may number
his mutlated corpse with Others on
thus >dn,rmcaoow. To morrow night
the nr,l nnn winds may vainly seek to-
rot,$r him from li's Death sleep.
From tree to tilickci sent turn
From thirket to tree and turn Nc
must watch and listen and he on h,s'
guard, but by and by he finds time to
count again: One-t wo-threc-fonr
live SiN-,"ycn-eiy eiyht-ninc. What.
He reunited only eight before. Was he
mistaken, OF can the dead of the bat
tlriicd creep and crawl? Six-seven-
rishl---ninc. Yes, there are nine. In
IN" .iHrkn">s- he had made mistake.
Nine. What matters one more or one
less corpse n!'onn field OF battle?
10 The tree and turn. To the thick
ct and turn. AS Ise heads for the tree
again, the mint II corpse assumes Il sit
ting position and looks after him. \
moment later it struggles UP, and a
figure goes creeping after the picket.
The grass on he meadow is thick and
matted. Ills footballs give out no
sound. STANDARDIZATION as the
shadow of dratll-rrrcping-crceping,
and now heis close upon the lone pick
ct. There is Il Glcan of steal in the
darknass--a swift and powerful blow.
and he ~ho was placed to watch will
watch no more.
Through the gap spies will pour in
and skullS about til" camps; Il resi
incnt will be silently advanced to the
key p0ai'inn: the ghouls will scent
pnndcr and cr"epup to loD he dead.
The picket had counted: '-seven-
ciaht-ninc'
The gl,onls will creep ;rom HE thick
r' and count: "seven-"ish ht-nnc"'
THERE'S no missingcorpsc. The mum.
Der has been made good.