Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1889-05-16

ton understood. They were too busy
to be just; he was looked upon as one
who had shirked his duty until forced
unwillingly into the field. Too proud
| to explain, vet not too insensible to feel
he could only endure and hope. OF al
the Federal army on that summer
morning none had accepted battle more
joyously thar he. His spirit was
bouyant, his faculties were riotous.
He was in state of mental exaltation,
and scarcely could endure the enemy's
hardness in advancing to the attack.
To him this was opportunity-for the
result he cared nothing. Victory or de-
feat, as God might will; in one or in
the other he should prove himself a
soldier and hero; he should vindicate
his right to the respect of his men and
the companionship Of his brother Off
cers-to the consideration of his SUI
periors. How his heart leaped in his
breast as the bugle sounded the stirring
notes of the Assembly With what a
light tread, scarcely conscious of the
earth beneath his feet, he strobe for
ward at the head of his company, and
how exultingly noted the tactical dis
positions which placed his regiment in
the front line, And if perchance some
memory came TO him of pair of dark
blue ewes that might take on tenderer
light as they should read the account
of the days doings, who shall blame
him for the unmartial thought or count
it debasement of his soldierly ardor?
Suddenly, from the forest a half
mile in front-apparently from among
the upper branches of the trees, but
really from the ridge beyond-rose a
tall column of white smoke. A mo-
ment later came the sharp shock of an
explosion, followed-almost attended
by hideous rushing sound that seemed
to spring forward across the intervening
space with inconceivable rapidity, rising
from whisper to roar with too quick q
graduation for the ear to discern the sue
cessive stages of its horrible progress
sion! A visible tremor ran along the
lines of men; all were startled into mo-
ton. Capt Traylor lodged and threw
up his hands to one side of his head,
palms outward. As he did SO he heard
a keen, ringing report, and saw on q
hillside behind the line fierce roll of
smoke defiled with dust-the shells ex
plosion. 1t had passed hundred
yards to his left! He heard, or fancied
he heard, low mocking laugh, and
turning in the direction whence it came,
saw the eyes of his First Lieutenant
fixed upon him with an unmistakable
look of amusement. He looked along
the line of faces in the front ranks. The
men were laughing. At him? The
thought restored the color to his blood
less face-restored too much of it. His
cheeks burned with fever of shame.
The enemy's shot was not answered;
the General in command of that exposed
part of the line had no desire to pro-
woke cannonade. For the forbearance
Capt. Traylor was conscious of q sense
of gratitude. He had not known that
the flight of projectile was phenom-
enon of so appalling a character. His
conception of war had already under
gone a profound change and he was
conscious that his new feeling was man.
ifesting itself in visible perturbation.
His blood seemed boiling in his veins;
he had choking sensation and felt that
if he had command to give it would be
inaudible, or at least unintelligible
The hand in which he held his sword
trembled; the other moved automatic
ally, clutching at various parts of his
clothing. He found difficulty in
standing still and fancied that his men
observed it. Was it fear? He feared
it was.
From somewhere away to the right
came, as the wind served, low, inter-
mittent murmur like that of ocean in q
storm-hke that of railway train-like
that of wind among the pines-three
sounds SO nearly alike that the ear I'M
aided by the judgment cannot distin-
guish them one from another. The
eyes Of the troops were turned in that
direction; the mounted officers turned
their field glasses that way. Mingled
with the sound was an irregular throb-
bling. He thoughtit at first the beating
of his fevered blood in his ears; next,
the distant tapping of bass drum.
The ball is opened on the right
flank" said an officer.
Capt. Traylor understood; the sounds
were musketry and artillery. He nodded
and tried to smile. There was appar-
emily nothing infectious III the smile.
Presently light line of blue smoke
puffs broke out along the edge of the
wood in front, succeeded by the crackle
of rifles. There were keen, sharp hiss
ings in the air, terminating abruptly
with thump near by. The man at
Capt. Traylor's side dropped his mus
ket; his knees gave way and he pitched
awkwardly forward, falling upon his
face. Somebody shouted: "Lie down."
and the dead man was hardly distin-
guishable from the living. 1t looked as
if those few rifle shots had slain ten
thousand men. Only the field officers
remained standing; their concession to
the emergency consisted in dismounting
and sending their horses to the shelter
of the hills.
Capt. Traylor lay alongside his dead,
from beneath whose breast flowed a lit
tie rill of blood. 1t. had faint, sweet
ish odor which sickened him. The dead
mans face was crushed into the earth
and fiattened. 1t looked yellow already
and was repulsive. Nothing suggested
the glory of a soldiers death nor miti-
gated the loathsomeness of the incident.
He could not turn his back upon the
body without facing away from his COM
pany. He fixed his eyes upon the for
est, where all again was silent. He tried
to imagine what was going on there
the lines of troops forming to attack,
the guns being pushed forward by hand
to the edge of the open. He fancied he
could see their black and brazen muz-
zles protruding from the underground,
ready to deliver their storm of missiles
such missiles as the one whose shrek
had SO unsettled his nerves. The dis
tension of his eyes became painful. A
mist seemed to gather before them. He
could no longer see across the field, yet
would not withdraw his gaze lest he see
the dead man at his side. The fire of
battle WAS not now burning verv