The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-06-02
not broken his skull, yet he died day or two

concern for the fallen man. without wori
he seized the poor wounded man, and takin,
him beneath the arms dragged rather thar
carried him into the breastworks without aid
J There he put him down tenderly and made hin
as comfortable as he could.
, He had not forgotten the cornrade who hat
} volunteered to assist him in this matter, ant
he found him, entirely unconscious. where he
had fallen. At the peril of his life he alst
carried him back and laid him carefully down
Here was test whether the Aid was right Oh
not in calling Kay coward. Where courage
was needed he manifested it.
He BRAvED DEATH FOR HIS CoMRADE AMI
| FRIEND.
But this was not all. Passing on within the
embankment a few PAGES further in his search
for his regiment he saw a sight that chilled his
very blood and caused his flesh to creep He
stopped like a man stricken dumb with pain
and establishment. but it was only for mo.
ment. There was another of his squad shot
down, manned and mangled, and no further
out than the one he had just rescued. Like the
other, he was sitting upon the hot sand calling
for help. Kay did not know whether it would
be we'll to take the venture to assist this
wounded and bleeding comrade. The balls
were plowing up the sand all around him, and
| even knocking some of il over him.
For Gods sake como and help mel" the
poor boy appealed to his comrades. He held up
both hands and shouted at the top of his voice,
| so as to be heard above the din of battle,
"Come and help me; Pm shot in the knee"
The impulse came upon Kay like a rushing
wind, and he waited not to ask any one to help
| deferred him. Prompted by his feelings of
love and sympathy, he sprang to the top of the
breastworks and rushed out into the very jaws
| Of death. He could not help it. Apparently
he was running into the arms of the rebel
army, bantering them to kill him, and defying
death. 1t was not that; his sympathies i'm
| PEELED him forward
kneeling down in front of the cruelty
MANNED soldier Kay told him to put his arms
around his neck and cling tightly, and to do it
| quickly. With as much precautionary care
| and tenderness as was possible under the cir
cumstances, Kay arose with the boy on his
| back. His purpose was to carry him back and
| lay him down where there was less danger.
| Already he was
WEAK FROM LOSS OF BLOOD AND PAIN.
| Kay attained his feet and steadied himself be-
meath the weight for an instant. and then turned
| to retreat within the breastworks. 1t was
time for haste. There was enough to make
tense both minds aud nerves, to string them
up to the highest pitch, and cause man to
act under the guidance of impulse The awful
| scenes of blood and terror upon every hand
| appalled, kay's sym pathetic heart and fastened
his step to save his friend. With his weight
turned sufficiently to present their sides to
the enemy, most terrifying thing occurred,
such as would truly fill with the un-
certainties and horrors of war. 1t was perhaps
the only incident of the kind that occurred dur
ing the whole course of the rebellion The poor
wounded man. whose heart of gratitude was re-
responsive in his countenance, clung with
death grip around Kay's neck, while his leg. al
most cut in two at the knee, dangled like q
weight on cord. Kay had caught the young
soldiers hands in his own and was aiding him to
maintain his position on his shoulders. Tho
moments were too perilous to exchange words
with eachother on friendly grounds. 1t was
time for prompt and decisive action. They
had no time to measure the extent OF the con-
test around them, or to consider the graces
and polite attentions the polished Frenchman
regards as due one another. 1t was sufficient
to know they were in the thickest of the fight,
where danger stalked abroad the supreme
king of the hour. No one could know when
how the dread summons would come That,
however, was matter little considered.
The two men had just presented their sides
to the enemy, when Kay felt the poor soldier
lad on his shoulders
TwITcH AND wRITHE
The young man trembled. II was but for
moment, and then he hung limp. "Ping."
Zip" were sounds of musk et-b balls frequently
heard in their flight to death. Then sound
as of someone striking carpet with a club to
dust it as it hung across line in the back
yard. The hands relaxed their grip around
his neck. and shiver ran through the boys
frame Kay felt the shock of the stroke as the
ball did its work. He knew the boy was hit
in the body by ball, but did not know the
extent of the wound. He knew it was an
awful wound, but he clnng to the burden On
his back and carried it over the works There
he carefully placed the young man down upon
"a he at hnu
An ounce ball hit him in the side below the
arms, passed entirely through his body, pene.
trating his vigorous young heart, and he had
died upon the shoulders of his friend. So
quickly was the work done that the poor SOL
dier boy knew not pain afterward. This is
perhaps the only incident Of the war where one
man was shot and killed on the shoulders of
another
Kay looked at him moment rs he lay still
in the embrace of death. His bright eyes were
closed. He had stained with his fresh life-
blood the uniform of his country in the Spring
time of life, and as he lay there cold in death
he became hero in kays mind Somebody's
darling was off duty forever, and soon the word
must go back TO the home of his childhood that
would cause the heart TO ache, tears to fill the
eyes, mourning to enter the house and Grape to |
be worn for the boy who died at the front and
sleeps in a nameless grave They would be
proud to know he died in the struggle for his |
UOUt, AHu ub principles
but to them he was lost forever! Somebody's |
darling lay there on the sandy earth, his pure |
red life-biood staining the ground dark Grim |
son.
SOMEBODY'S DARLING DIED vALIANTLY
and bravely, and when the news should reach |
his homo and his sweetheart who, perhaps |
wearily waited for a consoing letter from him, |
there would be sorrow, and somebody would |
refuse to be comforted. Somebody's darling |
lay dead on the sanguinary battlefield, and |
never more wonld those lips breathe sweet |
words Of love- nor be fondly kissed by sister
sweetheart! O, what anguish of heart and |
what restless nights awaited the friends of |
this somebody's darling! He had fired his last |
shot he had obeyed his last command. he had |
fought his last fight on earth forever, Some. |
bodys darling would never more hear the |
storm Of battle, the of cannon, the con- |
fusion of arms, He was off duty forever!
Kay's eyes filled with tears as he knelt by |
Ris side, and bade him silent and everlasting |
farewell.
"There! back back. I say," fell heavily |
and furiously upon Kay's ears, and he was |
aroused from his momentary reflections and |
emotions. He was the soldier again. The |
enemy the second timo were pouring over the |
breastworks in great numbers. The words
heard any voice he knew since they had start
ed back in full retreat across the sandy field.
The rebel General, leading the forces in the |
charge, rode right over the works into the line
of boys in blue. 1t was a foolhardy act.
most desperate hand TO- hand fight ensued