Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-12-16
SPIKING THE GUNS.

1.-THE regiment will be annihi-
lated" observed the Adiutant, coolly.
And then, in the same immovable
tones, he asked some one to pass him
biscuit.
Curse you," shouted the Colonel,
ado you think [ don't know that?
Do you imagine l fear getting killed
tomorrow? Do you suppose 1 want
to live on after what has hap
pened9 It's the eternal disgrace Of
the thing that's cutting me-"
"Once comfortably shot, remarked
the senior Major with easy philoso-
ply, sit doesn't much matter to me
personally where, or why, / go down.
Not soul will be left behind to
care"
This last remark added finder to
the blaze. The Major was a PEASANTS
son who had hacked and thrust his
way I'D from the ranks by sheer hard
fighting. His commanding officer
was noble Of the old regime. He
hal hoped, and reasonably expected,
that the previous days engagement
would give him brigade, and so the
fiaSco had fallen all the more Bit
terly.
1t seemed as though the very stars
in their courses had been battling
against US Everything had gone
wrong. The blame was not ours;
but this, in an army where want Of
luck was the greatest crime, told
nothing in our favor. Many men had
fallen, and panic had seized the heels
Of the rest
Which of us initiated the run can
not be said; but in the rush of some,
all had been carried along, few lex
cept, perhaps, one or two Of the older
officers) resisting very strenuously.
The Colonel, burning with shame,
had gone in: to report What pre-
ciselY had been said to him we did
not know; but we guessed with some
accuracy, although he did not repeat
the detail. The gist of his inter
view was that the regiment was to
attack again on the morrow; and, if
unsuccessful, then, once more on the
day after, and so on till the bridge
was taken.
Yesterday the thing had been
barely possible. Yet today it was
far different. During the night the
defences had been more than trebIed.
The Austrians swarmed. Enough
artillery was mounted there now TO
have demolished an entire army corps
advancing against it from the open.
The deduction was clear. The
bravest men will turn tail sometimes;
and in our army, which was the
bravest in the world, there had, dur
ing the latter part Of the campaign,
been more than one case of wavering.
An example accordingly was to be
made. Our corps had been singled
out for the condign punishment We
were doomed to march on the NOR
row to our humiliation.
OF course, the matter had not been
put so at headquarters There the
words ran: "Most important stragetic
point Must be taken at whatever
cost. Your regiment will again have
the honor, Colonel, and so on. But,
summed up bluntlY it was neither
more nor less than / have said. We
all understood the order to the letter,
and there was DOT man In the regi.
ment who would hesitate moment
in carrying out his share. Each pri.
vate soldier, each officer, would march
with firm determination TO march
IL it was his last That gives the
case Ia q nutshell.
But the secure knowledge that
there would be no skulkers along this
road TO execution did not pacifv the
Colonel: III anything, 1t increased
his bitterness 1t would make his
ungrateful memory last the longer.
He sat at the table end of that inT
room where we had messed, with
folded arms and nervous fingers
Rneading at his muscles By Singh
lar irony we were lodged in comfort
there-we, who had got to go ou
and die on the morrow, and he mus
needs taunt us with it, as though i
were shame for such as we to have S,
tolerable billet.
Myself, / was stretched out on ;
sofa away by the far wall, and la
there mutely. having but little tasu
for the worldly sayageries which wer
being so freely dealt about. And tn
night grew older without nay bein,
disturbed. But the angry man at tn
end of the table singled me out q
last perhaps because my outwar
calm and listlessness Jared upo
him.
'sTired, Eugene?" he asked.
ga little, sir T"
sab, can understand it. note
your activity to-day. You have mil
taken your vocation, mon cher. 70
shouId not have come into the arml
You should have been a profession;
runner"