Grand Rapids herald., 1893-11-19
SPIKING THE GUNS.

The regiment will be annihilnted,"
observed the sdjutsnt coolly. And then,
In the same immovable tones, no asked
some one to pass him biscuit.
"Curse you." shouted the colonel, do
you think ! don't know thsti Do you
imagine fear getting killed tomorrow
Do you suppose want to live on after
what has happened? It's the eternal dis
grace Of the thing that's cutting me-"
"Once comfortably shot," remarked
the senior major in easy philosophy. lit
doesn't much matter TO me personally
where or for why l 20 down. Not
soul will be left behind to care"
This last remark added tinder TO the
blaze. Ths major was q peasant son.
who had hacked and thrust his up
from the ranks by sheer hard 6gnling.
His commanding officer was q noble Of
the old regime. He had hoped and reas-
ouably expected that the previous days
engagement would give him a brigade.
and so the fasco had fallen all the more
bitterly.
II seemed as though the very stars In
their courses had been battling against
rs. Everything had gone wrong. The
blame was not ours. But this, in an
army where want of luck was the great
est 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 cannot be said, but
in the rush OF some all had been carried
along. few. except perhaps one or two Of
the older officers. resisting very strsnu-
ously. The colonel. burning with shame,
had gone In TO report. What precisely
had been said to him we did not know,
but we guessed with some accuracy, al
though he did not repeat the details The
gist Of his interview was that the regi-
meut was 10 attack again on the NOR
row. and n unsuccessful then once more
on the day after. and 50 on till the bridge
was taken.
Yesterday the thing had been barely
possible. Yet today II was far different.
During the night the defenses had been
more than trebled. The Austrians
swarmed. Enough artillery was mount
ed there now to have demolished an en-
tire army corps advancing against IL
from the open
The deduction was clear The brnvest
men will turn tail sometimes. and in our
army. which was the brzvest in the world.
there had during the latter part % the
campaign been more than one case of
wavering An example accordingly Was
g.. -. ,.,al. Q,.,r ,.,.r,.. hol ks.... ....-fr
on; for the condign punishment We
were doome,i To march on the morrow
o. our annihilation.
OF course The matter had not been put
80 at beadqusTtsrs There the words
ran. Most important strategic point.
Must D. taken at whatever cost Your
regiment viii again have the honor.
COLONEL. and - on. But. sanmed up
biuntiy. II was neither mere not le-s
than | nave sAli. We al understood
the orsler OF the letter. and ttsrs was
not ma9 IN the regiment vino woaid
hesitate moment ia earring out his
share. Each private soldier. each os'i.er
would march with hrm determination
70 march then his last. That gives The
care Ia oufsneli
Bot The secure knowiedT. shst there
vursid b no sknix~r~ along this rosd TO
er~cutson did nes pscify the coion<l n
saythi8x. a increased nis fstsesne~s II
woald make dc unRrstrf1i rosrnory LAST
the benEer he AL a. the table enA q
that snn rucm wher~ we hsd messed.
sith folded anne aud nervous Singers
sn~ssiing st ~ Fna~ni~s Hv suraisy
irrny ss wsr~ ip.ie~.i IA comfssxi ttsrs--
ws, ~ho ba'i Eot - q cut ard dle GA
the ssorruw ss3 hs n8rst ns~sis tsrnt
% with e. - thoazh IL rsr. sssnae tJr
snsa - sc = nav. - toser.ass hsIlst
AYseif ! sss strsfsbsd eas en- asts
svag ~ the FAR vsli. sst lay tiasre
mafeiY hsvfne hnf sifti@ s.ese Ter lhs
~sr1y ~ssaerfes ~hfch ~ens hetsss ~
kEesks deslt siysA And th~ nEahs rrsw