The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-04
.---- -
-. THE -.
RED BADGE
OF COURAGE.
nEpb0dGdtlG GAnGPiCalCiVl
BY STEPHEN CRANE.
Copyright, 1904, by the Author.l
CHAPTER IV

guns out at the fields. They tried to
look beyond the smoke.
Out of this haze they could see run
ming men. Some shouted information
and gestured as they hurried.
The men of the new regiment watched
and listened eagerly, while their
tongues ran on in the gossip of the
battle. They mouthed rumors that
had flown like birds out of the un-
known.
The din in front swelled to tremen-
dous chorus. The youth and his fell
lows were frozen to silence. They
could see flag that tossed in the
smoke angrily. Near it were the
blurred and agitated forms of troops.
There came turbulent stream of men
across the fields. A battery changing
position at a frantic galiop scattered
the stragglers right and left.
A shell screaming like storm-ban-
shec went over the huddled heads Of
the reserves. 1t landed in the grove
and, exploding redly, flung the brown
earth. There was little shower of
pine needles.
! Bullets began to whistle among the
branches and nip at the tree-trunks
iTwigs and leaves came sailing down.
1t was as if thousand axes, wee and
invisible, were being welded. Many
of the men were constantly lodging
and ducl1ing their heads.
The lieutenant of the youths COM
Ipany was shot in the hand. He began
to swear SO wondrously that a nervous
laugh went along the regimental line.
The officers profanity sounded conven-
itional 1t relieved the tightened senses
of the new men. 1t was as if he had
hit his fingers with tack hammer at
home
He held the wounded member care
fully away from his side SO that the
blood would not drip upon his trousers.
The battlenag in the distance jerked
about madly. 1t seemed to be strug-
Cling to free itself from an agony. The
billowing smoke was filled with hori-
,zontal flashes.
Men running swiftly emerged from
1t. They grew in numbers until it was
seen that the whole command was flee
ing. The flag suddenly sank down as
If dying. Its motion as it fell was a
gesture Of despair
Wild yells came from behind the
walls of smoke. A sketch in gray and
red dissolved into mobilize body of
men who gallopcd like wild horses.
The veteran regiments on the right
and left of the Three Hundred and
Fourth Immediately began to jeer
With the passionate song of the bullets
and the banshee shriels of shells were
mingled loud cat-calls and bits of
facetious advice concerning places of
safety. But the new regiment was
,breathless With horror. "Gawd, Saun-
ders got crushed" whispered the man
at the youths elbow. They shranll
back and crouched as if compelled to
await food.
The youth shot swift glance along
the blue ranks of the regiment. The
proiles were motionless, carven. And
afterwards he remembered that the
color sergeant was standing with his
legs braced apart as if he expected to
lbe pushed to the ground.
The believing throng went whirling
around the flank. Here and there,
were officers carried along on the
stream like exasperated chips. They
were striking about them with their
swords, and with their left fists, punch
ing every head they could reach. They
cursed like highwaymen.
Frequently, over this tumult could
be heard the grim jibes of the critical
veterans, but the retreating men ap-
parently were not even conscious of the
presence of an audience.
Tho battle reflection that shone in
the faces on the mad current made the
youth feel that forceful hands from
Heaven would not have been able to
have held him in place if he could have
got intelligent control of his legs.
The sight of this stampede exerted a
hood-like force that seemed able to
drag sticks and stones and men from
the ground. They of the reserve had
to hold on. They grew pale and firm,
and red and quaking.
The youth achieved one little thought
in the midst of this chaos. The com.
posite monster which had caused the
other troops to flee had not then ap-
peared. He resolved to get view Of
1t and then, he thought, he might very
likelyrun better than the best of them
There were moments of waiting. Then
some one cried: Here they come"
There was rustling and muttering
among the men. They displayed q
feverish desire to have every possible
cartridge ready to their hands. Theil
boxes were pulled around into variou:
positions and adjusted with great
care. 1t was as If seven hundred new
bonnets were being tried on.
At last cry was repeated up anG
down the line in a muffled roar of sound
"Here they come. Here they come.
Gun-lockS clicked.
Across the smole-infested fields came
a brown swarm of running men who
were giving shrill yells. They came
on STOPPING and swinging their rifles
at all angles. A flag tilted forward
sped near the 'front.'
CHAPTER v.
A hatless general pulled his dripping
horse to stand near the colonel of thu
Three Hundred and Fourth. He shool
his fist In the others face. you've go'
to hold 'em back" he shouted savagely
you've got to hold 'cm back" Ii
seemed greatly insulted.
In his agitation, the colonel began tc
stammer. "A-all-right, general, oil
right, by Gawd, we-we'll do our best.
The general made passionate gesture
and galloped away.
The, man at the youths elbow wal
mumbling as if to himself: "oh, we're
In for 1t now. Oh, we're in for it now.
The captain of the company hat