The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-06

movement of 4 serpent. The men at
the head butted mules with their
muslsct stocks. They proddcd team
stcrs, indifferent! to eli howls. The
men forced their way through parts of
the dense mass by strength. The blunt
head of the column pushed The raw
ing teamsters swore many strange
'oaths.
AS the youth looked at the regi-
ments, the black weight of his woe re-
turned to him. He felt that he was re-
garding Il procession of chosen beings.
The separation was as great to him as
if they had marched with weapons OF
flame and banners of sunlight. He
could never be like them. He could
have wept in his longings.
He discovered that he had scorch-
ing thirst, His face was so dry and
grimy that he thought he could feel
his skin cracllle. Each bone of his
body had an ache in it and seemingly
threatened to break with each moment.
His feet were like two sores. Also, his
body was calling for food. 1t was more
powerful than direct hunger. There
was a dull, weight-like feeling in his
stomach, and when he tried to walk
his head swayed and he tottercd. He
could not see with distinctness. Small
patches Of crimson mist hoated before
his vision. While he had been tosscC
by many emotions he had not been
aware of ailments. Now they bcset
him and made clamor.
A certain moth-like quality within
him kept him in the vicinity of the bat
ties. He had n great desire to see, and
to get news. He wished to know who
was winning.
The column that had buttcd stoutly
at the obstacles in the roadway was
barely out of the youths sight before
he saw dark waves of men come sweep.
ing out of the woods and down through
the fields. He knew at once that the
steel fbers had been washed from their
hearts. They were bursting from their
coats and their equipments as from en-
'tanglements. They charged down upon
him like terrified buffaloes.
Behind them blue smoke curled and
clouded above the tree-tops and through
the thickets he could sometimes see a
distant pink glare. The voices of the
cannon were clamoring in interminable
chorus.
r 1ha t-o,,fh ct,,,n nlyay, TJo
stared in agony and amazcment.
The fight was lost. The dragons
were coming with invincible strides.
The army, helpless in the matted
thickets, and blinded by the overhang.
ing night, was going to be swallowed.
War, the red animal, war, the blood.
swollen god, would have bloated fill.
Within him, something badc to cry
out. He had the impulse to make q
rallying speech, to sing battle hymn
but he could only get his tongue to
call into the air: 'Why-why-what-
what's tn matter?'
Soon he was in the midst of them.
They We're leaping and scampering all
about him. Their blanched faces shone
in the dusk.
The youth turned from one to
another of them as they galloped
along. His incoherent questions were
lost. They were needless of his ap.
peals. They did not seem to see him.
They sometimes gabbled irsancly. One
huge man was asking of the sky: Say,
where de plank road? Where de plank
road?" twas as if he had lost child.
He wept in his pain and dismay.
Presently, men were running hither
and thither in all ways. The artillery
booming, forward, rearward, and on
the hanks made jumble of ideas of di-
rection. Landmarks had vanished into
the gathered gloom. The youth began
to imagine that he had gotten into the
center of the tremendous quarrel and
he could perceive no way out of it
From the mouths of the fleeing men
came thousand wild questions, but no
one made answers
The youth after rushing about and
throwing interrogations at the heed
less bands of retreating infantry,
finally clutched man by the arm.
They swung around face to face.
"Why-why-" stammered the youth,
struggling with his balliy tongue.
The man screamed: Let go me!
Let go me-" His face was livid and his
eyes were rolling uncontrolled. He
was heaving and painting. He still
grasped his rifle, perhaps having for
gotten to release his hold upon it. lie
tugged frantically and the youth being
compelled to lean forward was dragged
several PAGES.
Let go mel Let go me-"
"Why-why-" suffered the youth.
swell, then" bawled the man in q
lurid rage. He adroitly and fiercely
swung his rifle. 1t crushed upon the
youths head. The man ran on.
The youths fingers had turned to
paste upon the others arm. The en-.
ergy was smit- y
ten from his II
muscles. He saw .A,a%
the flaming GGSiSN r.
wings Of light %S&W\S-rh2
ming flash be- CNS%~MN
fore his vision. M @A Va
There was K\ GCO
deafcning rum llAO1 |
BILE of thunder N NGjI
within his head. - Na VI
Suddenly his HN = y
legs seemed to @A
die. He sank1r CRUSHED UPON THE
whitening to the YOUTHS HEAD.