The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-10-11

VAGARlES OF THE WOUNDED.
Thoughts That Tlit Through Mans Mind
When He Has IIeen Hit.

When ne HAS been hit.
Few soldiers have ever felt the bullet
which laid them low II they were struck in
the heat of battle. As we pushed forward
to charge the battery enflladinQ our line
ihc nt,nosnbero was clear of smote md
,I,i,,,,. go. a,.ou,.,Lt,,,, ,aI.i,,,. -
-, ',. P0o
HI"uiu US 'o'A i'o'ioo u. 'no "uiiIoer
vi ichccS peIoro u.s. ha" ohe sklrihlshcrs
running forward to throw them down and
caught the jokes and laughter around me.
AS we got the word to move / looked at
inv watch and noticed tbat the bour was
l.9o w, vcro rro,oo,od b,, roir, 90
I'll, Iii, ,,.,, -, -, i'S.-
', on w. " w. ,',u I"
VI o. rou7' Oloe oo!onu Una. point we
would get inc IRE OF the cnemy's infantry
ana perhaps grape ana canister from the
guns as well. l had no fear of being hit
that is, the thought of being struck down
did not occur to me. or at least A. was not
upnermost I'm my mind found rrysotf
wondering II we could bring off tho 1ups
after cnntnro and ~ our rcei,nc,,, ,r,,,id lao
mentioned in general orders The lines
were wonderfully quiet after we got start
ed. At the Doint of the woods we sbonld
break into double ouick time. and officers
and men alike seemed to be saving them.
selves for the rush
l saw our colonel waye his sword and
the men nearest him start forward and
five seconds later the two lines were off.
guns carried at n trnil. heads bent down
and the pace a run. I knew we should
get flank fire. and I was ON the exnosed
flank, but did not hear the crash Of the
musketry. | did not feel Che bullet did
not know that | fell down. had no idea
one of those left on the field and had been
there four hours Nv tonguo seemed made
of wood and nv lIps Of leather, There
can be no such thirst as that yl,Ieb comes
with wound and loss of blood. II was
not until | rot hold Of NV canteon and
drank its contents to the last dron that I
felt the main of my vounds Tho foeling
might not have come so soon bnt for n
comratc who foil nt tho same time but
had not lost consciousness Uc calIaj ont
to me To know how badly I was burt and
an instant later I was ,,roaning nor ~
minutes the main was acuto md 7 had
no doubt death was Mt hand Then a. ho-
gan tn dcaden In other words 7 almost
lost consciousness and rclnpscd into n
dreamy rostf,,I state which I bonod no.b,
inr would brcal; Tho fighting had n,ssnd
down 10 the loft A milo nr so away ,,,,s
a heavy pun. which ravo ont n necuIinr
sound when DISCHARGED counted IA ais.
charges ana speculatcd ON the reason for
tbe ncc,,Iinr sonnd vct M the sa,no tin,a
7 ala not bcor ono nf tho ,,,or,,s ,dd rossed
TO me by the comrodo 10 feet away The
heavens were studded with stars. and the
moon sbono full in nv face felt ns II
swinging in n hammock. and in n dim.
undeflned way | figured it ont that ono of
tbo end rones was attached 10 tbn horn of
the moon. | was thoroighIv eniovinp tho
pendulum motion Of the bommock when
/ noticed n horse thinning about IL strnck
me that he was hungry and would gna,v
at the hammock Nv fcot were toward
him. and | had a blister ON the big toe of
my rigbt foot II occurrcd In mo tlat tho