The Washington times., 1894-12-16
CLARENCE.
IBY BRET HARTE.l
Author Of The Luck OF Roaring Camp"
The Men of Sandy Bar" Etc.
Copyright, 1894, by Bret Harte.I
PART u-CHAPrER II.


Night at last, and the stir and tumult OF a
great fight over. Even the excitement that
had swept this portion Of the battlefield
only small section OF a vaster area of
struggle-into which brigade had marched
held its own, been beaten back, recovered its
ground, and pursuing, had passed out Of it
forever leaving only its dead behind. and
knowing nothing more of that struggle than
its own Impact and momentum even this
wild excitement had long since eTaporated
with the singing smoke OF gunpowder. the
acrid smell of burning rags from the cloth
ing Of a dead so dier fired by a bursting
shell. or the heated reek ofsweat and leather.
cool breath that seemed to bring back once
more the ndor OF the Epiurned earthworks
along the now dumb line OF battle, began TO
move Irom the suggestive darkness beyond.
Eut into that awful penetralia Of death AM
silen there was now no inVasio1-thsle had
been no retreat. few Of the wounded had
been b ought cur under FIRE but the others
had been left with the dead for the morn
ing light and succor. For it was known
that in that horrible obscurity riderless
horses, frantic with ihe smell CT biood, gal
loped wildly here and there, or. mHddened
by wounds. plunged furiou ly at tie in
truder; that tie wounded soldier, still
armed, could not always distinguish friend
from foe or Fl. N the ghouls OF camp follow
ers who stripped the dead in the carkn IS
and struggled with the dying. 4 shot or
two heard somewhere in that obscurty
counted rs nothing with The long fusi a ie
that bad SWEPT II IN the day time; the passing
OF single lie. more or less, amounted 10 lit
lie in the iOnS roil-csill OF the day slaughter
But with he first beams Of the morning
sun and the slowly moving "reilef detHi
from the Canff-came n we,rd bali resurrec-
tion OF that CHASTITY ield. Then it WAS that
Ahe long rays o. sunlight, streaming many q
mile beyond the battle iine first pointed out
the harvest Cf the dead where the reserves
had been posted There they lay in heaps
and piles, killed by solid saot or bursting
shells that had leal ed the battle line TO plunge
into the va ting ranks beyond.
As the sun lifted higher lis beams fell within
the range OF muskctry fire where the dead
lay thicker. even as they had talien wEen
killed outright. with arms extended, and ieet
AT all angles TO the field. As II touched these
dead udurDed faces. strangely enough It
brought out no expression o. Faln or anguish,
but rather a. il death had arrested them only
with surprise and awe. 1t revealed on the lips
Of those VINO had Leen mortally wounded, and
had turnel up on their side, the relief which
death had brought their suffering, some
times even with a smile. Mounting higher. II
glanced upon the acrgal battle line. curioGsiy
cury.rg for the shelter Of walls, fences and
breastworks-a here the dead lay, even rs
when they bad Ia and fired, ihei- laces
prone IN the grass, tut their muskc;s stu
resting across The breastwoIks-
Exposed to graz and canister from tie hat
tery On the ridge, death had come 10 them
rpercifully a!so-lhrough the head and tiiro =
a -,,,l4. f3a1d h.r in fitn
light, lrCken with gruiesque shadows cas-;
from sitting. crouching, hail recambcnt, bat
always rigid. figures. tnat Right have been
eflig.es OF their own monuments. one hal.-
kneelng soldier. with head bowed between
his sIidened hands. might have stood Tor a
caryen figure of grief NJ The feet Of his dead
cOmrade. CAPITA n. shot through the tram
in the aci Of mounting wall, lay Sideways
half across il, his lips parted with tie word
of con. mand and sword still pointing over the
barrier the way that they should 60
But il was not until the Gun mad mounted
higher that il struck the central horror OF the
field and seemed to lirger there IN dazzling
persistence, now and then returning TO it il
startling Lashes. that il m CHI be seen Of men
and those who brought suecor. A tiny brook
had run obl.quely near the battle line. ltwas
here that the night beiore tie battle friend
and foe bad filed their canteens side by side
with sOldieriy reck essness, or perhaps Z
higher instinct. purposeiy ignoring each
others presence. 1t was here that The
wounded had afterward, crept, crawied
and dragged themselves; here they
had pushed, wranEled. strIyen ana
fought fer a draught OF that precious
fluid which as>uuged the thirst Of theii
wounds-or happily put them out OF their
misery forever; here, oyerborEe, crushed, SUI
focated by numbers, pouring their own blood
into the loOd and tumblug after il witt
Their helpless bodies, tLey damned the
stream. until, recoilIng. red and angry, II
had burst lis banks and OverIoYel the cot.
ton field in a brave pool that now sparkled
in the sunight. But below this hnman dan
"a mile away-where the brook sill crepi
slugSishly, he ambulance horses smiled ana
starred from il.
The detail moved on slowly, doing theil
work eXpeditiousv and apparently cailously
but really only win that mechanical move,
m-nt that saves emotion. Only once were
lhey moved 20 an outbreak OF indign ton
the discovery OF the body OF an officer whose
pockets we're turned inside out but WnOs,
hand was sill tightly grasped on his buttOEed
waiscoaJ. as If resisting the outrage that had
been done while still in lTe
As Ibe mel dis nyaggd the stifIeaed hand
somejhing slipped rom the wa .sicoat tC
the ground. The corporal picked IL up and
handed il 10 hs officer. Il was "A sealed
packet. The officer received il with the care
lessuess which long experience OF these pa.
theiic m.ssives from the dying TO their rela.
lions Dad induced. ana dropped II Ia TIE
pocket Of his tunic, with tie half dozen
Others that be had PICKED up that morning
and moved on with the detail. A little further
on they halgpd in the attitude Of attention as
mounted officer appeared riding SLOWLY
down the lire.
There was something more than the habit
ual respect OF their superior in their IA es a.
be came forward. For il was the genera
who had commanded the brigade the da,
before the an who leaped with one boUn,
into the forward rank military leaders. II
was his inv ncible spirit Il al had led The al.
vance held back defeat against overWheImin.
numbers. sUs, aimed The rally, impressed ha
subord nate omcers with his owa underwriting
purpose. ana even Impressed among then
an almost supcTstitgous lelief in his destinl
OF success. II WIS this nan VINO had dont
what il was deemed impossible TO dG-wna
even al ihls time IL was thought uuWise anl
unstrategi. 10 do-Who ha held a weak posi-
tion OF az parenlly no importance under tin
mandate OF an incompreheusible order from
his suprrior-wh.ch AT best asked only for
81 rifics and WAS awarded with a victory
He had decima.ed his brigade. but III
wounded and dying had cheered him rs b.
passed. and tie survivors had pursued tn
enemy uttil the bugle called them hack Fo
such a recorl he looked still too young ant
every cffeminale, albeit his handsome ace wa
dark and serious, and his manner taciturn.
His qu ok eye had already caught sight o
the rihed body Of the officer, AMI contracted
As the cap ain of the detail saluted him, b.
said curt!y:
Il thought the orders were to fire upon an
one desecraung the dead,"