The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-08

reached the first open space they were
receiving fast and merciless fire.
There seemed to be mobs all about
them.
The greater part Of the men, dis
couraged, their spirits worn by the tur-
moil, acted as if stunned. They aaept-
cd the pclting of the bullets with
bowed and weary heads. 1t was of no
purpose to strive against walls. 1t was
OF no use to batter themselves against
granite. And from this consciousness
that they had attempted to conquer an
unconquerable thing there seemed to
arise q feeling that they had been be-
trayed. They glowered with bent
brows, but dangerously, upon some of
the officers, more particularly r.oon
the redbearded one with the voice of
triple brass.
However, the rear of the regiment
was fringed with men who continued
to shoot irritably at the advancing foes.
They seemed resolved to make every
trouble. The youthful lieutenant was
perhaps the last man in the disordered
mass. His forgotten back was toward
the enemy. He had been shot in the
arm. 1t hung straight and rigid. Oc-
casionally he would cease to remember
it and be about to emphasize an oati.
with sweeping gesture. The multi
piled pain caused him to swear with
incredible power.
The youth went along with slipping,
uncertain feet. He kept watchful eyes
rearward. A scowl of modification
and rage was upon his face. He had
thought of fine revenge upon the
officer who had referred to him and to
his fellows as mule drivers. But he
saw that it could not come to pass.
His dreams had collapsed when the
mule drivers, dwindling rapidly, had
wavercd and hesitated on the little
clearing and then had recoiled. And
now the retreat of the mule drivers was
a march of shame to him.
A dagger-pointed gaze from without
his blackened face was held toward the
enemy, but his greater hatred was
riveted upon the man who, not know
ing him, had called him mule driver.
When he knew that he and his COM
rades had failed to do anything in sue
cessful ways that might bring the little
pangs of kind of remorse upon the
officer, the youth allowed the rage Of
the batfied to possess him. This cold
officer upon a monument who dropped
epithets unconcernedly down, would
be finer as dead man, he thought.
So grievous did he think it that he
could never possess the secret right to
taunt truly in answer.
He had pictured red letters of curious
revenge. 1--WE are mule drivers, are
we?' And now he was compelled to
throw them away.
He presently wrapped his heart in
the cloak Of his pride and kept the flag
erect. He harangued his fellows, push
ing against their chests with his free
hand. To those he knew well, ne made
frantic appeals, bcseeching them by
name. between him and the lieuten-
ant, scolding and near to losing his
mind with rage, there was felt subtle
fellowship and equality. They sup
ported each other in all manner of
hoarse, howling protests.
But the regiment was machine run
down. The two men babbled at q
forcelcss thing. The soldiers who had
heart to go slowly were continually
shaken in their resolves by lnowl-
edge that comrades were slipping with
speed back to the lines. 1t was diff
cult to think of reputation when others
were thinking of skins. Wounded men
were left, crying, on this black journey.
The smoke-fringes and flames blus-
tered always. The youth, peering once
through sudden rift in a cloud, saw q
brown mass of troops interviewer and
magnified until they appeared to be
thousands. A fierce-hued flag flashed
before his vision.
Immediately, as if the uplifting of the
smoke had been prearranged, the dis
covered troops burst into n rasping
yell and hundred flames jcttcd to-
ward the retreating band. A rolling,
gray cloud again intcrposed as the
regiment doggedly replied. The youth
had to depend again upon his misuscd
ears which were trembling and buzz
ing from the melee Of muskctry and
yclls.
The way seemed eternal. In the
cloudca haze, men became panic-strick-
en- with the thought that the regi-
ment had lost its path and was pro-
ceeding in pcrilous direction. Once
the men who headed the wild process
sion turned and came pushing back
against their comrades screaming that
they were being fired upon from points
which they had considered to be to-
ward their own troops. A soldier who
heretofore had been ambitious to make
the regiment into a wise little band
that would proceed calnly amid the
huge-appearing difficulties, suddenly
sank down and buried his face in his
arms with an air of bowling to doom.
From another, q shrill lamentation
rang out filed with profane allusions
to n general. Men ran hither ard
thither seeking with their eyes roads of
escape. With serene regularity as ii
controlled by schedule, bullets buffed
into men.
.The youth walked stolidly into the
midst OF the mob and, with his flag in
his hands, took stand as if he ex-
pected an attempt to push him to the
ground. He unconsciously assumed
the attitude of the color-bcarer in the
fight of the preceding day. He passed
over his brow hand that trembled.
His breath did not come freely. He
was choking during this small wait for
the crisis.
His friend came to him. "Well,
Elem, guess this is good-by-J Ohm"
"Oh, shut up, you damned fool" re
piled the youth and he would not look
at the other.
The offipers 1nhoro1 lil,n pOlitioinr n c