The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-04-10

They wrenched the flag furiously from
the dead man, and as they turned
again the corpse swayed forward with
bowed head. One arm swung high and
the curved hand fell with heavy protest
on the friends unheeding shoulder.
CHAPTER XIV.
When the two youths turned with
the flag they saw that much Of the
regiment had crumbled away and the
detected remnant was going slowly
back. The men, having hurled them
selves in projectile fashion. had pres
emily expended their forces They
slowly retreated with their faces still
| toward the suffering woods and their
hot rifles still replying to the din. Sew
eral officers were giving orders, their
voices keyed to screams.
Where in hell yeh goin'?" the lieu
tenant was asking in sarcastic howl
And red-bearded officer, whose voice
Of triple brass could plainly be heard,
was commanding: ''Shoot into 'em!
Shoot into 'em! curse their souls!"
There was melee Of speeches in which
and impossible things
The youth and his friend had a small
scuffie over the flag. ''Give it t me.
"No-let me keep it." Each felt salts
fed with the others possession of it,
but each felt bound to declare, by an
offer to carry the emblem, his willing
ness to further risk himself The youth
roughly pushed his friend away.
The regiment fell back to the stolid
trees. There it halted for a moment to
blaze at some dark forms that had be-
gun to steal upon its track. Presently
it resumed It's march again, curving
among the tree trunks By the time
| the depleted regiment had again
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 accept
ed the pelting of the bullets with
bowed and weary heads. It was of no
purpose to strive against walls It 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 feeling that they had been be-
trayed. They glowered with bent
brows, but dangerously, upon some Of
the officers, more particularly upon
the red-bearded one with the voice o1
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. It hung straight and rigid. Oc-
casionally he would cease to remember
it and be about to emphasize an oath
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
wavered and hesitated on the little
now the retreat Of the mule drivers was
march of shame to him
a dagger-poi1ted 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 a 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 q kind Of remorse upon the
officer, the youth allowed the rage Of
the baff1ed 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, he made
frantic appeals, beseeching them by
name. Between him and the Heuten-
ant, scolding and near to losing his
mind with rage, there was felt a subtle
fellowship and equality. They sup
ported each other in all manner OF
hoarse, bowling protests
But the regiment was Q machine run
down. The two men babb1ed at a
forceless thing. The soldiers who had
heart to 60 slowly were continually
shaken in their resolves by knowl.
edge that comrades were slipping with
speed back to the lines It 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 aud flames blus-
tered always. The youth. peering once
through a sudden rift in q cloud, saw a
brown mass of troops interviewer aud
magnifed until they appeared to be
thousands A ierce-hued flag flashed
before his vision.
Immediately, as if the uplifting of the