The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-05-15
CHAPTER II.

The next morning the youth discov-
cred that his tall comrade had been the
fast-fying messenger of a mistake.
There was much soothing at the latter
by those who had yesterday been firm
adherents of his views, and there was
even little sneering by the men who
had never believed the rumor. The
tall soldier fought with a man from
Chatfield Corners and beat him severely.
The youth felt, however, that his
problem was in no wise lifted from
him. There was on the contrary an
irritating prolongation. The tale had
created in him a great concern for him
self And now, with this newborn
question in his mind, he was compelled
to sink back into his old place as part
of blue demonstration.
For days he made ceaseless calcula-
tions, but they were all wondrously
unsatisfactory. He found that he could
establish nothing. Finally he concluded
that the only way to prove himself
was to GO into the blaze and then, fig
uratively, to watch his legs to discover
their merits and faults.
Meanwhile he continually tried to
measure himself by his comrades. The
tall soldier, for one, gave him some as
surance. This mans serene unconcern
dealt HIM measure of confidence, for
he had known him from childhood, and
from his intimate knowledge he did
not see how this man could be capable
of anything that was beyond him.
The youth would have liked to have
discovered another who suspected him
self. A sympathetic comparison of men
tai notes would have been a great joy
to him. He occasionally tried to fathom
a comrade with seductive sentences,
He was afraid to make an open declar-
alton of his condition, because it might
place some INSCRIPTIONS confdant
upon the high plane of the unconfessed,
from which elevation he could be de-
rided.
In regard to his companions, his mind
wavered between two opinions, accord
ing to his mood. Sometimes he in
clined to believe them all heroes. Then
in other moments he assured himself
that his fellows were all privately Won
dering and quaking.
In his great anxiety, his heart was
continuously clamoring at what he
considered to be the intolerable slow
ness of the generals. They seemed
content to perch TRANQUILITY upon the
river bank and leave him bowed do,, n
by the weight of his great problem.
One morning, however, he found him.
self in the ranks of his prepared regi-
ment. The men were whispering spec
ulations and reeounting the old rumors.
In the gloom before the break of day,
their uniforms glowed a deep purple
hue. From across the river the red
eyes were still peering. In the eastern
sky, there was yellow patch like a
rug laid for the feet of the coming sun.
And against it, black and pattern-like,
doomed the gigantic figure of the
colonel on a gigantic horse.
From off in the darkness came the
trampling of feet. The youth could
occasionally see dark shadows that
moved like monsters. The regiment
stood at rest for what seemed long
time. The youth grew impatient. II
was uncomfortable, the way these affairs
were managed. He wondered how long
they were to be kept waiting.
At last he heard from along the road
at the foot of the hill the clatter of a
horses galloping hoofs. 1t must be the
coming of orders. He bent forward,