The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-03-27
CHAPTER XII

from him.
At last, with a twisting movement,
he got upon his hands and knees and
from thence, like babe trying to
walk, to his feet. Pressing his hands
to his temples, he went lurching over
the grass.
He fought an intense battle with his
body. His dulled senses wished him
to swoon and he opposed them stub
bornly, his mind portraying unknown
dangers and mutilations If he should
fall upon the field He went in tall
soldier fashion. He imagined secluded
spots where he could fall and be unmo-
Tested. To reach one, he strove against
the tide of his pain
Once, he put his hand to the top Of
his head and timidly touched the
wound. The scratching pain Of the
contact made him draw q long breath
through his clenched teeth. His
fingers were dabbled with blood. He
regarded them with fixed stare
Around him, he could hear the
grumble of jolted cannon as the sour
rying horses were dashed toward the
front Once, a young officer on be-
splashed charger nearly ran him down
He turned and watched the mass Of
guns, men and horses sweeping in a
wide curve toward a gap in fence
The officer was making excited motions
with a gauntleted hand. The guns
followed the teams with an air of I'M
willingness, Of being dragged by the
heels.
Some officers Of the scattered infan-
try were cursing and railing like fish
wives Their scolding voices could be
beard above the din. Into the I'M
speakable tumble in the roadway, rode
a squadron Of cavalry. The faded yell
low of their facings shone bravely.
There was Almighty alteration.
The artillery were assembling as if
for o conference
The blue haze Of evening was upon
the fields The lines of forest were
long purple shadows One cloud lay
along the western sky partly smother
ing the red
AS the youth left the scene behind
him, he heard the guns suddenly roar
out He imagined them shaking In
black rnge- They belched and roared
like brass devils guarding a gate. The
soft air was filed with the tremendous
remonstrance. With it came the shat
tering peal of opposing infantry. Turn
ing to look behind him, he could see
sheets Of orange light illumine the
shadowy distance There were subtle
and sudden lightnings in the far air.
At times he thought he could see heav-
ing masses Of men.
He hurried on in the dusk. The day
had faded until he could barely distin-
guish places for his feet. The purple
darkness was filed with men who leo
tured and jabbered. Sometimes he
could see them Resticulating against
the somber sky. There seemed to be a
great ruck Of men and munitions
spread about in the forests ard In the
fields. The little, narrow roadway now
lay lifeless- There were overturned
wagons like sun-dried powders. The
bed Of the former torrent was ehol1ed
with tho bodies Of horses and splintered
parts Of war machines
It had come to pass that his wound
panied him but little He was afraid
to move rapidly. however, for a dread
Of disturbing It. He held his head
very still and took many precautions
against stumbling. He was filed with
anxiety, and his face was pinched and
drawn In anticipation Of the pain OF
any sudden mistake Of his feet in the
gloom.
His thoughts, as he walked, fixed
intently upon his hurt There was
q cool, liquid feeling about it and he
imagined blood moving slowly down
under his hair. His head seemed swol-
lea 70 q size that made him think his
neck to be inadequate.
The new silence of his wound made
much worriment- The little, blister
ing voices of pain, that had called out
from his scalp, were, he thought, def
mite in their expression of danger. BY
them, he believed he could measure his
plight But when they remained
ominously silent, he became frightened
and imagined terrible fingers that
clutched into his brain