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

He became aware that the furnace
roar Of the battle was growing louder.
Great brown clouds had foated to the
still heights Of air before him. The
noise, too, was approaching. The
came dotted.
AS he rounded hillock he perceived
that the roadway was now q crying
mass of wagons, teams and men. From
the heaving tangle issued exhortations,
commands, imprecations. Fear was
sweeping it all along The cracking
whips bit and horses plunged and
tugged. The white-topped wagons
strained and stumbled in their exer-
tons like fat sheep.
Presently the calm head Of forward
going column Of infantry appeared in
the road. 1t came swiftly on. Avoid
ing the distractions gave it the sinuous
movement of a serpent The men at
the head butted mules with their
musket stocks. They proddcd team
sters, indifferent to all howls- The
men forced their way through parts Of
the dense mass by strength. The blunt
head of the column pushed The raw
ing teamsters swore many strange
oathS.
AS the youth looked ut the regi-
ments, the black weight Of his woe re-
turned to him. He felt that he was re-
garding q procession Of chosen beings.
The separation was as great to him as
If they had marched with weapons Of
flame and banners of sunlight He
1>o 10 could
have wept in his longings.;
He discovered that he had q scorch-
ing thirst. His face was so dry and
grimy that he thought he could feel
his skin crackle- Each bone of his
body had On ache in it and seemingly
threatened to break with each moment.
His feet were like two sores Also, his
body was calling for food It was moro
powerful than direct hunger. There
was dull, weight-like feeling In his
stomach, and when he tried to walk
his head swayed and he tottered. He
could not see with distinctness- Small
patches Of crimson mist floated before
his vision. While he had been tossed
by many emotions he had not been
aware Of ailments. Now they beset
him and made clamor.
A certain moth-like quality within
him kept him in the vicinity Of the bat
ties. He had great desire to see, and
to get news. He wished to know who
was winning.
The column that had butted stoutly
at the obstacles in the roadway was
barely out of the youths sight before
he saw dark waves of men come sweep
ing out of the woods and down through
the fields He knew at once that tho
steel fibers had been washed from their
hearts. They were bursting from their
coats and their equipments Us from en-
ENGAGEMENTS They charged down upon
him like terrified buffaloes.
Behind them blue smoke curled and
clouded above the tree-tops and through
the thickets he could sometimes see q
distant pink glare. The voices Of the
cannon were clamoring In interminable
chorus
The youth wos horror-stricken. He
stared in agony and amazement
The fight was lost The dragons
were coming with invincible strides
The army, helpless In the matted
thickets, and blinded by the overhang-
Ing night, was going to Be swallowed
War, the red animal. war, the blood
swollen god, would have bloated fll
Within him, something babe to cry
out. He had the impulse to make .
rallying speech, to sing battle hymn
but he could only get his tongue tn
call into the air: 'Why-why-what-
what's tn matter?"
Soon he was in the midst OF them
They were leaping and scampering all
about him. Their blanched faces shone
in the dusk.
The youth turned from one to
another Of them as they galloped
along. His incoherent questions were
lost They were needless Of his ap-
peals. They did not seem to see him
They sometimes gabbled insanely. One
huge man was asking of the sky: ''Soy,
where de plank road? Where de plank
road?" Itwas as if he had lost child.
He wept in his pain and dismny.
Presently. men were running hither
and thither in all ways The artillery
booming, forward, rearward, and on
the TANKS made tumble of ideas OF di-
rection. Landmarks had vanished into
the gathered gloom The youth began
TO imagine that he had gotten into the
center of the tremendous quarrel ana
be could perceive no way out OF IT.
From the mouths Of the fleeing men