The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-03-06
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The youth shot a swift glance along
the blue ranks of the regiment The
profiles were motionless, carven. And
color sergeant was standing with his
legs braced apart as if he expected to
be pushed to the ground.
The believing throng went whirling
around the flank. Here and there,
were officers carried along on the
stream like exasperated chips. They
were striking about them with their
swords, and, with their left fists, punch
ing every head they could reach. They
cursed like highwaymen-
A mounted officer displayed the fu-
rious anger of a spoiled child. He ragged
with his head, his arms and his legs
The hoofs of his horse often threat
ened the heads of the running men,
but they scampered with singular good
fortune. In this rush, they were ap-
parently all deaf and blind. They
needed not the largest and longest of
the oaths that were thrown at them
from all directions
frequently, over this tumult could
be heard the grim jibes of the critical
parently were not even conscious of the
presence of an audience.
The battle reflection that shone in
the faces on the mad current made the
youth feel that forceful hands from
Heaven would not have been able to
have held him in place If he could have
got intelligent control of his legs
The sight of this stampede exerted a
Aood-like force that seemed able to
| drag sticks and stones and men from
the ground They of the reserve had
to hold on They grew pale and firm,
and red and qual1ing.
The youth achieved one little thought
in the midst Of this chaos. The COM
posite monster which had caused the
other troops to flee had not then ap-
peared He resolved to get view of
1t and then, he thought, he might very
likely run better than the best of them.
There were moments of waiting. Then
some one cried: Here they come"
There was rustling and muttering
among the men, They displayed a
feverish desire to have every possible
, cartridge ready to their hands Their
boxes were pulled around into various
positions and adjusted with great
care. It was as if seven hundred new
bonnets were being tried on
At last a cry was repeated up and
| down the line in a muff1ed roar of sound:
Here they come Here they come"
| Gun-locks clicked
Across the smoke-infested fields came
| brown swarm of running men who
were giving shrill yells- They came
on STOPPING and swinging their rifles
at all angles A flag tilted forward
sped near the front
CHAPTER v.
| A hatless general pulled his dripping
horse to stand near the colonel of the
Three Hundred and Fourth He.shool1
his fist in the others face. you've got
to hold 'em back" he shouted savagely.
you've got to hold 'em back" He
seemed greatly insulted.
In his agitation, the colonel began to
stammer. ''A-all-right, general, all
right, by Gawd, NEWELL do our best ="
The general made a passionate gesture
and galloped away.
The man at the youths elbow was
mumbling as if to himself: ''Oh, we're
in for it now. Oh, we're in for it now. "
| The captain of the company had
been pacing excitedly to and fro in the
rear. He coaxed in school-mistress
fashion as to a congregation of boys
with primers. His talk was an endless
repetition: Reserve your fire, boys
don't shoot until tell you, save your
fire-wait until they get close up
don't be damned fools"
l
youths face, which was soiled like that
of weeping urchin. He frequently
with a nervous movement wiped his
eyes with his coat-sleeve. His mouth
was still little ways open
| He got the one glance at the foe
swarming field in front of him and in
stantly ceased to debate the question
of his piece being loaded Before he
was ready to begin, before he had an
nounced to himself that he was about
to fight, he threw the obedient, we'll
balanced rife into position and fred a
first wild shot Directly, he was work
ing at his weapon like an automatic
affair.
He suddenly lost concern for himself
and forgot to look at a menacing fate.
He became not a man but member.
He felt that something of which he
was q part-a regiment, an army, a
cause, or q country-was in q crisis He
was welded into a common personality
which was dominated by single de-
sire. For moments he could not fee,
no more than a little finger can com
NIT a revolution from q hand
If he had thought the regiment about
to be annihilated perhaps he could have
amputated himself from it. But its
noise gave him assurance. The regi-
ment was like a ire-work, that, once
ignited proceeds superior to circum-
stances until its blazing vitality fades.
J It wheezed and banged with mighty
, power. He pictured the ground be
fore it as strewn
| .d with the discom-
|. ]
| - @U z flied.
@KN - There was a
| CNkN~lS consciousness al
| W@A~ ways of the pres
HIIM ence Of his COM
| lN & rades about him.
| lA\%S He felt the sub
| %3lA a " tie battle broth
| AHp @ erhood more po-
tent even than
r 81 the cause for
which they were
DIRECTLY BE WAS fighting. It was
WORKING my sterious
fraternity, born OF the smoke and dam