The times., 1897-07-25
0seese seeeeeeee
Under the Mist
- eDesGsseeGas.ss

git it' I've got a bullet In the hip. ana
Ia give ten years OF my life 70 have my
bands on the bucket OF the old wen at
home, but pIayIn baby won bring water.
Better save Yer breath 10 git well on
Out OF a thousand soldiers killed in
tie heat OF battle all may one bTayely.
Out or thousand wounded not a score
nave nerve enough left TO bear the Gain
and tnIrst Without calling out. Men die
with a smiie on their faces when death
comes quickly When death lingefs, and
the coming OF night ana The walls or othef
wounded are added u it, a LOFlible fear
cfeep5 INTO tie heart and most soldiers ht.-
come as children.
won't they Come-wOn't they bring wa
teri moaned Bing, after pelicd OF si-
lence. during which other wounded men
could be heard sobbing gnd moaning.
''Didn't tell ye to shut Up that lowIin'
and cTyiH'?' exclaimed the segeant, as
he struggled 20 sit Up and fell tack again.
who's goin' TO come because ye howl?
That's what we are here foT-tO stop
bullets Mebbe somebody viii come along
by and by, but IL ye howl any mole III
be over there and stop it,"
Then Bings became afraid OF his fellow
sufferer-afraid of him as well as Of the
darkness, OF his suffenngs and OF the deal
around MIN, and he hugsed the earth mora
closely and covered his face with his hands
He had received bullet in the body, bUt
perhaps the wound was not mortal II lie
Kept quiet-f the other man did not crawl
over and bayonet him. he might not die
There ought to be canteens around
here, rnuttered the sergeant, as he lifted
himself again, "and If can find one, IN
divide the water with ye. Can you sit I'D
and feel arounde''
Bings did not reply. The thought had
come To him to play dead until help should
arrive That was a vagary The other
was simply bluHt-spoken, and meant him
noiH
tainted away or dead. Ell? Wen. he's
lots Of company on this front Hell. but
how it hurts me TO move! Here's a fun
carteen. and the owner'n never want il
auy more All but that's glorious Have
a pull at IL, old bOy''
Rings Would have given thousands for a
cup OF water, but he feared to answer.
As he lay trembling the thought came TO
him to creep away, and be put it into exc
cution at once It was torture, and more
after cToan escaped from between his
clenched teeth, as he fastened his fingers
in the grass and pulled his body along.
What We dOin' over theree" demanded
the sergeant, after draining the last drop In
the canteen.
No answer The teeth shut harder and
the fear grew greater. Inch by inch the
man increased his distance. and by and BY
ne rested between two dead men thirty
feet away; There was a hope in his heart
that he was safe, bat after ten minutes his
ears caught the sound OF footsteps. he felt
the vibration OF the earth. and he almost
shriekeI out as wounded horse staggered
forward andlookefd downat himandw himp-
cred In eoaxing way.
''tio away, Death go wayF'' whispered
the man as he lifted his hands II want
water-I Tant help.-I want to live. Keep
back don't touch fne-ITl-rf
And the horse stretched his neck for
ward and put his nuZZle against n dead
mans face He wbimpered again and
again. aegeing for a word OF a touch
OF the hand, and by and by he backed
off and limped over TO where the ser
geant lay in a stupoT
"Wbas Is it? 4 horse. chr Come
here, old fellow. That's it-put your
nose 20 nv cheek It was red hot
fight. wasn't It. and we got the worst
OF it, Wen haste EN- tomorrow
though. Second Brigade never stavz
licked moren a day at a time. Coaxin'
for water, eh? Well 1 haven't a drop
Say, it's CROWN darker. And l don't
hear the cries OF the wounded as I did
And say-sa when Il feIler,s dvin' be
iecls-hc feeis-say-''
And the hand which rested on the
soft nose OF the coaxins horse fell away
there was q gurcIe and a shfver. and
he wounded stead lifted his head rd
peered around him az the dead. aud sent
forth neigh 80 loud and Iong-drawn that
the half-asleep sentineIs between the
iines reused up and Whispered to each
other:
"Goh. hut what horrors down there IN
'hs darkness on the hattIefieIdl''
CHARLES b LEWIS.