Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-22

TaEN TIE WILD Rush CARRIED HIS lTTTIx
BAND CPpN THs ENEMY.
h. the feeble light Of the burned build
irgs The difficulties OF the battlefield.
the snow, the darkness. the fler>e rssist-
encc OF the enemy. his inability n drive
them back. filed him with the unrcaSon-
ing rage OF youth. \ man who ieSpiseSi
oaths he began To use them with rapidity
and junction and was unconscious of do
ing 80. But his soldiers needed no spur
from their commander. Evans, the ssN>-
ond lieutenant, year younger than him
seif-Flem.cs hat rsschei the honorable
age ii 20-was by his side. firing with his
pistols AZ the fitting black forms that o3-
posd them, and around the two lieuIea-
ants Tough, n little hand of splashrd and
Ss-rimed men with a courage and energy
equal to those Of their leaders
y wall Of house fell on a bed Of live
coSls and the timbS-S bla,ci up with sud
den vivi6nesS, cutting through the dark
ness and casting n GiS,or;inc Ugh, over
the snow. the ruined village and the fight
Ing Ten-
Fleming pau-5d for moment 20 grasp
ais field Of battle nv the new liSk, iha,
aa9 come. TIL iiaings maSDiilcd some oh
iects, diminished Others ami made the
whole UNREAL and fantastic. The forms If
his enemies wavS-ed as the flames flick
end and CrVw O gigantic size. the bloody
spots OF che scCw >pread and united. and
the scurchVS rStssr> u: an abandoned house
iGsd> an ugly black ,raCcry in the sky. In
the UOUccca-y stiffness that had seired
them all Fleming heard the suffering oi
the s1owriakes as they fell in the flames
Being able now 70 see his Battlefield. the
lieutenant knew that the LITTLE church
which stood somewhat: n his right was its
key, and. shouting TO his men - follow. he
rushed forward that h. n.iShI seize i, al
once and Gus Of his enemy.
The soldiers tirgG a vVilsv ard dashed
toward the church bu1 The lcaGcr If the
hostile hand was a. quick NJ cyu and rs
ready az action as Fleming, and when the
lieu,enan, and his men entered one doOr
OF the church their antagonists dashed in
az the other.
Flem,ac's wrath famed TO its highest
pitch. II seer,ed a personal injustice ,c
himself ths- his Zoe should ~ - stubborn
and 50 prO,up,, and his resolve 10 over
come him grew with his anger. He stop.
ped jus, inside the door. and his men
gathered around him. The room was dim.
bur Fleming saw the outlines Of the
benches and AZ TIE FAR end the pulpit. The
battle, ss~med 70 have bsen untouched.
The light fIosl the blazing hOuse flarcd in
at the window and fell ScrVss the faces q;
his enemies, who were entering AT the
farther door. Neither side gave a though,
10 the character Of the place, bu, both
knew thIt a fierce struggle WAS surc q
follow for the possession ~ so strong a
for, as br;cS building, and they prepared
sy ONE for the issue, ThrcS or four ~ lhC
heavy wooden benches, which servei y.
pews hastily thrown together. made a good
breastwOrk, and standing behind i, Flem
Ing snd his men waited 70 sro what thS
enemy would Go.
The hostile header waited, too, perhaps
with the same purFCsc, and again III;
building WAS silent. The fallen wall was
burning finely and the ligh, from il row
shone through the window with steady
radianco and drove the dusk from tbs
.Oom.
Fleming listened intsntly and hcary
nothing from without, The battle, say,
for his own pars in il, sscnled Ia have end
Ell or tn have zone far AWAY. Tho SNOW
driven against the window panes, gloAmeS
I'D in the light of the flames, and tbs
wind Increased in violence All this Wa
but the affair of moment, and the,
Fleming turned the full attention Of Cyl
and ear To his eremy. That the two lit,l'
hands had been lefs 70 fight their b~lth
alone was no inducement TO him 10 draw
away from the conflict; rA,heris incresses
his DESIRE to triumph, for the field Was nov
wholly his own Evans whispered 10 hin
that they must rush the rebels. ard Flem
ing, nostdirs his head, gave quick com
mand to the men, who leaped over tbs
hasty fertilization thai they no longer de
sircd and rushed upon their enemies. III,
lieutenants, rs always, NJ their head
Fleming knew that il was bold plaI
all.sd To rAshness> but he trusted thai sue
cess would come from its suddenness ans
that he would be upon his antagonists be
fore they could rcover from their snrpris
and shoot down his men. A few swirl
steps took hin. across the room. He wa
hlled with nerce exultAtion. for ne be
lieved that he was about to triumph, he
even In the wild rush Of the moment an,
With . mind concsnsxnasd upoa the i'm