Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-31
ingly at the line OF heads above the breast.

"Shoot him, Dixon! Shoot himl' cried
the captain. One of tho young card play
ers threw his rifle over the top log. He
had often hit a postage stamp offhand at
that distance. A flash, a crack, and the
poor creatures head fell forward. But
such methods could not be used OH the
men staggering out of the blazing jungle.
| Nearly all these were i'll gray. Helpless
they lay In the woods, praying for night
and the coming Of friends, but their only
hope now was to reach the lines Of the
enemy. Some hobbled out, using muskets
as crutches; others, with worse shattered
limbs, dragged themselves slowly along on
back or face. A few, stung to momentary
| strength, ran and reeled to the works,
renderl" These were carried inside where
they cried piteously for water. On that
part of the line the fury Of two days of an
surpassed struggle and carnage was for
gotten for the time. Had the charging
enemy appeared, as was expected shortly
before, the Third rifles and the veterans to
the right and left would have set their
teeth and rejoioed in the death they
wrought.
Familiarity with suffering intensifles
the %sympathies of the true soldier, and the
gaunt, bronzed defenders of S~nodgrass hill
were of this class. The hate Of years was
burned out by these roaring, dancing
flames, and, uncaring for the color of the
uniform, an awful anxiety for the men in
the furnace took Its place. Nearly every
man dropped outside the breastwork, and
these the rifles, unheeding tho still crash
ing trees, carried in. Lieutenant Burton
was the most active in this work. lie
was about to pick up a young soldier with
sinXed black hair and d splintered knee
when the man cried out:
Don't mind he, but for Gods sake
save the maori"
"The major repeated Burton.
Eyes; Major Shepard Of Benning's bri-
gade!'
"Where is he?"
"Over there, shot through the breast!"
And the young Confederate pointed back
to the oak.
some thing at Il time, my friend, +" said
Burton as he tenderly lifted the nan and
carried him inside the breastworks. ,
1t was touching to see how the stronger
of the wounded held back to help and
cheer the weaker. In this way men in
gray appeared, helping the blue.
"Capl'
"Well, Burton2" responded the captain,
looking ~questionably at his lieutenant and
hopping the while his brown, powder
stained face with a grimy handkerchief,
for though the previous night had been
frosty this one promised to be hot and
pa1ched by the shimmering heat waves
rolling up from the woods.
"I'm going to try it!' said Burton, his
lips set and q resolute CLINT in his big gray
eyes.
"Try it?"
eyes, Gates
Burton buttoned up his blouse, turned
up the collar, pulled his black felt close
and let it fall.
"But what are you going to trys' asked
the puzzled captain.
"I'm going to carry that wounded reb
in!''
"The one by the tree9'
eyes"
"Hold up, Georgel The man must be
dead by this time. It's hot as the hob of
a furnace over there. Then the enemy's
shells are falling short. They are killing
their own men. I'm ready to help all we
AN, but you mustn't be reckless, old fell
low. 1t isn't like you
"If l don't try 1t, Gates, I'll never know
another happy hour. Here goes!"
The captain reached out his hand to re-
strain his friend, but with the bound of a
s%taghound Burton had cleared the breast
works. The men saw him dashing down
the lurid slope, understood his purpose
and cheered to give vent to their feelings
rather than by way Of encouragement.
The two men who had been playing cards
begged the captain to let them go to the
li%eutenant's help, but be refused. BY this
time all the rifles were OH their feet. 1t
was dark to the right and left, but the
light of the torch trees flashed on their
bronzed faces in a way that intensified the
battle expression. Midway Burton All
to a sudden halt. That he was not CON-
ing back beaten was evident. He tied a
handkerchief over his nose and mouth and
dashed OH again.
The branches Of the riddled tree under
which the wounded Confederate lay had
caught fire, and a rain of sparks was pour
ing down. How Burton felt or what he
said to Major Shepard Of B%enning's bril-
gade is not known. 1t is certain, however,
that the occasion was not conducive to ex-
tended talk. We know from the fact that
every faculty Of tho rescuer was conferred
in his merciful mission. Strong as an
athlete and active as a gymnast, Burton
soon had the man on his back and was fac
ing the lines. Captain Gates waved his
hat as his friend drew near, and the rifles
leaped on the breastworks and cheered az
If on a charge. Those of the C~onfederates
who could do SO Strengthened themselves
up to look, and, forgetting their suffer.
ings in Burton's splendid effort, they
shouted:
"Three cheers for tho Yank!"
Two-thirds of the distance was cleared,
and the rifles began to breathe easier, when
an ominous roar rolled from over the
river. A deyilish scream came down from
the sky, whose black vault was penciled
by 4 curved streak Of suffering sparks
that all understood.
Here she comesH' .
"She'H fall short"
"Down in front, boysl"
"My God, Burton! Drop him and run
for your life!" This last from the captain,
who, with his hands trembling on the logs
and an awful agony in his eyes, bent to.
ward his friend. Down Is feet in Bur-
ton g front the shell crashed. For fully
two seconds 1t seemed that 1t would not
explode, but still, like little fire noun
tain, the cracking sparks shot up from
the fuse.
The lieutenant stopped and seemed
about to turn to the right, when there
came a flash and q crash, and arrows,
black or blazing, shot out in every direc-
ton. An instant and the wind had swept
the smoke to the left, but the man in blue
and the man in gray OH his back had van