The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-04-06

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H. 9 - the cause for
which they were
O1"AoIhf he "As fighting. It was
"onhASS' mysterious
fraternity, born Of the smoke and dam
ger of death.
Presently he began to feel the effects
OF the war atmospheric bliste-ing
sweat, sensation that his eyeballs
were about to crack like hot stones. A
burning roar filled his ears.
Following this came red rage. He
developed the acute evaporation of q
pestered animal, wel-meaning cow
worried by dogs. He had mad feel
ing against his rifle which could ONLY
be used against one life at time. He
wished to rush forward and strangle
with his fingers. He craved a power
that would enable him to make
world-sweeping gesture and brush all
back. His impotency appeared to him
beast.
Buried in the smoke of many rifles.
his anger was directed not so much
against the men whom he knew were
rushing toward him, as against the
swirling battle-phantoms who were
choking him, stuffng the irsmoke-robes
down his parched throat. He fought
frantically for respite for his senses.
for air, as a babe, being smothered,
attacks the deadly blankets.
There was blare of heated rage.
mingled with a certain expression of
intentness on all faces. Many of the
men were making low-toned noises
with their mouths, and these subdued
cheers, snarls, imprecations, prayers.
made a wild, barbaric song, that went
as an under-current of sound, strange
and chant-like, with the resembling
chords of the war-march. The man at
the youths elbow was babbling. In it
there was something soft and tender,
like the monologue of a babe. The tall
soldier was swearing in a loud voice.
From his lips came black procession
of curious oaths. OF sudden another
broke out in querulous way like a
man who, has mislaid his hat. We'll.
why don't they support US? Why don't
they send supports? Do they think
The youth, in his battle-sleep, heard
this as one who dozes hears.
There was a singular absence of he
roic poses. The men bending and
surging in their haste and rage were
in every impossible attitude. The
steel ramrods clanked and changed
with incessant din as the men pounded
them feverishly into the hot rifle bar
rels. The flaps Of the cartridge-boxes'
were all unfastened and tapped and
bobbed idiotically 18th each movement.
The rifles, once loaded, were jerked to
the shoulder and fred without appar-
ent aim into the, smoke or at one of the
blurred and shifting forms which upon
the field before the regiment had been
growing larger and larger like puppets
under a magician's hand.
The men dropped here and there like
bundles. The captain of the youths
company had been killed in an early
part of the action. His body lay
stretched in the position of tired
man resting, but upon his face there
was an astonished and sorrowful look
as if he thought some friend had done
him an i'll turn. The babbling man
was grazed by q shot that made the
blood stream widely down his face.
He clapped both hands to his head.
"Oh,'' he said and ran. Another
grunted suddenly as if he had been
struck by a club in the stomach. He
sat down and gazed ruefully. In his
eyes there was mute, indefinite re-
proach.
At last an exultant yell went along
the quivering line. The firing dwindled
from an uproar to vindictive pop-
ping. AS the smoke slowly eddied
away the youth saw that the charge
had been repulsed. The enemy were
scattered into reluctant groups. He
saw a man, climb to the top of the
fence and fire a parting shot. The
waves had receded leaving bits of dark
debris upon the ground. -. ~
Some in the regiment began to whoop
trenziedly; many were silent. Appar-
emily, they were trying to contemplate
themselves.
After the fever had left his veins, the
youth thought at last he was going to
suffocate. He became aware of the
foul atmosphere in which he had been
struggling. He was grimy and drip
ping like a laborer in foundry. He
yrasped his canteen and took a long
swallow OF the warm water.
A sentence with variations went up
md down the line. ''Well, we've
1eld'em back, we've held'em back
Termed if we haven't" The men said
t blissfully, leering at each other with
iirty smiles. -~gs
The youth turned to look behind him :
ind off to the right and off to the left.
lie experienced the Joy of a man who
It last finds leisure to look about him.
Under foot, there were a few CHASTITY
'orms motionless. They lay twisted in
fantastic contortions. Arms were
pended and heads were turned In in
credible ways. It seemed that the
lead men must have fallen from some
great height to get into such positions.
They looked to be dumnefl ont ,,,,c,,