The Princeton union., 1899-04-13
CHAPTER X.

roar of the battle was growing louder.
Great brown clouds had foated to the
still heights Of air before him. The
noise, too, was approaching. The
woods'filtered men and the fields be-
came dotted.
AS he rounded hillock he perceived
that the roadway was now crying
mass of wagons, teams and men. From
the heaving tangle issued exhortations,
commands, imprecations. Fear was
sweeping it all along. The cracking
whips bit and horses plunged and
tugged. The white-topped wagons
strained and stumbled in their exer-
tions like fat sheep.
Presently the calm head of forward
going column Of infantry appeared in
the road. It came swiftly on. Avoid
ing the distractions gave it the sinuous
movement of a serpent. The men at
the head butted mules with their
musket stocks. They prodded team
sters, Indifferent to all howls. The
men forced their way through parts of
the dense mass by strength. The blunt
head of the column pushed. The raw
ing teamsters swore many strange
oaths
AS the youth looked at the regi-
ments, the black weight Of his woe re-
turned to him. He felt that he was re-
garding a procession of chosen beings.
The separation was as great to him as
if they had marched with weapons of
fame and banners of sunlight. He
could never be like them. He could
have wept in his longings.
He discovered that he had scorch-
ing thirst. His face was so dry and
grimy that he thought he could feel
his skin crackle. Each bone of his
body had an ache in it and seemingly
threatened to break with each moment.
His feet were like two sores. Also his
body was calling for food. 1t was more
powerful than a direct hunger. There
was a dull, weight-like feeling in his
stomach, and when he tried to walk
his head swayed and he tottered. He
could not see with distinctness Small
patches Of crimson mist Aoated before
his vision. While he had been tossed
by many emotions he had not been
aware of ailments. Now they beset
him and made clamor.
A certain moth-like quality within
him kept him in the vicinity of the bat
ties. He had great desire to see, and
to get news. He wished to know who
was winning.
The column that had butted stoutly
at the obstacles in the roadway was
barely out of the youths sight before
he saw dark waves of men come sweep
ing out of the woods and down through
the fields. He knew at once that the
steel fbers had been washed from thei1
hearts They were bursting from thei1
coats and their equipments as from en-
tauglements They charged down upo1
MIN like terrified buffaloes.
Behind them blue smoke curled ant
clouded above the tree-tops and through
the thickets he could sometimes see
distant pink glare. The voices of tn
cannon were clamoring in interminabl
chorus.
The youth was horror-stricken. H
stared in agony and amazement.
The fight was lost. The dragon
were coming with invincible strides
The army, helpless in the matte
thickets, and blinded by the overhang
ing night, was going to be swallowed
War, the red ANIMAL war, the bloo6
swollen god, would have bloated fill.
Within him, something bade to CT
out. He had the impulse to make
rallying speech, to sing battle hymn
but he could only get his tongue t
call into the air: 'Why-why-what
what's tn matter?" " -S-#
Soon he was in the midst Of then
They were leaping and scampering al
about him. Their blanched faces shon
in the dusk. p ,2.H .<&
The youth turned from one t.
another of them as they gallope
along. His incoherent questions wer
lost. They were needless of his az
peals They did not seem to see hin
They sometimes gabbled insanely. On
huge man was asking of the sky: '''Say
where de plank road? Where de plan
road?" twas as if he had lost chilt
He wept in his pain and dismay.
Presently, men were running hithe
and thither in all ways. The artiller
booming, forward, rearward, and 9