The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-04-06
earth. There was . little shower 81

invisible, We're being welded. MANY
OF the men were constantly lodging
and ducling their heads.
The lieutenant of the youths COM
pany was shot in the hand. He began
to swear SO wondrously that a nervous
laugh went along the regimental line.
The officers profanity sounded conven.
tional. 1t relieved the frightened senses
OF the new men. 1t was as if he had
hit his fingers with tack hammer at
home.
He held the wounded member care
fully away from his side so that the
blood would not drip upon his trousers.
The battlefag in the distance jerked
about madly. 1t seemed to be strug-
Cling to free itself from an agony. The
billowing smoke was filled with hori-
zontal flashes.
Men running swiftly emerged from
IT. -. They grew in numbers until it was
seen that the whole command was fee.
ing. The flag suddenly sank down as
II dying. Its motion as it fell was a
gesture of despair.
Wild yells came from behind the
walls OF smoke. A sketch in gray and
red dissolved into a mobilize body of
men who galloped like wild horses.
The veteran regiments on the right
and left of the Three Hundred and
Fourth Immediately began to jeer,
With the passionate song Of the bullets
and the banshee shrieks of shells were
mingled loud cat-calls and bits of
tacetlous advice concerning places of
safety. But the new regiment was
breathless with horror. "Gawd, Saun-
ders got crushed" whispered the man
at the youths elbow. They shrank
back and crouched as if compelled to
await a flood.
The youth shot a swift glance along
the blue ranks of the regiment. The
protiles were motionless. carven. And
afterwards he remembered that the
color sergeant was standing with his
legs braced apart as if he expected to
be pushed to the ground.
The believing throng went whirling
around the flank. Here and there,
were officers carried along on the
stream like exasperated chips. They
were striking about them with their
swords, and, with their left fists, punch
ing every head they could reach. They
cursed like highwaymen.
A mounted officer displayed the fu.
rious anger of spoiled child. He ragged
with his head, his arms and his legs.
The hoofs of his horse often threat
ened the heads Of the running men.
but they scampered with singular good
n
parently all deaf and blind. They
needed not the largest and longest Of
the oaths that were thrown at them
from all directions.
frequently, over this tumult could
be heard the grim jibes of the critical
veterans, but the retreating men ap-
parently were not even conscious of the
presence of an audience.
The battle reflection that shone in
the faces on the mad current made the
youth feel that &forceful hands from
Heaven would not have been able to
have held him in place if he could have
got intelligent control of his legs.
The sight of this stampede exerted a.
food-lilze force that seemed able to
drag sticks and stones and men from
the ground. They of the reserve had
to hold on. They grew pale and firm,
and red and quaking.
The youth achieved one little thought
in the midst Of this chaos. The COM
posite monster which had caused the
other troops to flee had not then ap-
peared. He resolved to get a view of
1t and then, he thought, he might very
likely run better than the best of them.
There were moments of waiting. Then
some one cried: Here they come"
There was rustling and muttering
among the men. They displayed a
feverish desire to have everv possible
cartridge ready to their hands. Their,
boxes were pulled around into various
positions and adjusted with great
care. 1t was as if seven hundred new
bonnets were being tried on.
AT last cry was repeated I'D and
down the line in a muffied roar of sound:
HERE they come. Here they come"
Gun-locks clicked
Across the smole-infested fields came
brown swarm Of running men who
were giving shrill yells. They came
on STOPPING and swinging their rifles
at all angles. A flag tilted forward
sped near the front.
CHAPTER V.
A hatless general pulled his dripping
horse to stand near the colonel of the
Three Hundred and Fourth. He shook
his list in the others face you've got
to hold 'em back he shouted savagelv.
You've got to hold 'em back He
seemed greatly insulted.
In his agitation, the colonel began to
stammer. "A-all-right, general, all
right. by Gawd, NEWELL do our BEST
The general made passionate gesture
and galloped away.
The man at the youths elbow was
mumbling as if to himself: ooh, we're
in for it now. Oh. we're in for it now"
The captain of the company had
been pacing excitedly to and fro in the
rear. He coaxed in school-mistress
fashion as to a congregation of boys
with primers. His talk was an endless
repetition: Reserve your fire, boys
don't shoot until I tell you, save your
until they get close up
don't be damned fools."-