Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09

wornsand exhausted. When Prtvnve
Morton heard the orderly sergeant
call lns nanie ms one OF the detail for
guard duty he had just flung himself
down on the rain aud blood soaked
ground beside a dead Spanish soldier.
There had been no time to select q
resting place; tile tired limbs had re-
fused duty the moment discipline was
relaxed, anil he had fallen almost as
dead man there among the really
dead, with all his accoutrements still
strapped about him and5 firmly grasp.
ing his heavy. army rifle. But with
the calling of. his name the habit of
discipline returned, and he was
promptly on his feet to form one of
the Titles squad that marched away
into the growing darkness toward the
front for sentinel duty. "H .:
He was stationed in the shadow of
n few closely growing trees, just be.
yond the now deserted trenches lately
so stubbornly defended by Spain's
bravest soldiers, with. orders not to
expose himself in the open, but to note
the least movement or sound from the
direction in which the enemy had re-
treated, for it was deemed very likely
that night attack might be attempted
for the recovery of the hill.
For q short time after his compan-
ions, left him Private Morton did not
give much attention to himself. He
followed, first with his eyes, then by
the; ear, the movements of the little
band, as gnard after guard was placed,
and tried to keep in mind the location
of tile different men. It was no new
work for him to be on guard, and there
was no special novelty to him in the
situation. War was war, whether in
Cuba or Arizona. He knew that
ACROSS that dark canyon, concealed by
the darkness and the thick growth of
timber,.-Mas,the Spanish line and that
any;moment,a "a fight of Mauser bullets
might comein his Objection from out
those dim shadows, or even line Of
yelling Spaniards spring from the
jungle down there little way below
him and come charging up to bear him
and his comrades back from the hard
earned field. But. he had been in
equally bad places before and did not
know what it was to fear anything in
the shape of foe. He knew the i'm
port:ace. of his task, the perils it in
volved and the consequences of fail
ure.S a. ...-.c 4,4 =. BE- ..- .-lsra-.
But now the new-found strength
that came to him when called to this
new:task began grad dually to fade away,
and lie could realize, how tired and
faint he was. He could easily count
up his rations for the last two days
justsfve hardtack, soaked in muddy
water, in al. that time, and as for
sleep, when he came to think of it he
did not believe that he had had any,
unless, perhaps, he had slept awhile
between the fighting and the detail for
guard duty -,
How tired he was now and how he
would like to sleep! No, that WAS
toorisky. It meant death to be caught
asleep. He could stab hole through
his shoe with hisgbayonet and wound
his foot; ythea pain must awaken him.
Somehow the blood felt SO warm and
comfortable there-was he going to
sleep after all? He took cartridge
from his belt aud bit it savagely till
he broke tooth, and his mouth filed
with, blood but he let it run down his
fac@ and across his blouse, with no
care5for the pain or relief from that
terrsb:e~calt-of orerstrung nerves for
restin sleep. e.
How long Private Morton fought
this terrible battle with himself---a
battle more dresdfnl than. any on that
bloody Geld the day .hefofe--we can.