The Van Buren press., 1900-11-10

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and await its turn. Instantly the wise
men-and there were more than three
came out of the east and announced
that they had OWNED the whole plan.
The Kicking Twelfth was to be held in
reserve until the critical moment of the
fight, and then they were to be sent
forward to win victory. In corrobo-
ration, they pointed to the fact that the
general in command was sticking close
to them, in order, they said, to give the
word at the proper moment. And in
truth, on small hill to the right, Maj.
Gen. Richie sat on his horse and used
his glasses, while back of him his staff
and the orderlies bestrode their champ
ing, dancing mounts.
1t is always good to look hard at a
general, and the Kickers were trans
fixed with interest The wise men
again came out of the east and told
what was inside the Richie head, but
even the wise men wondered what was
inside the Richie head.
Suddenly an exciting thing happened.
To the left and ahead was pounding
Spitzbergen battery, and a toy sudden
ly appeared on slope behind the
guns. The toy was man with flag
the flag was white save for square OF
red in the center. And this toy began
TO wig-wag wag-wig and it spoke to
Gen. Richie under the authority of the
captain of the battery. 1t said: 'The
Eighty-eighth are being driven on my
center and right"
Now when the Kicking Twelfth had
left Spitzbergen there was an average
of six signalmen in each company. A
proportion of these signalers had been
destroyed in the first engagement, but
enough remained so that the Kicking
Twelfth read, as unit, the news of
the Eighty-eighth. The word ran
quickly: "The Eighty-eighth are be-
ing driven on my center and right"
Richie rode to where Col. Sponge sat
aloft on his big horse, and moment
later cry ran along the column:
kim up, the Kickers." A large num-
Der of men were already in the road,
hitching and twisting at their belt'
and packs. The Kickers moved for
ward.
They deployed and passed in stray
Cling line through the battery, and to
the left and right of it, The gunners
called out to them cheerfully, telling
them not to be afraid.
The scene before them was start
ling. They were facing country cut
up by many steep-sided ravines, and
over the resultant hills were re-
treating little squads of the Eighty
eighth. The Twelfth laughed in its ex-
ultation. The men could now tell by
on the crest. Parties Of the Eighty
eighth were now retreating for reasons
which were not sufficiently expressed
in the noise of the Rostina shooting,
Held together by the bugle, the Kick
ers swarmed up the first hill and laid
on the crest. Parties Of the Eighty
eighth went through their lines, and
the Twelfth told them coarsely its sew
eral opinions. The sights were clicked
up to 600 yards, and, with crashing
volley, the regiment entered its second
battle
A thousand yards away on the right
the cavalry and a regiment OF infantry
were creeping onward. Sponge decid-
ed not to be backward. and the bugle
told the Twelfth to go ahead once more
The Twelfth charged, followed by
rabble of rallied men of the Eighty
eighth, who were crying aloud that IL
had been all mistake.
A charge, in these days, is not run
ming match. Those splendid pictures
Of leveled bayonets, dashing at head
long pace toward the closed ranks OF
the enemy are absurd as soon as they
are mistaken for the actually Of the
present. In these days charges are
likely to cover at least the half OF q
mile, and to go at the pace exhibited
in the pictures man would be obliged
to have little steam engine inside Of
him.
The charge OF the Kicking Twelfth
somewhat resembled the advance OF
great crowd OF heaters, who, for some
reason, passionately desired to start
the game. Men stumbled; men fell;
men swore, There were cries: "This
way! Come this wayl Don't go that
wayl You can't get up that way!"
Over the rocks the Twelfth scrambled,
red in the face, sweating and angry.
Soldiers fell because they were struck
by bullets and because they had not
an ounce OF strength left In them. Col.
Sponge, with face like red cushion.
was being dragged MINDLESS up the
sleeps by devoted and athletic men.
Three Of the older captains lay afar
back, and swearing with their eyes be-
cause their tongues We're temporarily
out OF service.
And yet--and yet, the speed OF the
charge was slow. From the position OF
the battery II looked as II the Kickers
were taking walk over some extreme
ly difficult country,
The regiment assembled superior
height, and found trenches and dead
men. They took seat with the dead,
satisfied with this company until they
could get their wind, For 30 minutes
purple-faced stragglers reioined from
the rear, Col, Sponge looked behind
,ilm and saw that Richie, with his stan,
had approached by another route, and
had evidently been near enough TO see
the full extent Of the Kickers' exer.
tioAs. Presently Richie began to pick
n way for his horse toward the cap
tured position. lie disappeared in u
gully between two hills,
Now II came TO pass that Spitz.