The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-31

rs IL anu HBNh0 IL Ahfu H1ANA hIduQluA
with musket over his shoulder.
win you not get me a little water for
my brother7
There amt none,a said the man In
precisely the same voice as before.
''TH give you a guinea for a glassfuli''
pleaded the wretched man, moving over
one or two others to reach the barred
door.
There amt nome" came to him exactly
as before. as the guard walked away.
In moment he was back by his broth
er's side, for the lad had been caught
with a sudden and terrible 1T OF cough
ing that shook his whole frame, and then
he rolled over on his back and lay with
his arms outstretched, staring with wide
open eyes at the ceiling, his chest falling
and rising In long straining breaths.
With a faint cry the other stepped to
the bars and cried out down the corri-
dor:
''win you not give me an inch Of can
die MANI"
The guard returned slowly.
My brother Is dying there-there! Do
you not see him? I cannot see his face.
For Gods sake give me a bit Of candle
to see him dier
Then the boys body shook and strain
and walked on.
Then they boys body shook and strain
II hp8dlAE III Il SlTaIBb lnnuHdn IdSn-
ion, as l have seen a fish on the sand
gasp and swell for water in his gills. He
turned his eyes toward his brother tried
to say something. and one hand made a
faint move as II to lift itself. The broth
er caught the movement at once, and
kneeling down took the hand and looked
s1eadfast1y in the lads face, we others
lying silently and watching them both
grim set came into his jaw.
IT'S all rfphf l.
but firmly ITS all right. ladI The
eyes looked steadfastly at him. fright,
brother" cried he again. Keep thy
grip, ladr' And he took the other hand
as the boy suddenly raised his head,
opened his mouth for an instant, and
sank gently back with his chin sunk into
his chest and lay still-and died then and
there.
Now, IL 1t please God" cried the other
with quiet tears running down his sallow
face, If 1t please God that l ever get
away alive, I'll be a most bitter enemyi'
And lay back upon the floor and hid
my face In my hands
Could 1t be? Could 1t be that but a day
or two ago I had passed this grim build
ing9 Could 1t be that, almost in sight Of
It's gray walls, had sat and eaten and
drunk and been happy in that simple
touch Of her foot beneath mine? Could
it be sol 1t did not seem possible. Could
1t be, too, that that genial Baron Red
esel and the yourg boy prince and his
comrades knew aught of this? And vet
why not? Did not we up in Connecticut
this two years know this hell and the
other heils swinging at the rotten cables
in the river, that held their crowds OF
living and dying and dead?
I must get away from this scenei
could not stand II. And so with severe
pain rose carefully and, picking my way
over and among the two hundred and
more men In that long narrow room,
made for one of the small windows
Each was crowded two and three deep
with silent figures clinging together in
the hot air. their faces touching cheek
to cheek and filling the lower space Of
the window. Each man had his mouth
open drawing in long breaths.
Would you but let me get a Whit of
air, friend?' asked one of those on the
outer edge of the group. But no sooner
had I spoken than a voice behind me
said:
THAT is not your groupi"
I turned to him and he must have seen
my bewilderment, for he asked:
When did you come?
but just now, this morning."
you do not know then that the room Is
divided into groups Of six men. and that
every ten minutes a group must change
to allow another six to breathe the air."
mo, did not know It." said YEARLY
And then without interest, but without
discourtesy. was assigned to group No.
81. Turning again to him who hau spoken
first asked what group those men now
by the window belonged to. and he told
me t was No. 2s.
"Then I cannot get to the window for
an hour and half?'
THAT Is Ii. my friend"
$50 be 1t. II these men who have been
here so long can stand 1t, so can l." And
I was about to lie down, feeling unable
to stand and knowing another of those
shiyers was coming on, when the tramp
of military feet sounded in the corridor
and hoarse voice cried:
Turn out your deadl All hands turn
out your deadl'
"A strange, intangible rustling sounded
through the room, before so silent that IL
did not seem as II so many men could be
housed there. Then ale crowd rose
except those who could never rise again
this side the grave, and with the same
quiet. silent method that everything
seemed to have In that fetid room-the
lack of interest, the sombre, mirthless
procedure the same set faces with only
one expression on them--with all this a
few raised the, eight or ten bodies and
carried them to the two doors leading
into the corridor.
I watched from across the room and
saw the living carry the dead brother
tenderly, quietly In his arms and without
a word deliver him TO the two soldiers,
who. one taking him by the feet and the
other by the arm pits, carried him Off
down the corridor, to be thrown without
covering or burial service into the
trenches outside the breastworks there
to rot with thousands Of others. good men
and true all of them
With the same quiet manner the others
settled back In silence to sit or lie mo-