The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-24

whispers from the lips grown suddenly
blue. a
Tommy" faltered the husEsN voice.
turn me 'round-'round where I. can
see-the Flag"
When the sun still yelled tV the gray
clouds, fell before the approaching night.
Private Byers, with the men of the
Thirty-siXth, who had fallen by his
SIDE lay in the emergency frospitaIJ
sheltered in the great cnurch of the capi
tured capitol of Bacolor. Above the
bandaged forms fickered the lights of
smoking, swinging lights. and. from cot
to cot silent and grim, moved the calm
surgeons of the ServIce-unl.- tering and
unhesitating.
Private Byers lay motionless and I'M
suffering in the mercifulness of uncon-
sciousness. The surseonG and the
stewards were gathered round another
from that lay on the impoverished oper-
ating table in the centre Of the great
church building. Private Byers sighed
as awakening consciousness struggled to
comprehend the situation Slowly ne
lifted his arms and on the hands as he
held them trembling before him to the
faint light he saw the blood from his
own wound hard and dried and streaked
with the black stains Of the powder
smoke of battle.
AS he looked, memory came swelling
into play, and he saw the rush and surge
of the charge. and he heard the thunder
Of rushing fight and roaring guns as a
man sees and hears in a dream. His
veins burned with the fever of the pic
ture. He struggled to sitting posture:
then. as sudden twinge of pain sent its
parcXysm across his breast, his hand went
there, and the drawn fingers came in con-
,sxa -
next his heart
All was grizzly silent in the church at
T;acolor Private Byers forgot the uni
form he WORE the army he served. the
Jain he bore and became again William
Reddington Byers. il. In the murly light
his weakened fingers plucked the loclset
open, and he brought it close to his eyes
that he might see again the face that
laughed from out the gold frame at his
cwn pain-drawn features.
A sudden weakness overcame MIN. the
face faded from his sight. the locket
dropped from his grasp, he fell back on
his cot and lay gasping for breath.
A moment later, his cheeks flushed and
his eyes frightened with the intense
brightness of fever, he struggled again to
a sitting posture and raised his hands
OF the silence his hoarse voice broke forth
anew:
Il have read fiery gospel writ in burn
ished rows of steel;
As ye deal with my contemners, so with
you my grace shall deal;
Let the hero, born of woman, crush the
serpent with his heel.
Since God is marching on.
Glory. glory. hallelujah,
Glory. glory. hall
William ReddIngton Byers, Jr.. Of New
York. had become again Billy Byers. SOL
der OF the Thirty-siXth
Before the quick surgeon could reach
the side OF the aforementioned man the
song died away in a wild gurglinS wall.
and the form fell back prone on the
blanket: The man of the service breath
ed sigh. the eyes closed YEARLY. the
hand sl'pped from the bosom of the
d-sta!ned blouse and dropped limp to
the side. Private ByeTs. who saved the
Tag and the Thirty-sixth from disgrace
was dead.
a correspondent stepped into the hos
who sang?"s he asked.
steward pointed to the silent form
whats his name 2
'Rvers. was the h~ref reply.
Not William Reddington Byers. 9r,
.Of New York; affirmed the steward
Great God!''8 said the correspondent
Where tie shadows grew deeper IN the