The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-02


tried to cross and failed. The crack
of rifles and the venomous hiss of bull
lets chiseled the air. A veteran might
we'll hesitate if ordered to cross. Here
went a man of his own free will to
bring in one he had wounded. Verify
brave man if he had a reason, a
right excellent fool if he had not.
Cicero did the bullets not the honor
of a passing thrill. That was his way.
He ran high, swinging his lank arms
like an anthropoid and covering ground
most nightly. He reached the crater
minus his cap, but otherwise intact,
and plunged recklessly down the slope.
Here was blind melee. damned in
the fatal crater lay a spirit-broken
crowd, helpless in arm and leg, stormed
at from three sides, disheartened and
hopeless. Men trampling the wounded
like frightened animal, men throwing
down arms and surrendering in squads,
negro troops on their knees begging
quarter and not always receiving it.
and underneath a floor of quiet dead
and wringing, writhing wounded.
Groans and prayers blended with
shouts and inextricable snarl of sound.
Bayonets slickered silently and hor-
ribly, red to the muZzles of the rifles.
Through it Cicero plowed his way,
elbowing, showing, slipping, shoulder
ing, fighting, cursing, a passage.
Eventually he won through by dint of
bullheaded driving with a single OBJ
ject. and reached the far edge Of the
crater. He scrambled up unmolested
and struck out upon the field.
He had come straight as a bullet, and
his search was short. The object prov
ed smooth-faced boy in gray fiat on
his back, and bleeding badly from
hole in the right shoulder. He was
still unconscious from first shock.
Cicero stuffed a rag in the wound
He was not overcareful how he did it,
His one thought was to get the boy
away. The prone figure revived and
opened up a surprising fund of hard
language.
Learned to cuss, eh?" said Cicero
with chuckle. ''Git up, now, Jim. We
got to git out o. this
The youth rose unsteadily. He re-
garded Cicero in a dumb, driven, cattle
way.
Where did you come from?' he ask
ed slowly. His manner implied a doubt
whether he beheld tangible flesh and
blood or intangible spirit. Cicero
merely grinned.
Then began a maneuver of brazen
assurance. Mark now Cicero. within
the enemy's lines, making prisoner one
of said enemy and firmly purposed to
bring him away captive. The march
began. Cicero sheered away to the left,
not minded to encounter again the
whirlpool in the pit.
Shortly they were involved in a net
work of trenches and cross-trenches,
covered ways and diagonal approaches,
running without obvious reason in
maze of directions. His captive went
docilely ahead, still dazed, but in full
possession of his vocabulary.
Hey Yank, where you all goin' p
sunk out a voice.
"To the rear" replied Cicero, sullen-
ly not stopping for an instant. May be
they thought he had surrendered and
was helping this wounded Confederate
to the rear. 1t is small matter what
they thought, since they let him go.
There was urgent business nearer to
hand than chasing UP only one Yam
kee.
Ultimately he boosted his prisoner
out of the trench to the level and
across the field they came. The fire
was wicked. From front. rear and
either hand it Kissed across the open.
The air was a fine mesh woven of lead
streaks. Cicero's first aid to the injured
had been hastY. The stuffing worked
out of the wound and the Johnny grew
weak, in his knees. Because he was
wounded he had no fear of the stream
ing lead. Cicero wrapped one arm
about him and so they came in.
The men discovered them presently
through the smoke, and stopped firing,
but the bullets from behind were thick
and vicious as ever. Cicero marched
serenely UP. not unduly hurried. not
obviously lingering with bravado. but
calmly, openly, sincerely Indifferent.
He arrived. handed his limp captive
into the company's trench and jumped
down himself. with a grin of satisfac-
ton. absolutely unscathed.
The orderly sergeant said something
about "the luckiest fool in the army"
and his words seemed not inaDpro-
pirate. Cicero stayed not a moment
but, gathering up his captive. departed
to the rear in search for a SURGEON
The captain had not noticed his ar
rival.
1T was evening when he again came
to the trenches. d company had dis
cussed him over the bareback and cof-
fee, and reached a unanimous opinion
Either he was a mighty man of yalor
which presupposed a forthcoming ex-
PLANTATION. or he was what the orderly
sergeant had intimated, which aIterna-
tive stood for the present on its ner-
its, presupposing nothing.
Cicero was in excellent spirit. The
surgeon had told him his captive was
not badly hurt. Suddenly the captain
strobe angrily up. He might have
drawn a pistol and shot Cicero dead
and been justified.
Sergeant" he said. ARREST that
man."
Hold on. cap" drawled Cicero. II"
"Silence," snapped the captain.
You're insubordinate."
"All right. Cap. Just as you say.
Only" He was suppressed by the SER
geant
The captain was annoyed, intensely
annoyed. Also angry. That one of his
best men should thus tramDle under
foot the very first rule of a soldier
seemed incredible. He must be dealt
with harshly. He almost wished he had
shot him down. But he couldn't quite
bring himself to do that
The company clustered about the
group, regarding Cicero in doubtful ST.
lence. waiting for the explanation il
haply there might be one. The captain
cooled a little.
what have you got to say?" he
asked.
Cicero stubbed earth with his toe.
carefully regarding the operation the
while. He appeared emba rrssed.
Gap" he said presently, Il Just had
TO go. l hadn't ought to shot that fell
Ter. He's a-well, he's friend o. mine.
raised hipa when he was boy. / had