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

waVered again. It cringed before the
ceaseless fire that poured into Its unpro-
tected ranks; 1t hesstated, 1t paused, or
Gers were Numbered before it, hut 1t
gave no heed For q moment 1t halted;
in another moment 1t gave way, and the
men turnbled backward. their faces paled
end their eyes open and staring and the
fury of fright driving them on and on
nowhere. anywhere save against the
guns that smote them and the white va
pors that settles heavy on the damp earth
before the enemys works.
The colonel waved his arms. He stood
alone, the bullets Kissing about him, and
called to his men, but the panic of fear
had seized on the Thirty-sixth and the
ranks were deaf to his word. In the
storm of the retreat, the man who bore
the flag stumbled and the banner fell.
The men rushing wildly to the rear.
leaped across its folds and saw its colors
prone on the mud of the swamp, but for
got its glory in the terror that settled in
their souls.
Suddenly a tail and brawny form stood
forth and it bent low to raise the fallen
flag and lift it high where the enemy
might see that it was-not gone down in
the Thirty-sixth's everlasting disgrace.
And by the side of the form ran Mickey
McGlynn, and in front of it, believing
in the rage of battle. leaped Tommy Ell
lis. Beyond mad with the joy OF the
faithfulness of three, the colonel shout
ed, and behind hte men Needed and
rallied and the front changed. The SOL
der in Khaki swept on forward with the
flag.
Private Byers felt the faith OF victory
and its triumph, and his voice, a 8 the
line Numbered on, rose hoarsely in the
swinging rhythm Of the Battle Hymn
of the Republic"
That was the fever of battle; within
him burned an eXultation that life had
never held before, and the notes Of the
great pean shook with the depth Of that
feeling and trembled on the ears Of
Micky AIcGlynn and Tommy Ellis high
above the rear of the battles sweeping
storm.
Along the lire the words were snatch
ed from the lips of Private Ryers ana
the chorus was lifted high in tie air as
the long. thin front of brown charged
forward against the hosts of mannikins
who held. falteril-s now. the earthen en-
trenchments.
And then, bereaty the CRIME of the
powder smoke that smirched his face,
the features of Private Billy Byerss grew
pale, and. as he mounted to the crest
flag aloft, he felt blow as of a clenched
fist upon his naked breast and q thous-
and threads of burning pain shot through
his lungs and scorched along the veins
Of his arms to the fnger-tips. For a
moment. he stood breathless. then. as
his knees bent under him. he fell for
ward turning as he fell his arms out
, stretched, the fingers clutching at the
air, his jaw fallen and his eyes STAR
ing with the mute surprise of man
of the service stricken with a deadly
wound. And. as his body turned SO he
lay-his back toward the enemy.
McGlna and Ellis knew now the
greatest terror of their lives; other men
had fallen with sigh, a groan, and
they had felt no fear But when the
tail form Of Private Byers sank at the
blow of a tiny. steel-clad missile some
thing of the horror of the DEATH of
battle rushed into tneir minds. The
strange presence that made. the air trenl-
BILE with the high, keen note of the bull
let's song, had shown itself in visible
form. MeGlynn. filled with the hate OF
vengeance. rushed on. but Ellis, silent
as the form that quivered at his feet.
, paused. He bent low. over Private BY
ers, and. as the blood gushed from >the
mouth and nostrilss of the woundeu sol
der. caught the words that came in