The progress., 1904-12-03

Now, on the thre1hhoid, oeloyo Ia
Judgement seAtcf God. no man can f6lcs
him to Keep sildnt"
"But with whom should hAse n
speak?" asked the dying dragoonS bit.
tDrly. my tongue u q grown UP ana
stricken. Weeks and wseks passed
without mo saying Z word! Nobody has
at any time asked me shout anything!
Only my ear had to k6sp 1t the ready.
lest did not hekr the orders. "Advxuce,
march, were we ordereds march
through marsh and snow. There was
nothing to reply!"
Rabenius knelt, and gently took his
hands In his. -
But now win ye speak. Bsnst 0etiny: (:
Speak, speak. since IL Eow gather to
hear you. OF US all you have now ths
right to speak freely. Have 70 . wife,
peradventurs. an old mothsstat home,
whom " would that Twill greet for
thee?" u
my mother starved me and forced me
INTO the troops, and never since then
has woman had any words to cay to
me than: Get out Of the way. Bengt
Getting; get out, get outi What do ye
want with us?'"
Then have 70 nothing at all to be
sorry for?"
II am sorry that I as \ child did not
spring into o~the mill stream. and that
when ye stood before the regiment an
exhorted US to go on again in patience.
I did not step forward and fell ~ with
the husket."
NAY will you have what troubles
me? Have ye never heard the bag
gagers and outposts say how In the
moonlight they have seen their dead
comrades hobbling back In thrones
to the troops, and heard them cry:
Greet my mother for me-; they call them
the Black Battalion. In the Black Bat
talon will now walk. But thsworst .e
that will be buried In my miserable
rags and bloody shirt 1t II that which
troubles me. A common dragoRn does
not wish to be buried like to the gooc
Gen. Liewen: but think on the com;
rades killed at Dorfs2fcki. for each one
oithem the king ordered to be given out
two boardS for conn and one clean
white fhroud. Why should they be Bet
ter on than me? In this troubled time
where man falls he lies.s And ar
sunk SO deep In wretchsdness that th'
one thing in the world which envy ali
others, is each his clean. white shroud!'
my poor friend" answered Rabenius
tenderly. "in the Black Battalion. If ye
believe truly thereon. ye are In right
great company. Gyldenstolpe and Sper-
ling and Col. Morner already lie dead en-
the field. And recall the thousands Of
others! Recall the friendly Col. Wat-
trang, who came riding up to our regi-
ment. and gave every man an apple; h.
is lying with the guardsmen and all the
comrades. under the high road at Holof-
gin. And have ye In mind my prede-
cessor. Nicklas Uppendich, powerful
preacher of the Word7 He fell in h!s
vestments. before Kalison. Over his
grave the grass has grown, and the snoN
swept. and no man can indeed show thr
place wherein he sleeps"
Rabenius bent lower over the dyint
man, and smoothed his hands and fore
head.
"In ten or is minutes at the most. yon
will have died. Maybe 1t is, In these few
you make up for what ye have
neglected to do in the past three yeavs
II ye turn them to good account Nc
more are ye one Of us! Do you not ser
your pastor on his knee beside you. with
barred head? Speak. and tell me thy las'
wish. nay. command one. Think Of
one. BY reason Of you the regiment, IS
in disorder. while othsSs storm forward
or by now are up thsscaling ladders:
fear have ye put Into the young men
through your death wound and agony
none but you can male amend. They are
to yea. Bengt Getting! = Only
you have the power to stir them to adj
vance. Befhink yourself. Your las
words will long reeound. In comins
years they will be repeated at home. be.
fore those sitting and roasting their
pears behind the stove"
Bepst Getting lay still. and over hif
eyes came a shadow Of conjecture Then
he slowly lifted hig hands az II In sup
plication. and whispered:
Lord help me to bring about this!"
He made q sign that now he could only
and Rabenius laid his face closs
to hisin order to hearzhjs words.
Afterwards the pastor beckoned to
thss4oldlers, but his voicetrembled. 90
thSe he could hardly make himyelf
heard. z q =.
~Now has Benst Getting spoken" sal.
he. 1T is his last wish that you take
him between yo on your muskets, ane
carry him to his pif place A the ranks
ghere be was obstinstely silent day after
day. year after year"
The drumswer now beat. aod the ad.
vance began. and Bengt Getting. leap.
l1g against.the shoulders Of his com
Fades. was borne step by;step over the
field onwards towards the enemy. Ther
the whole regiment followed him; and
behind him walked Rahenius with un-
covered head. and marked not that he al
,ea1y was dead. -
II will see to It," be whispered. thas
hou gettest clean white shroud. Thou
snowest the, King does not conside.
more than the lowest soldier
and so will he himself lie one day"