The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-07-26
TIMID BECOME BRAVE.
Physical Expression Of Fear Is In
Reality the Forerunner of Bravery,
So an Army Man Declares.

lhe physical expression OF rear is
the best test Of bravery" said an old
army man the other day, when the
discussion among a group OF men in
hotel lobby turned to war.
Il have spent the greater part OF
my life in the army and have watch
ed the way volunteers act when they
first get on the firing line and become
targets for the eneny's rifles. | re-
member in the Philippines there was
a company recruited from the Nation
al Guard in one Of the cities not Jar
from Kansas City. The men were ali
above the average in intelligence. and
they were what Is called the crack
military organization of their town.
Most OF the men had been clerks and
students. and they had not time to
become seasoned when they were or
dered to the front. The captain was
as fine looking fellow as | ever laid
my eyes on, and every one thought
he would make an ideal soldier. He
had his company we'll drilled and was
very popular. One day this company
was ordered into march OF some
miles against a detachment OF the
enemy known to be in hiding along
road. The men were nervous, I
could see that from where I was rid
ing along.
"They were afraid. anyone could
see that, but there was no tagging.
All at once I saw the captain drop to
the ground. There was little to that,
at it was very hot and prostrations
from the heat were numerous. But
when we picked him up and ordered
him to the rear he wouldn't go. He
was as white as sheet and trembled
so violently that most of the men
about thought him death!y sick. But
l knew differently. l knew that this
man was scared He ignored the re-
quests that he retire and staggered
along with his lips tightly compress
ed and the perspiration running down
his white face in streams.
It's pretty far cry from the ribbon
counter to the firing line III foreign
country, where there are no girls to
look on; to patch OF wild jungle un-
der blistering sun. i wouldn't have
been surprised, nor would I have
blamed those young fellows if they
had dropped their guns and fed.
"But they didn't. They were so
scared that their eyes were set in
their heads. and as soldiers they were
not worth a continental. AS they
stood at their posts there was crack
of a rife not 50 yards away, and ono
OF the heroes fell with little cry
Then the shots came faster, until
there was a single volley that tore
down that scared line OF boys until
several were squirming in the dust:
The order came to charge. What do
you think the line OF volunteers did?
They ran, but they ran towards
the enemy. In an instant all their fear
was gone. 1t had given place to that
wild exultation that comes only in the
delirium of slaughter. There was no
more fear. Every one of those boys
were transformed into maniac for
revenge They dashed into the
enemy and fought like devils. The
captain, who had tainted from fear
only a few minutes before, couldn't
be stopped. A bullet hit him over one
eye and the blood streamed down his
face, but he seemed only annoyed
that it interfered with his seeing the
forms OF the enemy
The fight was short one. and in
little while the insurgents were fly
ing through the woods. The order
came for orr boys to halt and rally
and then withdraw. But the boys OF
the crack regiment didn't hear the
order. They wouldn't have paid any
attention to it II they had heard it.
On they went through the brush with
their brains on fire.
. 'Haltr shouted the colonel