The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-09

had hereabouts. and the new supply can
not reach US before nightfaIl."
But yonder Is a river full OF water,
protested the Sergeant.
.ihe colonels orders are to bayone
any man moving from shelter to get waite
or anything else Numbered the Captain
Il thought that was well understood. Tn
Japs must be kept in ignorance of on
whereabouts until evening when re-en
forcemeNts are at hand
No water-condemned to go thirsty-tht
news spread Ike wildfire in the regi
ment We won't hold out long said tn
men. One may do without bread for /;
] While but without drink-never."
Hold your tongues" cried the Sergean.
s~aYagely. Have you forgotten your in
structl9ns! me soldier must endure hun.
ger cold and caiamities Of all sorts with
With your permission" spoke Nicholas
tiHidiy. the Instructions say nothing
1T does. Thirst is one of the calamities."
BROILING IN THE SUN.
Higher and higher rose the sun. This
was to be a day of heat and s~uTering-tor
Vs. As to the Japs. they made free use OF
the river. while the stony desert, our
camp. qualified for an oven.
The hours dragged on. heat Increasing
al the time. not a breath OF air going.
water the sole topic OF conversation.
Nothing in the world had interest for US
Noon. So hot IT was painful TO touch
the 6arrS of the rife or the metal parts
u the helmet. You never saw a finer
river than ours. Dassing by the house"
quoth Nicholas. talking TO himself. clear:
pure, deep. pebbles below, a siivery band
above and di~amcnd-drops here and there.
Near the surface little fishes dance and
frolick- Stretch OUT your hand and they
fly in all directions. And II one Is thirsty
he need but kneel down and drink and
drink-one may drink all day long. or a
week, OF a year. it wouldn't make the
least difference"
"Muzzle yonder fooIr- Numbered the
Captain. looking hard at the Sergeant.
Talks OF water when the men are dying
OF thirst" / hastily threw my blanket
over NiSholas's head and warned him to
Still more powerful. still more merciless
burned the sun Little brothers" said
the Captain IN the third round. the
had been expecting a consignment of gold
we could have been no more eager for #.
Water-is there anything better on earth
than water? As We We're still discussing
horses was heard. By all the saints in
the calendar. those COMPOUNDED Japs were
riding their horses to water. and We had
not a drop TO bless ourselves with
THE COLONEL is an old woman. said the
Sergeant 10 Nicholas. whom he loved.
Wait for re-enforcements. indeed, With
such a bait as that river full OF water be-
tween US. We are strong enough to throw
Okr over the hills"
Like a bird OF prey. the sun climbed to
the zenith. sending perpendicular rays
down upon our heads and bodies. while
We lay helpless like fish on straw. At in
tervals detachments Of the sanitary CORPS
came to remove sufferers from sunstroke
to a shady nook. intended to serve for
lazaretto purposes during the ensuing bat
To save my blistered face and forehead
I had thrown myself on my stomach
while Nicholas 3. eFeuched near his long
feel" I asked with difficulty, for my
tongue was sticking to the roof OF my
houth.
Just diving" he answered r~esignedly.
HUNGRY FOR TEARS.
Frightened by the poor boys language. I
raised my eyes. Yet, haggard looks failed
to impress me for I saw tears on his
drawn cheeks. Tears arc water. and water
quenches thirst.
Instantly. sympathy took a back seat, II
Nicholas cried an hour. myself being able
to gather his tears in my flask, there
found it, just then he toppled e and
spoiled my reckoning. Take MIN away,
ambulance" cried a hoarse voice.
Garry him yourself" came the reply
jan j lac % IL lbl4 ~
Overlooking and not a drop Of water left"
The Sergeant. returning at that moment
from below, confirmed the information. I
concluded that all was over and threw
Nicholas. my power Of resistance gone. /
may have dozed one hour or two hours, or
three when I was roughly shaken by the
arm. The barrels have come"
I jumped to my feet; nay. gained them
by sheer eagerness, the expectation of
.quenching my unspeakabIe thirst acting as
motor power. A second later 1 was run
ming toward the foot OF the hill. The
whole regiment was going the same way,
only the poor devils suffering from sun
stroke remained, among them Nicholas.
FIGHTING FOR WATER.
When I arrived the barrels were already
surrounded by an excited mob. III vain
did officers threaten, strike: In vain. they
lourished %revolvers. For once thirst. love
OF life. %triumphed over iron discipline. Our
troops had become but a headless. heed
less mass. Words Of command. oaths.
shouts OF Joy and desperation filed the
dozen places. Weak as 1 was, 1 relied on
friend, the Sergeant. to help me get
my share, but We had no sooner arrived
on the spot when we were separated. All
of a sudden. I found myself at the end Of
the long line of waiting men. with no more
of reaching the life-spending barrel
than one ten miles away. Maddened be-
yoHu D., L allhChSu lnDSe III IEDII |
Of me with fists and feet; they paid me
back In the same coin-no matter / con- |
tinued my onslaughts. for / was frenzied
with thirst. until the figure of the Ser
turbed vision Then 1 broke from tho
crowd and Joined him.
He was without head covering. his uni
form was in shreds. the silver tassels of
observe it. / had eyes only for the field
flask at his mouth. I heard the water
pouring down his parched throat
"A drink, Sergeant; for the love of God,
do not let me die of thirst"
Devil take you." cried the Sergeant.
did you fall to get you innings? It's too
late now. for the barrels have been turned
over"
Those brutes pushed me to the rear
and kept me there. Just swallow,
Sergeant: I will give you all 1 have in the
world for a mouthfui of water"
BETRAYING MY FRIEND.
The Sergeant did not relax his grip on
the bottle. Il don't know what to do"
he replied slowly. Thinking you well
supplied, I took only enough for Nicholas
and myself. 1 can't let the poor boy die"
AT that moment the instinct of self
preservation. egotism in it's most reject
doomed. anyhow" / argued, land il the
does not give me the water in
tended for him. I will share his fate"
And ! lied deliberately. damnably. -.
Nicholas is dead!' 1 cried. Il myself
saw him expire. Our friend Is beyond
help. but I am not. You can save
my NE. Sergeant: Here is all the none
l have. Five roubles, silver; do you hear,
sergeant? Its yours II you but give me
half a bottle"
The Sergeant meditated. IF he is dead,
God have mercy upon his soul A good
boy he was. And so are you, Vassiii.
Hand over your bottle. I'll share with you,
put as Tor your dirty money, keep it, I
don't want it"
l pressed my bottle into his hand.
"Miser.' I ] protested inwardly, devil take
your precautions, you want to prevent me
from swallowing your own portion" Pres
entity l was drinking life itself in the luke