The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-20

the nedIL OF -IH6 man SIlppluS Ills
musket and peering about him. The
babble of the creek had had a CHEEKY
sound at first. Up home on the old
farm there was a creek that babbled
just that way. He had gone down and
hidden it goodby before coming away.
After that long gust of wind the creek
seemed to change its notes, however. II
scolded and complained. 1t fumed and
fretted. 1t seemed to tell a story of
battle, and of a thousand men crawling
down to drink of its waters and turn
them to crimson.
There was no walking to and fro.
The man on post must simply stand
there in the deep shadow under the
think and feel his nerves gradually
becoming raw. At the end of three
quarters of an hour the recruit felt his
teeth clicking together. In scorn and
indignation he gave himself a blow on
the chin and forced his thoughts back
homeward. He could imagine how
father, mother, sister and brother had
spent the evening, and how still and
red house at this hour. Perhaps some
neighbor had dropped in during the
evening, and of course the talk had
been about war and him. He had
written home that very day, and it
would take his letter one-two-three
} days to
whats tnat!''
It was only coon or possum scam
| pering over the dead leaves, but the
Inoise was near by and sounded SO like
1.-THE footsteps of a man that the recruit
I felt his heart freeze within him. By
and by the animal uttered a squeal and
ram away, and then he knew what 1t
was, but he was all of a tremble and
the sweat starting out on hands and
forehead. He sat down under his
trembling legs and fought himself. A
thousand recruits have done that same
thing, but only few have conquered.
TAR +, se,r Af TN
the lonely darkness and his will must
be of iron to chase away his fears.
Imagination gets in its work after the
first fright. Williams had no thought
done so had he wished. The wind
came again, telling of death and
wounds and lone graves never to be
resurrected for all time. The coons
and possums rustled about, believing
that he was asleep or had stolen away,
and now and then branch of a tree
sawed against another with mournful
sound.
Something stumbled along on the
opposite bank of the creek. 1t was
only a sore backed horse which had
been turned adrift from one of the
armies as not worth the cost of the
cartridge to shoot him, and the animal
was browsing at the twigS and SEEK
ing to get down the bank to the water.
To the recruit crouching on his post it
was a bushwhacker prowling about
| and trying to locate him and drive a
| knife to his heart. There was the fall
| ing of dead limbS--tlle rustic of dead
leaves-the half moan, half sigh, high
up among the tree tops. A year later
he would not have paid heed to one of
these things, or if he had he would
have reasoned them to a cause in a
| flash.
''They are creeping up on me-they
| are closing in-they mean to murder
mel" moaned the, recruit as he Rugged
&c
overcoat over his head, as IL that was
a protection against bullet or bayonet
After that he had no will. A child
could have crept upon him and led
him away captive. He wept and pray
ed. He grovelled and moaned. A rab-
bit crept close to see what manner of
thing that was on the ground, and
hearing 1ong-drawn sobs the tiInid
| animal scurried away and wondered
that it reached its burrow without
/ pursuit. The horse drank its fill and
lay down with a groan. 1t had an IN
| tuition that some human being was
near by but it would avoid rather than
seek the presence of man and MS IN
human ways. AS the minutes dragged
along there was more grooming from
the saving lambS-more gusts with
their tales of war and suffering-inore
scattering and succrying over the dead
Leaves. And a man and a soldier lay
lhuddled up on the cold earth and
listened and shivered and wept and
moaned. When the two hours had
dragged themselves away the corporal
! came again with his relief.
"WilAamsi Williamsi" he softly call
ed as he reached the post.
No answer.
civilians, where the devil are you!
Has the greenhorn deserted his post ?''
HE is here. SIR" replied one of the
linen as he bent over the huddle on the
earth; "he is here, sir, and III be
damned If some bushwhacker hasn't
got in on him!"
When the body had been conveyed
Ito camp and the surgeon summoned,
he said:
Eyes, he is dead. but not of any
weapon Fear killed him. Corporal,
If YOU did not instruct this man you
killed him as much as If you had fired
La bullet into his heart Copyright
1906. by r. B. McC1ure-)
Forced to Starve.