St. Tammany farmer., 1906-09-22

The Death Chamber.

By Stephe,, Crane.

Another man yelled: Keep on my
legs! Can't you walk on the EGor?"
TO the windows there was Eiind
rush OF s,umberous men, who brushed
>a6 from their eyes even az, they made
ready their rifles. Jones and Pstter-
son came stumbling up the steps. cry
ing dreadful information. Already the
enemy's bullets were spilling and sing
ing over the house. EE 4saa
The sergeant suddenly was stiff and
cold with a sense OF the Importance Of
the thing.
There was a howl. There they are!
There they GOMEZ" The rifles cracked.
A light smoke drifted idly through the
rooms. There was strong odor as
from burnt paper and the, powder OF
frecrackers.
Now" said the sergeant, ambitious
ly, I'VE can beat them OF easily II you
men are good enough"
There was fusillade against an.
other side of the house. The sergeant
dashed into the room which command.
ed that situation. He found q dead
soldier on the floor.
Patterson" cried Sergeant Morton.
"Yes," said Patterson, his face set
with some deep-rooted quality OF de-
termination. Still. he was mere farm
boy. fEl AE
Go in to Knowles' window and shoot
at those people," said the sergeant.
hoarsely. Afterwards he coughed.
Some of the fumes of the tight had
made way to his lungs.
Patterson looked at the door into
this other room. He looked at it as II
he suspected 1t was to be his DEATH
chamber. Then he entered and stood
across the body of Knowles and fired
vigorously into group OF charming
plum trees. &
They can't take this house." de-
clared tbs sergeant in contemp!uous
and argumentative tone. He was ap-
parently replying to somebody. A
man who had been shot in the throat
looked up at him. Eight men were
firing from the windows. The sergeant
detected in corner three wounded
men, talking together feebly.
Don't you think there is anything
to do?" he bawled. Go and Cct
Knowles cartridges and give them to
somebody that can use them! Take
Simpsons, too" The man who lad
been shot in the throat looked at him.
OF the three wounded men who had
been talking, one said apologetically:
MY leg is all doubled up under me-
Meantime the sergeant was reload
ing his rifle. His foot slipped in the
blood of the man who had been shot
In the throat.
why, we can hold this place!"
shouted the sergeant jubilantly.
Corporal Flagler suddenly spun from
his window and fell in a heap.
Sergeant" murmured a man, as he
dropped to a seat on the floor out Of
danger, II can't stand this. swear
can't. think we should run away"
Morton, with the kindly eyes of .
good shepherd, looked at the man.
"You are afraid, Johnston; you ere
afraid" ne said softly. The man strug-
gled to his feet, cast upon the sergeant
a gaze full of admiration, reproach and
despair, and returned to his post A
later he pitched forward. and
thereafter his body hung Imply out OF
the window.
The Sc. geant laid his rifle against
the stonework Of the window frame
and shot with care until his magazine
was empty. Behind him. man SIM
ply grazed on the elbow was wildly
sobbing like girl.
shut up,' said Morton, without
turning his head. Before him was a
vista of fields. clumps of trees, woods.
populated with little, stealthy, neeting
figures.
He grow furious. "Why didn't he
send me crders?" he cried aloud. The
emphasis on the word he was i'm
pressive. -,...
The man who had been grazed on
the elbow still set up his bleat. Nor
toms fury veered to this soldier. Cant
you shut up? Can't you shut up?
Can't you shut up?s Fight! That's tho
thing to Go! Fight"
A bullet struck Morton and he fell
upon the man who had been shot In
the throat. There was a sickeDing
Then the sergeant rolled on
10 a position upon the bloody floor. He
turned himself with last effort until
he could look at the wounded who
were able to look at him.
His arms weakened and he dropped
IN his face.
After an interval, young subaltern
of the enemy's infantry, followed by
his eager men. burst into this reeking |
ieath chomber. But just over the |
threshold he halted. and remarked,
with shrug to his sergeant: II should |
have estimated them as at least 100
strong
Copyright. 1906 by Joseph B. Bowlea)
GENTLE REMINDER FOR PAPA.
Robbie Uneasy Over Time Il Took to
Make Printing Press.