The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-10-29

his ammunition pouches his
~ launches. so that he might embrace his
Mother Earth more closely and the cart
ridges had drbbled out into small metal
lie pile on either side OF him He had los, his pull.
through. and his shoulder aohed vilely from the
kick Of his foul rife With bleeding nails he
scratched at a small mound of earth in front Of
him, which he had made compact with stones "If
one Of them things its me, it'll j, me in me cad"
reflected the Corporal.
Corporal Herrng's world consisted OF fiery
ball. burning in i zone Of blue. some distant boud-
ers horrid with rolling rife fire. and the long yell
low grass wisps that bent under the htfu wind
Through these he could distinguish, on each side
Of him, familiar pro6les: Dutohy the squarehead;
Seotiy; and Orseguard Blynes. Coarse pIeasantries
we're banded between them.
Overhead the bullets were hummng like honey
bees. At times one vhis,led past him. or little
spurt Of dust arose close by; then Corporal Her
rings stomach turned to water, and he shouted
come Jest eoarscr than the rest II was has first
general engagement
Did you hear that oue7" quavcred Orseguard
Baynes, with simulated interest as something
louder than the rest went booming by.
"Shet ,up. you fooll" said Corporal Herring,
"Ihets a pompon she'll"
Five miles from flank to flank, unseen by their
Invisible foes, FIVE thousand men lay prone, held
10 the ground by that uneeasng shower which
hooted over them They knew that somewhere
some directing mind controlled them. and they lay
there. eager. as all recruits. charge. Two hun
died yards in front was a safety zone from which,
oaee gained. they might advance uninjurcd almost
Up to the cnemys trenches Many had tried this
perous passage; it strewn thieky with
eotpses, which made strange, irregular depressions
IA the waist-high grasses.
High overhead mere speoks in the blue, the vul-
i1res waited They had followed tho trail of dead
transport animals which marked the progress of
lac column. Corporal Herring shuddered he
tquinied Up at them. lie had seen nocks Of these
nble se5yengers. clustered dead horses, too
sorged rise their bald heads winter than leprosy
iaer curved beaks indicative OF horrible repletion.
The suns hot trail blazed in the zenith OF the
Irazen sky. Mrages danced over the staring plain
houses where there had been rocks. boulders
where trees bad grown. rivers OF gurgling water.
Ah. those waters Of the mragesl How they
I)pged Tor them as they Aa,teued themselves be-
r,ah that ptless glare. the swollen tongues olling
i-om their painting mouths They almost enyisd
iae dead who with open jaws aud elenehed fingers.
lned the long slope behind them.
Dust whiteued their gaunt. unshayen faces dust
IsI ealed the moist neeks OF their drained water
l..
heir sweat-shaened shoulder straps.
One man. shot through the brain. twined ard
uaiVined his fingers oeaselessly. winkng away the
fiss that clustered upon his staring eyebals. Under
Is chocolate stains has face was whittier than
clowns Some sucked the sweet roots Of grass
blades to relieve their iu,olerable thirst some
rendered ravenous through fear. erunched their
emergency rations OF beef and chocolate in their
Cry mouths, and could not swallow them And
everywhere Fear regned. fear that would have
driven them IN headiong flight but for that sweep
ing aleet Of nickel above them; fear that increased
as the slow hours went by while they lay helpless
a hare leaped through tho grass toward Herring
and sat Poiied on her launches watching him He
saw her little heart humping tumul,uously. Hey.
ru'sr' be yelled. and flung bis hat a, her "Beuki
BenkV shouted the soldiers. as she sped swiftly
down the iioe into The distance "Benk. Benk.
Chsung Croas. Chcapside; an aboard. ydies. penny
all the Wy The ha, twired through the ar and
aoaied back. With hole through the brim no
wider than lead psreil IF my cad 'ad bin there
The corporal raurmured As he crowned himself
Ths wounded man suddenly began to choke and
hammer on the groupd. then bis head dropped and
be rolled backward. The Hies dessesded on him.
oriegafd Bayns' stared At TIC corpse ono moment
and then sprans TO bis feet Advance" he yelled
Follow me. boys. TO bell with ,AenF A storm 0