Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13

lie pile on either side OF him. he mac
lost his pull through, and his shoulder
ached vilely from the kick Of his fou
rifle. With blec ding 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 II
me in. me cad" reflected the corporal
Corp Herring's world consisted OF
fiery ball. burning in a zone of blue. some
distant bouldeIs. horrid with rolling riile
fire. and the long yellow grass wisps
that bent under the fitful wind. Through
these he could distinguish, on each side
of him. familiar profies: Dutchy. the
sauaretCad: Scotty. and Orseguaro
Baynes. Coarse pleasantrleS were pahoieu
betwtel them.
Overhead the bullets were humming
like honey bees. At times one whistled
past him, or a little squirt or dust arose
turned to water, and he shouted some
Jest coarser than the rest. 1t was MS
first general engagement.
Did you hear that one?" quavered
Orseguard Baynes, with simulated in
terest, as something louder than the rest
went humming by.
..shet up. you fool said Corp. Her
ring. "Thet's a pompon shell.
Five miles from flank to flank. unseen
BY their Invisible foes, five thousand men
Law prone, held to the ground by that I'M
aeasing shower which hooted over them.
They knew that somewhere some direct
lug mind controlled them. and they lay
there, eager. as all recruits, to charge.
Two hundred yards in front was safety
zone, from which, once gained. they might
advance uninjured almost up to the en-
emy's trenches. Many had tried this per-
ilous passage; ii was strewn thickly with
corpses. which made strange, irregular
depressions in the waist-high grasses.
High overhead. mere specks in the blue.
the vultures waited. They had followed
the trail of dead transport animals which
marked the progress of the column. Corp.
Herring shuddered as he squinted up at
them. He had seen f1ocks of these sable
scavengers, clustered on dead horses, too
gorged to rise. their bald heads whittier
than leprosy, their curved beaks indicative
of horrible repletion.
The suns hot trail blazed in the zenith
of the brazen sky. Mirages danced over
the staring plain-houses where there had
been rocks. boulders where trees had
grcwn. rivers of gurgling water.
All, these waters of the mirages! How
they longed for them as they f1attened
themselves beneath that pitiless glare, the
swC lien tongues lolling from their painting
mt uths. They almost envied the dead
who. with open jaws and clenched fingers.
lin d the long slope behind them.
Dust whitened their gaunt. unshaven
faces; dust had caked the moist necks of
their drained water bottles; dust clogged
sweat-stiffened shoulder straps.
one man, shot through the brain, twin
ed and untwined his fingers ceaselessly.
winking away the flies that clustered
upon his staring eyeoalls. Under its
chocolate stains his face was winter than
a clowns. Some sucked the sweet roots
of grassblades to relieve their intolerable
thirst; some. rendered ravenous through
fear, crunched their emergency rations
OF beef and chocolate in their dry mouths,
and could not swallow them. And every
where fear reigned. fear that would have
driven them in headlong fight but for
that sweeping sleet of nickel above them !;
fear that increased as the slow hours
went by while they lay helpless.
A hare leaped through the grass toward
Herring, and sat poised on her launches.
watching him. He saw her little heart
humping Unanimously. Hey, puss.'' he
yelled, and hung his hat at her. "Benk!
Renk"' shouted the soldiers, as she sped
swiftly down the line into the distance.
'Benk. Benk. Charing Cross, Cheapside;
all aboard, lydies, penny all the wy" The
hat twirled through the air and fioated
hack, with hole through the brim no
wider than q lead pencil. IF my cad 'ad
hin there the corporal murmured. as he
crowned himself.
The wounded man suddenly cyan to
choke and hammer on the grou d: then
his head dropped and he rolled backward.
The flies descended on him. Orseguard
Baynes stared at the corpse one moment
and then sprang to his feet. Advance"
lie yelled. Follow me, boys; to hell with
them, A storm OF protest rose. The