The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-05-30

by. Once more he was set in his chos.
en- environment-again the long dusk,
columns were marching, again The
camp-fires shone between the run Of
the trees, again the clear-toned bugles
called tattoo and taps and reveille.
Then n morning there was a sud-
den stir. Forward, was the word. Out
into the ~saw-palmetto and the tropical
scrub the eager columns swung and
from somewhere far off to the right
came the boom Of a field gun opening
in the distance with shell.
Satisfied that the supreme moment
had come, the Nth would have left
Brethitt behind.
stay here, you old fool" cried the
sergeant in his excitement. Stay here
ITEMS orders, dye hear?"
"Brethitt grumbled but for a time he
obeyed. Then through the camp of the
Nth other regiments began to pass, the
sweltering men shedding as they went.
blankets and knapsacks n every
other su~perfluous pound. To the front,
too. the confusion and the din had in
creased. Instead of the single gun,
there We're fifty Believing; from the
narrow, cutup a came shouts and
cries and curses, while in h central
distance quick discharges of musketrJ
crashed family and cracked.
And Brethitt knew all those sounds
Brethitt, who was left in the lamp.
With no clear thought in his clouded
brain, obeyfng but the blind impulse
which came to him, the man cast off
his blouse, grit his old belt an inch
| the tighter, and with his one precious
possession-a bundle-in his hand, set
off at a run.
A half mile passed, he began to meet
wounded men and stragglers-a de-
moralized, gasping, hurrying crowd. To
one of these he addressed himself:
(Which Uav" he demanded tEyrhfch
way yonder is Bonham's brigade?"
The straggler scarcely heard.
straight ahead" he answered at ut
ter random, they're ketch'n' hell up
there
Brethitt's heart gave a leap. They
were straight ahead-Bonham's old
ragged brigade-and Brethitt was COM
ing with the colors of the Second.
He ran on. Now a shell screamed
above him, now the high flying bull
lets shrieked and spur sEH the good
Saxon blood in Brethittu veins rose to
the challenge of the fight n his soul
began to sing a berserker song, n his
eyes began to blaze.
At the foot of a slope ne found a riv-
ulet. There was a lead man there,
and with quick hands Brethttt de-
spoiled him of rife and cartridge belt.
Beyond there was a green slope, a thin
line of creeping men, and at the crest
the gray blur of the trenches that
marked the position of the enemy.
Brethitt crossed the stream. Straight
ahead! Presently they would charge
and the boys would look for him then.
In his passage Rrethitt unfolded his
bundle and dashed his flag deity to
his rifle barrel.
Half way up the slope the scattered
groups of the Ninth crouched tense ana
eXpectant like beasts preparing for q
spring. It was a~nybody's fight-there
was no real command anyWhere-but
there was no idea Of shrinking there
Then, while the men looked at each
other II waited, a gaunt figure sprang
past them and they saw Brethitt, with
his gray hair floating in the wind and
his flag streaming out, moving upon
the trenches alone.
There was a babel Of voices-it was
no time for close discrimination. A
lieutenant, red-faced with anger,
leaped to the front shouting hoarsely.
Bring those colors back" he yelled.
Bring those colors back to the line"
In answer Brethitt paused and facing
about he uplifted his voice: You
damned recruity," he roared in scorn,
bring your line up to the colors."
And the men heard and replied-not
with words, but with cheers and with
the upward rush. Twenty yards, they
Observation-Disclosures the trenches,
with the enemy streaming in flight.
They found Bretlitt that night. He
was just in front Of the works, with
his old flag crumpled up under him.
But the old mans face wore a satisfied
look, for he was with his command
at last.