The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-05-16
By RANDALL PARRISH
COPYRIGHT. 1909. BY A. c MecLURC & co.

OF low tangled bushes. of drifting
smoke clouds. of solid gray mass
breaking through of sunlight Shin
merlng along front of leveled steel:
then ierked the lanyard and mingled
smoke and flame hurst forth.
All that followed was paudemonium.
rush. roar. leaping. shapeess figures.
could perceive nothing clearly; all |
remember was that we were firing
canister. the detected guns leaping
madly back with the recOil, growing
| hot TO the hand.
/ | trod ON bodies MS tolled. heard
through the sitting volume of smoke,
1 the Internal uproar, hoarse shouting
OF unrecOgnizuble orders. the wild
scream OF II wounded horse. II single
mad oath. an agOnlzed voice yelling
from behind. Where the devil is the
infantry" Yet all that | actually rea-
lized then were those distorted black
shapes springlng back and forth from
that gun muzzle and the lnuyard
grasped In my hand. That alone was
my work. my duty. and | must stand
to II until | died Two years of iron
discipline had made me into ma
chine.
Something burned my shoulder like
sudden squirt OF flame: felt sick
from the shock and chung desperately
10 the breech TO keep from falling.
| saw faces here and there amid the
brown whrs of smoke. strange. UNI
known repulsiye faces. rendered hide
Gus from the strain of conflict. My
gun toppled over, one wheel smashed
into splinters. | saw Wyatt turn and
run for the rear. and Parkhurst flung
backward ns though shot from cata-
pult | ierked the hammer out Of his
dead. clutchlng hands. aud began strik
ing fercely at The crush of gray figures
leaping toward me. Then everything
went blank. and | pitched over under
the wreck.
II was dark when ! slowly reopened
my eyes and endeavored 10 look about,
dark and still, except for faint CLEAN
OF distant stars. and the awful CUR
Cling OF some desperately wounded
man lying not far away. My head
throbbed feverishly from pain. and
my right side ached horribly as | first
attempted to move my body. Above
me was the black breech of the gun.
and my extended hand touched the |
single wheel upholdlng II. the spokes |
ragged from splinters. II hurt me so |
desperately to turn over that remain |
ed motionless for long time, staring /
straight up at the sky. listening intent
~ for each sound. and eudeavoring to
think. In measure the situation soon
became sufficiently clear-that fierce
charge OF the enemy had reached us
and we had lost the guns.
Had we also lost the battle?
How deadly still the night was. not
, shot echoing anywhere. not foot
step. not Il voice; only that awful
breathing yonder TO the left!
one OF my feet pressed against body,
md | moved II carefully. although
wen this slight action resulted in a
sharp twinge of pain. could per
GIVE another form huddled In a
hareleSs heap against the wheel. and
Is my hand reached out cropping to-
ward the right II touched an ice cold
ace l was afraid to ascertain the
ruth. Had been badly injuredy
Vas | crippled for life?
AT length. my teeth clinched In final
to know the worst,
to feel along my side
where the twinges OF pain seemed
most severe. but only TO discover my
ough wooden shirt stiff from con-
.eale1 blood. My lips We're dry and
racked. my tongue parched and swol-
en-. Suddenly in the stiffness l dis {
ingtI,shed the sound of some one APP
'roaciing and sank down again. mo-
ionless. listening {
They came sinking toward me from I
ut the night much as jackals might. q
Keeping along from body to body.
numbling TO each other as they CROP G
d around in the darkness. occasion
lily lifting their heads to listen. like I
united wild beasts. l recognized them c
s the scourge Of the battleheld-hu-