The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-06-27

discharge. their movements clock
work! Tense. eager. expectant. every
hand among US hard gripped on sabre
hilt. we waited tina: word which sure
ly could not be delayed. while from
end to end. down the full length Of
our straining line. rang out the yell
Of exultant pride.
STEADY. men: steady there. lads!"
called the old Colonel. sternly. his own
eyes filled with tears. "Our turn will
come"
Torn. rent. shattered. bleeding.
treading upon the dead and mangled
in rows, those iron men In blue came
on. They were as demons laughing at
death. No rain Of lead, no hail of
canister. no certainty of destruction
could check now the fierce impetus
OF that forward rush. God knows 1t
was magnificent; the supreme effort
Of men intoxicated with the enthusi-
asm Of war! Even where we were
We could see and feel the giant power
In those grim ranks of steel-the tat
tered flags. the Nern. set faces. the
deep-toned chorus Of GLORY. glory.
hallelujah." that echoed to their tread.
Those men meant to win or die. and
they rolled on az Cromwell's Iron
sides at Marston Moor. Twice they
staggered, when the mad volleys
ploughed ragged red lanes through
them. but only to rally and press
sternly on. They struck that crouch
ing gray line Of infantry. fairly buried
it with their dense blue folds, and,
with one fierce hurrah Of triumph.
closed down upon the guns. Even as
they blotted them from sight. an aide.
hatless and bleeding. his horse
wounded and staggering from weak
ness. tore down toward us along the
crest. A hundred feet away his
mount fell headlong. but on foot and
dying he reached our front
Colonel Carter" he painted. press
| ing one hand upon his breast to keep
back the yelling blood. charge. and
hold that battery Until we can bring
infantry to your support"
No man among US doubted the full
meaning of tive we're to save the
army! The very horses seemed to
feel a sense of relief. hands clinched
more tightly Oh taut reins to hold
| them in check: under the old battered
hats the eyes Of the troopers cleaned
hungrily.
''Virginians!" and the old Colonies
voice rang like a clarion down the
breathless line. there is where you
die! Follow mel"
Slowly. like some mighty mountain
torrent gaining force, we rode forth
- a walk. each trooper lined to pre-
cision OF review. yet instinctively TAX.
| ing distance for sword play. Halfway
! down the slight slope our line broke
| into snar. :, trot, then. as the thrilling
rotes of the charge sounded above us.
We swept forward in wild. impetuous
tumult.
| Who can tell tho story of those
seconds that SO swiftly followed
Surely not one who saw but the vivid
flash OF steel. the agonized faces. the
flame of belching fire. recall the
frenzied leap Of my horse as we
struck the line ere 1t could form into
square; the blows dealt savagely to
right and left: the blaze of volley
scorching our faces; the look of the
big infantryman | rode down: the
sudden thrust that saved me from a
levelled gun; the quick swerving of
our horses as they came In contact
with the cannon; the shouts of rage:
the blows: the screams Of pain; the
white face of Colgate as he reeled
an. fell. These are all In my mem
ory. blurred, commingled. indistinct,
yet distressful as any nightmare. = In
that we had hurled them back, shat
tered them by our first fierce blow;
that the guns were once again ours:
that fifty dismounted troopers were
tugging desperately at their wheels
Then that dense blue mass surged
forward once again. engulfed US In
it's deadly folds, and with steel and
bullet. sword and dubbed musket
ploughed through our broken ranks
rending us In twain fairly smothering
u, by sheer force of numbers. saw
tie old Colonel plunge head-dOwn into
u. ruck beneath the horses feet;
the Major riding stone dead in his
saddle. a CHASTITY red stain in the
centre of his forehead; then Hunter
Of T., went down screaming, and
knew l was the senior captain left
About me scarce hundred men bat
tied like demons for their lives in the
midst of the guns. Even as glanced
aside at them. shielding my head with
rplifted sabre from tho blows rainet
upon me. the colorsergeant flung W
his hand. and grasped his saddle pom
mel to keep from falling. Out of hi
opening fingers l snatched the spin
tered staff. lifted It high up. unit
the rent folds Of the old flag caugh
the dull glow Of the sunlight.
til Virginia." I shouted. Rail-,
OF the colorsi"
l could see them coming-all tina
was left Of them-fiChting their wa!
through the press. cleaving the mas