Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-09-24


Copyright, 1914, by Charles scribner's sons)
With the smoke clearing, they sec
70 d SO Grays plastered on the slope
at the point where the charge was
checked Every one of those PROSTATE
forms is within fatal range. Not one
moves finger: even the living are
feigning death in the hope of surviv-
ing. Among them is little Peterkin.
SO faithful in forcing his refractory
legs to keep pace with his comrades.
never know what is in his heart and
call him coward. AS he has been
knocked unconscious, he has not been
IN the pell-mell retreat
His first stabbing thought on coming
to was that he must be dead; but, no;
he was opening his eyes sticky with
dust At least, he must be wounded!
He had not power yet to move his
hands in order to feel where, and when
they grew alive enough to move. what
he saw In front of him held them
frigidly still. His nerves went search.
ing from his head to his feet and
miracle of heaven!-found no point Of
pain or SPOT soppy with blood. If he
were really hit there was bound to be
one or the other, he knew from read
ing.
Between him and the faces of the
Browns-yes, the actual, living, terri
bic Browns--abOve the CLINT of their
rifle barrels, was no obstacle that
could stop bullet. though not more
than three feet away was crater
made by shell burst. The black cir
Gle of every muzzle on the crest
seemed to be pointing at him. When
were they going to shoot? When was
he to be executed? Would he be shot
in many places and die thus? Or would
the very first bullet go through his
head? Why didn't they fire? What
were they waiting for? The suspense
was unbearable. The desperation Of
overwhelming fear driving him in ire
sponsible impulse, he. doubled up his
legs and with cats leap sprang for
the crater.
A bloOd-curdling burst Of whistles
passed over his head as dozen rifles
cracked This time he was surely
killed! He was in some other world!
Which was it. the good or the bad?
The good, for he had glimpse OF blue
sky. No, that could not be, for he hid
been alive when he leaped for the
crater. and there he was pressed
against the soft earth of its bottom.
He burrowed deeper blissfully. He
was the nearest to the enemy Of any
man of the 12Sth, and he certainly
had passed through gamut of emo
tons in the half-hour since Eugene
Aronson had leaped over white post.
"Confound it! If we'd kept on we'd
have got them! Now we have to do
lit all over again!" growled Fracasse
ldistractedly as he looked around at
the faces hugging the cover of the
shoulder-faces asking, What next?
each in its own way; faces blank and
white; faces with lips working and
eyes blinking; faces with the blood
rushing back to cheeks in haffled an
ger. One. however, was half smiling
Hugo Mallin's.
/ You did your share of the running.
I'll warrant, Mallin!" said Fracasse
excitedly, venting his disgust on a
particular object.
Yes, sir" answered Hugo. 1T was
very hard to maintain a semblance Of
dignity. Yes, sir, kept near you all
the time. Wasn't that what you wanted
me to do, sir?"
t Three or four men burst into hys-
terical laugh as if something had bro
ken in their threats. Everybody felt
better for this touch of drollery except
the captain. Yet, possibly, it may
have helped him in recovering his
spoise. Sometimes even pin-prick
will have this effect.
"Silence!" he said in his old man.
.ner, i will give you something to
Joke about other. than little setback
like this! Get up there with your
Irifles.. !. L, f
He formed the nucleus of firing
line under, cover of the shoulder. and
then set the remainder of his COM
pany ito work with their spades max
ing trench. The second battalion of
the 12Sth, which faced the knoll, was
also digging at the base of the slope,
and another regiment in reserve was
deploying on the plain. After the fail
,ure to rush the knoll the Gray com
mander had settled down to the bust
ness OF a systematic approach.
And what of those of Fracasse's
men who had not run but had dropped
In their tracks when the charge halt
ed? They were between two lines OF
fire. There was no escape. Some OF
the wounded had mercifully quick
end, others suffered the consciousness
of being hit again and again; the dead
were bored through with bullet holes
In torture. the survivors prayed fol
death; for all had to die except Peter.
kin, the pasty-faced little Wallets son.
/ Peterkin was quite safe, hugging the
bottom OF the shell crater under a
swarm OF hornets. In surprisingly
short time he became accustomed to