The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-12-18

! eflLdDle, became the Impulse OF all.
Soon a thousand white signals of sur
render were blossoming AS the firing
abruptly ceased, Marta heard the faint
roar of the mighty huzzas Of the hunt
ers over the size Of their bag.
Some doctors of different regiments
thrown together in the havoc of rem
nants Of many organizations, with the
help Of hospital-corps men, were try
ing to extricate the wounded from
among the dead. They heard a wom-
ans voice and saw a woman's face.
They did not wonder at her presence,
for them to wonder at. Had an imp
from hell or an angel from heaven ap-
| peared, or shower of diamonds fallen
from the sky, they would not have
been surprised. Their duty was clear;
there was work of their kind to do,
endless work. Units of the broken ma
chine, in the instinct of their calling
they struggled with the duty nearest
at hand. They begged her to go back
to the house; this was no place for
| her.
But Marta did not want safety. Dan
| ger was sweet; 1t was expiation. She
was helping, actually helping; that
was enough. She envied the peaceful
dead-thCy had no nightmares-as she
aided the doctors in separating the
bodies that were still breathing from
those that were not; and she steeled
herself against every CHASTITY sight
save one, that of a man lying with his
legs pinned under a wagon body. His
jaw had been shot away. Slowly he
was bleeding to death, but he did not
realize it. He realized nothing in his
delirium except the nature of his
wound. He was dipping his finger in
the cavity and. dab by dab, writing
Kill met" on the wagon body. 1t sent
Keeling waves of red before her eyes.
Then she'll burst near her and doc
tor cried out:
"She's hit!"
But Marta did not hear him. She
heard only the dreadful crack of the
splitting shrapnel jacket. She had
sense of falling, and that was ALL
The next that she knew she was in
long chair on the veranda and the
vague shadows bending over her grad
ually identified themselves as her
mother and Minna.
Il remember when you were telling
Of the last war that you didn't swoon
at the sight of the wounded, mother"
Marta whispered.
Mrs. Galland.
Marta ceased to be only a conscious
ness swimming in a haze. With the
return Of her faculties, she noticed
that both her mother and Minna were
looking significantly at her forearm;
so she looked at it, too. 1t was
bandaged.
"A cut from a shrapnel fragment"
said doctor. mot Deep" he added.
do get an iron cross? ?" she asked,
smiling family. 1t was rather pleasant
to be alive.
"All the crosses-iron and bronze
and silver and gold!" he replied.
All firing except occasional scattered
shots had now ceased in the immedi-
ate vicinity. though in the distance
could be heard the snarl of the firmer
resistance that the Grays were max
ing at some other point. The Galland
house, for the time being, was isolated
in possession of neither side.
isn't there something else can do
to help with the wounded?" Marta
asked. She longed for action in order
to escape her thoughts.
you've had terrible shock-when
you are stronger" said the doctor.
When you have had something to
eat and drink" observed the practical
Minna authoritatively.
Marta would not have the food
brought to her, She insisted that she
was strong enough to accompany
Minna to the tower. While Minna
urged mouthfuls down Martas dry
throat as she sat outside the door of
the sitting-room with her mother a
number of weary dust-streaked faces,
with feVerish energy in their eyes,
peered over the hedge that bounded
the garden on the side toward the pass.
ASoO SSSal 6hlA VI oil dIlSA1 .
men of the SD Regiment of the
Browns made beckonina; gestures as
to a crowd, before they sprang over
the hedge and ran swiftly, watchfully.
toward the linden stumps, closely fol-
lowed by their comrades Soon the
whole garden was overrun by the lean,
businesslike fellows, their glances all
ferret-like to the front.
Look, Minna!" exclaimed Marta.
The giant who carried the old man in
pickaback the first night of the war!"
Minna was flushing, but the flush
dissipated and she drew up her chin
when Stransky, looking around, recog-
nized her with a merry, confident
wave of his hand.
See, he's a captain and he wears
an iron cross!" said Marta as Stransky
FASTENED toward them.
HE acts like it," aGsented Minna