The Washburn leader., 1915-08-20
WHO COMES
HERE?"
By M. QUAD
HALT! Who comes here?"
"Friends, with the cOuntersign."
advance one and give the counter.
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

sign."
1t was the relief going the rounds to
change the pickets, and was dropped
out at post No. Z. We had fought Lee
all day long on the strangest battle
field of the whole warm the Wilder
ness. From right to left flank, from
front to rear, we were hemmed in by
forest and thicket. There were swamps
In which lizards and serpents lurked.
thickets in which the coy whippoor-
will built its nest, dense spots Of for
est which seemed never to have echoed
the ring of the woodman's ak.
Post No. Z was under large tree on
the edge of thicket. 1t was lonely
place, we'll away from the camps, the
dead and the dying, but was glad to
be alone. l had been nearly an hour
on the post without anything happen
ing to alarm me, when l heard per-
son moving in the thicket across the
open strip.
Rustic, rustic! Step, step! 1t was
q cautious movement. Whoever 1t was
hoped to reach me without discovery,
but there were dead leaves underf0ot,
and the thicket was dense. A hare
could not have moved without betray-
ing its presence.
"Who comes here?"
There is silence for fifteen seconds.
and then a woman's voice answers:
II can't find the place! It's so dark
can't find the placer
Aye, it was woman's voice, and it
had a sob in it, too-a woman there in
the darkness between the hostile lines
with powder smoke still in the air,
with stray bullets darting through the
thickets with whiz as Of some great
insect stirred to anger.
"Wh0 comes here?'
II wish It wasn't SO dark! l am SO
tired!'
And then she comes across the open
strip toward me, making no stop. new
er hesitating, walking straight up to
me, as IL she could see as well by
night as in the sunshine of day.
II can't find the place" she sobbed
as she came to a stop within arms
length.
Good God, woman, what are you do
ing here?' gasped. almost terrified at
her presence
"See! See!" she replied, holding a
bundle out toward me. Zone time
saw beautiful spot in the woods and
said to myself that If he died would
bury him there. but l can't find ft-I
can't find it!'
'What is 1t. woman? What have you
got there?''
"See! See! Don't be afraid. He's
dead. He can't speak or move. Take
him.
She put bundle into my arms, and
1 cried out and let my musket fall.
1t was the body Of baby about a year
and half old. Dead? Yes-dead
from a cruel bullet which had pierced
its little body and left great wound,
which looked horrible to me in the dim
light; dead and cold and bathed in
its own blood-dead for hours! And
when l reached out and touched the
shawl or wrap worn by the mother my
fingers burned at the feel of blood!
'Was it your baby? Did you live in
the cabin beyond the thicket?" asked.
still holding the little corpse.
"He was SO happy" she said as she
patted the little bare head with a
motherly hand. "And l was SO hap
py too! He won't ever laugh and
crow again. will he? I've got to find
that beautiful place and bury him,
haven't I? And you'll help me? Yes;
l know you will, for you don't swear
and curse at me"
She had lost her mind. Think of it
an insane mother wandering over
bloody battlefield with her dead child
in her arms. She had but one idea
to bury it in dell which she had once
visited and remarked its beauty, dell
in which Federal and Confederate were
doubtless then burying their own dead.
knew not what to do. l could not
leave my post. and did not want her
to go wandering farther. was trying
to soothe and quiet the woman when
she suddenly cried out:
"Ah, it's not SO dark now, and can
find the place! I'll 90 on ahead and
dig the grave. and you follow on with
the baby. Poor baby! He won't know
that he is buried. will he? | can find
the place. and YOU
"Come back! Come back!" called
to her as she fed away in the dark
ness. but she was 200 feet away as
she answered me:
"I'll find the place! Poor. poor
baby!'
And when the relief came l told the
story and pointed to the bundle rest
ing on the ground beside me.
"God pity herr whispered the SER
geant as he lifted his cap.
"God pity her!'' echoed all the 9TH
er5 as they stood uncovered around the
poor little corpse.
Time meant human lives that night,
Grant was moving by the flank. Lee
was moving by the dank to match
him. The morrow was to witness more
slaughter - make thousands Of other
widows and orphans.
'Dig here!' said the sergeant, and