Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1915-03-19

and disconnected. In the coDtn
haif-blinded by dust and smo,
blood and the glare of the niti,
gust sun, they turned tbis esS
that, and thrust at friends 90 way
at enemies. - 0i'e
Through them went tba
no, only eighteen nv eu'y
they reached the flag. formos
wall Of steel around it, and basar
by step, to climb the hin ra sau'
the lost ground over the bodies
slain. Up. up they went. hail,
back toward the shattered linz >,
their bayonets working savagolr
newcomers infiamed with The ee =,
battle, and those they had ~"
thrilled with new hope and cor.a
Up, then, to the very crest
hill. e'' OF
And suddenly wave Of oho.
swept along the ragged linz az
Ihe.-th had seen its flag 90 back
down; had thought it lost. had ~
theless, fought on desperately
iessly-borne back by superior i
bers. But now-the flag!
The cheer rippled and then 70
along the line.
An officer, seeing the flag ho.
the cheer, had one of those insnirot
that sometimes come to men IN
crises, that sometimes win battles i
battles are already lost. He leanol
front of his wavering line, grabbd|
rife from the hands of a dead sold
helped a wounded bugler to his +
and gave a sharp command
Over that bloody field above
sounds of rifle and cannon and 81
ing, rang out the call to the oh.
The line leaped to it's feet.
In the front, to the right Duu|
forgetting everything but the lust
battle, fired Tith a new kind of 4
snatched the flag from the hands
the lettering boy. raised it high All
his head and, followed by the ele|
that were left of his twenty mem
many others and then the whole lin
went shrieking into the astonis|
ranks of the enemy.
The clash was ferocious, ud
pected, irresistible.
The German line shrank before
steel, faltered and gave way. h
oneted in the back. dubbed shot
slashed at by the inspired demons
blue and red, the German soldiers q
way and fed, stopping only in the s.
ter of their guns and support
cavalry.
And when it was over, and the d
line halted breathless, exhaust
bleeding, with half its number IN
dead or wounded on the field. tEI
came a curious kind of silence in al
tie group of men gathered around
flag. In the center of the group ST
Duprez, with the flagstaff clutched
his breast, the tattered rag" float
softly above his head.
Ho woc hatIocc
A bayonet had torn hole in
coat. Blood flowed from sd
wound and redeemed his pale "a
He looked around him, and his q
glowed with a fire that was differ
from that his comrades had seen
fore. He smiled as he studied
faces of his small command.
"Tillier!" he called out.
HE has fallen!" answered onel
the twenty.
"Duval!"
"Here!" came the reply from
few feet away, where soldier IN
his head from the midst of group
wounded and dead, the last to ~
fallen.
"Martineau!"
"Here!" answered sturdy va
as the man stepped forward.
The eyes of the two men met
there was a moments pause.
you were the last to be conVlhV
Martineau," said Duprez.
"But am ready now-for the SAY
fice-for the great protest" the sola
quietly replied. Owe have shown y
we are no towards. Lead on!
us throw down our guns again. !
the flag, and march into the GefI
lines singing our song OF 1reeuOiI
the International"
For an instant Duprez rega,I
him strangely. Then his face ign
up; he Strengthened himself clu''I
the tricolor tighter to his breast
took two steps backward. >,
"Some day, Martineau-yeS'
cried. "But now"
He reached his free hand lh1I
pocket, drew forth the ragged 'Osu
of his gospel OF antimilitarlsm,, u :.
brotherhood of man, and nelu
at full arms length. in
A long time he regarded IT, 49, na,'
spiritual struggle plainly rene''''
his face. .;do
The book had been his guioS' j
comfort in times of trouble u
Bible to his free-thinking mllu - u
ing promises of true freeoon, ~
peace that has never yet come -, - !
world, but is to come, Wnen u, ~ bsA