Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-12-09
WHO COMES
HERE?"
BY Nj. QUAD
Copyright. isl5. by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.
Halt. Who comes here"
Friends, with the couutersiym."
Advance one and give the couater


Il WAS the relief going the rounds To
change the ptckets. and was dropped
out al post No. T. We had fought, Lee
all duy long on the strangest battle
Held OF the whole war In the Wilder
hess. From right i. lef, dunk. from
front to rear. we We're hclnmest n by
forest and thicker. There were sWamps
IN which lizards and serpents iurked.
Tickets IL, which the COY whtppo0r-
will built its nest dense spots Of fnr.
est which seemed never To have ech,sed
rlie ring OF the woDduan's AK.
Post No. : war under large tree Oh
the edge VI Il thicket. Ii WAS lonely
place. well away from the camps. the
dead and the dying, but was glad to
be- alone. had been nearly IN honr
on the post without anything hapIen-
ing To alarm me. when heaed per.
non moving In The thicket ACROSS the
open strip.
Hustle. rustic. Step, step. 1t was
. cautious movement. Whoever It was
hoped to reach me without discovery.
tut there were dead leaves Anderfoot,
and the thtcket was dense. A bare
could not have moved without betrsy.
Ing its presence.
Who comes here?"
There ia silence tor fifteen seconds.
and then.a woman's voice answers:
II can't fud the place! It's 80 dark
can't Ind the place. -
NJ
had sob IN 1t. too-a woman there in
the darkness between the hostile lines
with powder smoke etill In the air.
with stray bullets darling through the
thickets with whi1 ~ Of some great
insect stirred to anger.
Who comes here?"
II wish 1t wasn't 40 dark. ! am 60
tired"
And then she comes acyoss 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 rs in the sunshine Of day.
Il can't and the place" she sebbed
IA she came to stop within arms
length
Good God, woman. what are you do
ing here:" capped. aimort terrified at
lr.r presence. :.
See! See." sbs replied, holding
bundle out toward me. ''Onc time
saw bsautitu, spot In the woods and
said to myself that IL he died l would
hurry him there. but can't find It'll
cant find it,
What is it, woman. What have yeu
got thrre::"
See. See! Don't b. afraid. Hes
dead He can't speak or move. Take
hlm"
She put bundle into my arms. arr,
cried out and let my musket fall.
II Was the body OF baby about year
aud II half old. Dead? Yes-dead
from cruel bullet which had pierced
TIA 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 reached ont aud touched the
shawl or wrap worn 10y the mother my
fingers burned at the feel of blood
Was it YOUR baby? Did you live in
the cabin hey olld the thicket?" asked.
sttsl holding the little corpse.
He was 80 happy" she said az she
patted the little bare head with
niotherly hand And ! WAS 40 hap.
~ TOO! Tie Won't ever laugh and
crow asain. will he? I've got to dud
that '-an'tTni place aud bury him.
hasen't {? Aud !oull help me? Yes;
I know you will. for you don't swear
and curse at ne.
She had last her mind. Think OF it
M ,hsane mother wandering over
bloody battlefield With her dead child
III her arms. She had hut one idea
tn bury 1t In dell whic, she hsl once.
visited and remarked It's beauty. n dell
III whlrh Federal aud Confederate were
doubtless then bulying their own dead.
- klcw not what 10 do. | could nor
leave my post. aud ! did not want her
~ go wandering tnrthcl. was trying
tn soothe and quiet the woman when
she suddenly cried out ~
''Ah. its not 50 dark now. mud can
tud the place! III so on ahead aud
dig the grave. aud you fu!!"n on with
the baby. t'oor baby! lie won't know
that hc Is buried. will he! can md
The pla e. aud you
Cone back. Come hack" | called
10 her as She ne,i away in the dark.
hess. Int she was 2OO feet away as
she nr swered me:
In find the place! Poor. poor
baby
And when the relief came told the
story and pointed to the bundle rest
In. on the ground beside me.
God pity her. whispered the SER
seant as he lifted his cap.
God pity her," echoed all the 9th
ers ns they stood uncovered around the
I","r little corpse.
Time meant human lives that night.
Grant was moving by the nank. Lee
~as moving by the flank to match
nun. The morrow was to witness more
daughter make thousands of other
widows and orphans.
Dig here" said the sergeant. and
With our bayonets we scooped out a
shallow grave In scarcely more than a
minutes time.
Carefully now! Poor little thing.
Now Ill fn That will do. God knows
Where 1t lies! Fall In. Forward.
march,
And vet men write Of the glory of
war.
Worked in the Nay Field
writes: II have been troubled
with bladder and kidney troubles