Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-03-19


blood and the glare OF the pitiless Au-
gust sun, they turned this way and
that. and thrust at friends as often as
at enemies.
Through them went the twenty-one
no, only eighteen by now-until
they reached the flag, formed new
wall of steel around it, and began, step
by step, to climb the hill. recovering
tho lost ground over the bodies of the
slain. Up, up they went; back, back,
back toward the shattered line Of blue,
their bayonets working savagely, the
newcomers inflamed with the lust of
battle, and those they had rescued
thrilled with new hope and courage.
Up, then. to the very crest Of the
And suddenly wave of cheering
swept along the ragged line of blue.
The TIL had seen it's flag go back and
down; had thought it lost; had, never
thcless, fought on desperately, hope.
lessly-borne back by superior mum.
bers But now-the flag!
The cheer ripplcd and then roared
along the line.
An officer, seeing the flag, hearing
the cheer, had one of those inspirations
that sometimes come to men in such
crises, that sometimes win battles when
battles are already lost He leaped in
front Of his wavering line, grabbed a
rifle from the hands of dead soldier,
helped wounded bugler to his feet,
and gave sharp command
Over that bloody field, above the
sounds Of rifle and cannon and shout
ing, rang out the call to the charge
The line leaped to its feet.
In the front, to the right, Duprcz,
forgetting everything but the lust for
battle. fired with new kind of fury,
snatched the flag from the hands of
the tottering boy. raised it high above
his head and, followed by the eleven
that were left of his twenty men-and
many others and then the whole line
went shrieking into the astonished
ranks of the enemy
The clash was feroctous, unex-
pected, irresistible.
The German line shrank before the
steel, faltered and gave way. Bay
oneted in the back, dubbed, shot and
slashed at by the inspired demons In
blue and red, the l. erman soldiers gave
way and fed, stopping only in the shell
ter Of their guns and supporting
cavalry
And when 1t was over, and the blue
line halted breathless, exhausted,
bleeding, with half it's number lying
dead or wounded on the field, there
came curious kind of silence in a lit
tie group of men gathered around the
flag. In the center OF the group stood
Duprez, with the flagstaff clutched to
his breast, the tattered rag" floating
softly above his head.
He was hatless.
A bayonet had torn hole in his
coat. Blood flowed from a scalp
wound and Redeemed his pale face.
He looked around him. and his eyes
glowed with fire that was different
from that his comrades had seen be-
fore. He smiled as he studied the
faces of his small command.
"Tillier!" he called out.
| ''He has fallen!" answered one of
the twenty.
"Duval!"
"Here!" came the reply from a
few feet away, where soldier lifted
his head from the midst of group Of
wounded and dead, the last to have
fallen
"Martineau!"
"Here!" answered a sturdy voice
as the man stepped forward.
The eyes of the two men met, and
| there was moments pause.
you were the last to be convinced,
Martineau," said Duprez.
"But am ready now-for the sacri-
fice-for the great protest." the soldier
quietly replied. I'VE have shown that
! we are no towards. Lead on! Let
us throw down our guns again, and
the flag, and march into the German
lines singing our song of freedom
the 'International!'
For an instant Duprez regarded
him strangely. Then his face lighted
up; he Strengthened himself, clutched
the tricolor tighter to his breast, and
took two steps backward.
Some day, Martineau-yes!" he
cried. "But now"
He reached his free hand into his
pocket, drew forth the ragged volume
Of his gospel of antimilitarism, of the
brotherhood of man, and held it up
at full arms length.
A long time he regarded it, with
spiritual struggle plainly reflected on
his face.
The book had been his guide, his
comfort in times of trouble, a very
Bible to his free-thinking mind, hold
ing promises of true freedom, of the
peace that has never yet come to the
world, but is to come. when the war
drums throb no longer and the battle
flags are furled."
There was regret and pain IN his
tortured, blood-stained visage-only
for a moment.
Then a swift ard dramatic trans