Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-12

6wAmp! The thought Du00enly ~
rsasv ~ head ID ne. We are running
blindly straisht INTO the swamp. Only
another twenty paces now-already
the foremost have reached II. and,
senseless In their terror. Jump into Il
the water spurts mp Highland now
what has happened now? Their feet
are stuck fast-thsy tilt over forwards
they claw for something to hold on
to-the rife flies out of their hand
and face forward they plunge into
the water-and close on our heels
they come stamping up-the tight.
packed, maddened mob.
Back! Get back!"
But every one has ceased to BE- con.
scious Of what he 10 doing. And
though our eyes start out Of our head
at the terror we see in front Of us.
death IL breathing its cold breath into
the back Of our neck.
And into the gufgling water. wrig-
Cling with bodies and alive with lungs.
over human bodies writing beneath
the water, death tramples us to tho
other bank. Any man who goes down
ia lost, for they are pressing on be-
hind US past all holding. The water
Is already up to our armpits. But
there Is a firm bottom beneath our
feet. True, the bottom may clutch at
US. and cling round our feet. True. the
water may bite savagely at our hesh
with teeth and with nails. But what
ovar v,ox, ho <r,,i,, - "a Aeo- ~. doun IN
itself from below. We trample under
foot The shoulders OF form
emerge: they plunge down again, and
disappear. The faces OF drowning men
emerge and cleave to the light, and
sink gursling into the depths. Lost
arms wave about In the air and try
to- find support on the surface Of the
water. We dodge these arms, for
'whomever they may seize they draw
down with them to death.
And in the thick Of this hurry .burly
OF death. amid these whistling lungs.
amid these painting. red. panic-stricken
faces, the cloud of shells strikes homo.
and hurls It's hail Of iron overhead.
The water spurts up In jets.
And again!
Explosions and screams, and the
kissing Of lead. and the shrieks OF
men, and blood and water foam up.
till no one knows whether he has been
hit or is still alive; for in front Of me
so close that could clutch tt see
a jugular vein, ripped through, squirt
ing in an arch like fountain-and In
his blood the fellow hit staggers back.
and blood and howls surfeit the black
food, until it is at length redeemed
with human blood-Get on! get on!
Don't look round! There-the other
hank over there! There life Is stand
Ing and spreading out his arms to-
ward us. Get on! Before they have
murdered ali Of US in this swamp! Get
up! Get up! Thank God! Tho wa
ter's falling! Only up to the hips now
only up to the knees.
Our feet leap on to the dry. blessed
land and strike forward beyond all
control. and race over the field. They
refuse to obey any order. They are
racing-racing toward the protection
Of the forest beckoning us OF its
mercy.
+ There! Headlong In among the
trees. and into the bushes, into the
thorns. There they are falling lifeless
to the ground. their faces buried In
the soil, and they are squeezing their
eyes tight, to shut out the sight OF
the accursed blue of heaven that spat
down on us SO treacherously-You
dogs! You beasts! To shoot US down
from behind-it is nothing more nor
less than cowardly assassination.
And slowly breath and conscious
ness return to us again. and VIXEN we
have come to our senses we look at
one another with dumb eyes. and these
eyes presage naught that is good
A great, unspeakable horror that
will never be allayed again has risen
N these eyes.
ITO Be Contirued.)