The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-05-27


ton went Gathering through
their horses or stopped in the shade of the
trees which lined the streets. Salome Myers
working with her mother in the sitting pre-
pairing the midday meal Mrs. Myers was not one
to wall and weep at the approach of armed men,
She proceeded calmly about her routine homework
without Wailing
For time Salome wound the strips of linen and
cotton rapidly did her mother, and gave no
more thought to the outside noises than did the
older woman; but at length the girl heard a louder
noise than usual. 1t was the tramp of a body of
fnfantrymen coming up the street She only
human, and ran to the front window and threw it
up. A large squad of Confederates were bringing
some Federal prisoners into town.
There were signs of increasing excitement
among the Confederates Orderlies went clatter-
ing up and down the street. and men were clean
ing rifles in anticipation of Immediate conflict
Nothing happened that night. Salome slept little
All night long the military shouts were ringing
sharp orders and sudden challenges echoed
through the streets.
In the morning she darted to the window. There
was not sign Of the Confederates They had
gone. little after breakfast another rumble and
CHATTER heard. All dashed to the windows
peered out, then tore into the street yelling like
mad 1t the Union meE gaIIoping in They
poured past in seemingly inexhaustibIe numbers
The villagers, free to mingle once more, ran about
excitedly. Salome soon found her place among
the girls of her own age who as thrilled and
awed she.
suddenly the cry ran around: "BufOrd'S cavalry
is coming. They've ridden all the way from Vir-
ginia without STOP" and cheer of welcome
followed the news over the town
When they had passed orderly dashed
through the town calling upon all the villagers to
go to their cellars The battle was about to begin
AS they were filing into their houses the first guns
roared out, and gradually grew in number and
volume until the windows chartered steadily in
their easements. All day they crouched in the
cellar. Now and then bullet would strike the
bIJiI6 and op1oS IL
ing window would tinkle that they could hear
it from the recesses of their retreats. Troops
went rushing by, sometimes silently, sometimes
with loud huzZas.
head of the stairs and called Down. He asked if
there were any women below who could help
care for the wounded. Mrs. Myers replied that
of course there were, and started up the stairs.
Salome would have followed, but her father halted
his wife and tried to persuade her of the danger.
But the good determined, and conse-
quently they all went up. The Catholic church
close by had been turned into hospital
The girl darted out of the house and across the
lawn At the church door she halted. She did
not dare look inside. Horrible groans, shrieks
and cries were echoing in the interior. couple
of brushed past her with one of the stretch
ers between them. She glanced down. face
covered with blood was all she saw. A weakness
gripped her heart and she staggered to side.
Someone inside was cursing with persistent bias
phemy. Somehow the vigor and naturalness of
the act brought back her SelT-pOSSoSSlOn, ana Sne
marched inside. The floor covered with blood.
Men with legs arms gone were rolling and tunn-
bling over still, silent figures. Others scream
ing and clutching at their mangled bodies in help
less and maudlin suffering. A sickening odor sent
the girls head reeling again. At her feet man
lay watching her with dull bleared eyes. She
dropped knee and tried to speak to him.
She had no voice. Her hand trembled and she
started violently as she touched him. Finally she
stammered, What do for your"
Nothing" he murmured slowly. I'm going to
die" and he smiled feebly. It was too much. She
fed to the church steps, Quivering and sobbing In
long gasps.
1t was shutdown and the end Of a horrible
day. The babel grew worse and worse. Doctors
as bloody as any of the wounded men hurried
here and there. Nurses in and out bearing
bandages and buckets of water. Slowly Salome
rose to her feet She-would go back In, she could
bear it now she thought, and acting the i'm
pulse inspired by she knew not what she scurried
back into the shambles. She avoided glancing at
the room, but knelt at the head of the to
whom she had first spoken. He brighter and
smiled when she raised his head for draft of
water. She opened his clothing and found
wound in his breast. She bathed it gently. A
doctor passing told her that the man had been
shot through the lung and that his spine shat
tered. There hope. She looked down at
the doomed man with great eyes. He was tug
ging at his belt and pulled out pocket Bible