The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-09

exploding just below there.
Column forward. Forward some
one was beseeching now. not ordering
"C1ose up. men! Oh, close up.
Corporal Ashby gazed duly at the
back of the n1en in front Of him. then
to Kilbane marching at his side. The
Irish boys face chalk white. Jim
knew that his skin was as bloodless
and his legs were as unsteady as be
strobe.
@Close upl Oh, hang it, close up?
Jim stumbled forward, certain the
cry must be meant for him. But Kill
bane scurried similarly at the same
instant like others all about Shell 4
fire. Big explosive shell fire! So this
was it. and they were marching into
It! "You low gutter You rotten COW /
ard!'' Jim's lips whispered at himself
go on. You've got to go. and you. re /
| got to walk straight You low. sneak I
| ing, cowardly -quitter."
As a shell burst in building Jim /
swayed-blind, deaf, insensible
sShell shock That's air. some one
| was reassuring.
Get up everybody You're all right
Get upi Get up!"
Scores were stunned. Some were
mildly mad or babbling, quite insane.
Wray, the major, called the men and
women who appeared from cellars.
Take these men TO safe places.
please, and look after them. They'll
probably come around all right after
while. You can get doctor, can't
your One Of you is a doctor? That's
| good" He detailed a couple OF the less
injured soldiers to assist. when those
men recover you'd better join any
other battalion you can find, unless you
happen to learn where We'll be.
Wray, with the captains and the
lieutenants, was reforming the com
panies by physical force, pulling about
the men and pushing them into posi-.
tion. Were going to the subway
nowr' the officers promised. Were
going as direct as we can to the sub.
wayv'
The battalion dazedly formed in col
umn. @Forwardr' The men trailed
through the debris In the avenue and
went on Column rightw 1t was
marching on a cross street. with Cen
trail park on the right. It passed the
end of Fifth avenue and went on. Jim
recognized Columbus circle The col
4 umn beaded for the kiosk TO the sub
0 way and halted. The major went
Q ahead to make explanations. The col
d umn learned, while it waited, that the
e subway or the power plant or some
, thing had been damaged so that only
Il a few trains might be run, and the
2 whole subway system had been taken
e over by the military. Wray reappear.
e ed. Evidently he had won dispense
} ton for his men suffering from shell
} shock Company q began to file down
b | under the street, F gratefully followed
10 into the subterranean world where the
i sound of the shells-eVen those shells
e which tore whole business squares to
bits and killed or crazed score of mer
9 without marking them-was dull and
[e distant and where you could lie back
q on the rattan seat Of steel car and be
ID quite safe again. Where the train was
d taking the battalion and why no one
at that moment seemed to care.
10 Swenson, who sat beside Jim, wa
i'd opening and closing bis hands and star
q ing at them. "That's funny" he salt
be- slowly. ct was my right I couldn'
Il feel moving. Now it's the left"
. Jim again tried the muscles Of hi
4. hands and feet. Kilbane appealed t
). him In a whisper. .Is siven time min
), sixty threeY'
Il Jim considered Then he nodded.
K "You've awful pain here?" Kilban
nj touched the back of his head
"AwfuIw
lie "Then you. and neil watch aich 9th
he er. They make you dippy after awhil
hs sometimes. we've heard?"
IN Eyes. I'VE heard"
PIC "Worth street, an officers voic
m warned. s4The next Is ours. boys
nd Brooklyn bridge"
10 Did that mean marching on the SUI
en face again or going in cars exposed
20 fire? Why couldn't every one stay !
lie the subway? It went to Brooklyn SAT
III deep down under the river. The trai
III stopped and every one got out. Th
battalion started up to the street III
iat shells! They were bursting eeaselessi
Up Just above. The conclusion of theI
Ell battered down the subway stairs an
eel the noise above was awful. Not onl
me the shells-screams also and cries {
icy men In panic, terrified, beaten
al Forward boysl Come on, ever.
me bodyi Forward
ers Smoke black, binding smoke. b.
ne and scorching eddied down into Il
ca subway. The battalion struggle
through it. There was fight at Il
top of the stairs Soldiers were tryiI
to turn back men who were erushiI
tne to get into the subway. They stru
ay. gled and swore. The battalion brougl
cen help to the guards and cleared Il
me stairs. Company E, following Compar
e, came out to the street The Ell
ON Of Brooklyn bridge lay before theI
shrouded in the smoke which rose fro
.sr the tenement blocks which were bur
lost ing. From the smoke men stagger'
and stumbled-men In uniform al
p with rifles, uniformed men witho
guns, and others without uniform
oys rife, but wearing the arm bands al
re the brown shirts of American reerui
men Shells burst above them and seiIrri
Oh them on. These were not the monst
. shells which had been striking fuffh
- up In the city. These We're smaller q
- came much quicker and burst with Z
u different sorts of defamation One g
III fFwf. Exxrwxy xxi