The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-14

e0 over written orders. The command came down the column: "Forward. march,"
 Certainly the shells were bursting closer than a few minutes ago. and they were coming more often, too There was big fire lower down in the city-several big fires. The smoke blew in great streamers across the sky to- ward the Hudson. How the big shells were coming! Breakfast under fire? Jim had forgotten breakfast. He felt no hunger to remind him of it. He did not need to eat. There was talk ing in the ranks, ple::ty of talking but no one spoke of needing to eat. =
 What sight was Madison avenue! If all the throngs who had crowded the boats on the river, the trains and the roads north of the city had fled from New York, where could these people be coming from? Well, some of them were coming from houses and flats and stores, right there on the avenue. Old men, middle aged men, and boys. Men -gesturing wildly and excited men stam- mering and furious, men quiet and pale snd too calm were leading their fami- lies from their homes to start flight to end-where and how?
 That she'll. There was no doubt that the shells were bursting farther up town and were coming more often. Women screamed and children cried. Men cursed madly. What was the matter with the fofts-what were they doing?t Where was the army and all the men who had volunteered? Some one started cheer for the soldiers marching down the car tracks. The cars in Madison avenue for some req son were not running.
 -'Where're you from, boysT'
 '4Illinois."
 ''Hurray! Hurray. Some more of the Illinois boysl Hurray! Hurray! Say, some of you, fellows are hurt! Been fighting? Where? How did it come out?'
 "No, Train wreck!" recruit con fessed. rt
 Bridge blown up before us by spiesv' some one corrected quickly. i've lost half OUT men!'' he boasted. Where you going7 Leng 1sland73
 "Don't know. Hope so.'' VI
 "They need you there. Our boys were beaten this morning. The re gents landing hundred thousand men and they're marching on New York. Oh, there's another one. They're she'll ing New York Those shells, they're exploding just below therer'
 'Column forwardi Forwardv' sohe one was beseeching now. not ordering. "ClOse up, men! Oh, close upr'
 Corporal Ashby gazed duly at the back of the men 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 he strode., F,
 Jim stumbled forward, certain the cry must be meant for him. But Kil- bane scurried similarly at the same instant like others all about Shell fire. Big explosive shell fire! So this was 1t, and they were marching into 1t! You low quitter. You rotten cow ardv' Jim's lips whispered at himself "Gol on. You've got to go, and you've got to walk straight You low, sneak ing, cowardly quittert As q shell burst in building Jim swayed- blind, deaf, insensible.
 "Shell shock! That's allr' some one was reassuring. '
 Get up everybody You're all right! Get upl Get upv N |A Scores were stunned Some were mildly mad or babbling, quite insane. Wray, the major. called tie 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 a while. You can get doctc-, can't you? One, of you is a doctor1 That's good" He detailed couple of the less injured boldiers to assist "When those men recover you'd better join any other battalion you can find, unless you happen to learn where wen 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- ton. Were going to the subway nowr' the officers promised. Were going as direct as we can to the sub- wayw
 The battalion dazediy formed in col umn. "Forwardr' The men trailed through the debris in the avenue and went on. Column right!' It was ,, marching on cross street, with Cen tral park on the right. It passed the end of Fifth avenue and went on. Jim recognized Columbus circle. The col urnn beaded for the kiosk to the sub
 way and halted. The major went ahead to maAc explanations. The col umn learned, while it waited, that the subway or the power plant or some l thing had been damaged so that ort'v few trains might bel run, and tue whole subway system had been taken l oyer blythe military. Wray reappear- ed. Evidently he had won dispensa- tion for his men suffering from shell shock. Company E began to file down
 under the street. F gratefully followed into the subterranean world where the | sound of the shells-even those shells | which tore whole business squares to bits and killed or crazed score of men | without marking them-77was dull and distant and where you could lie back | o,x tho %fo Ccof fsf o cfool- p>4nd hn