Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-05-26

monsters of distorted imagina
ton went Gathering through on
their horses stopped to rest in the shade of the
trees which lined the streets. Salome Myers was
working with her mother in the sitting room 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 housework
without wailing
For a 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 the tramp OF body of
infantrymen coming up the street. She was only
human, and ran to the front window and threw 1t
up. 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. Saome slept little
All night long the military shouts ringing.
sharp orders and sudden challenges echoed
through the streets.
In the morning she darted to the window There
not a sign OF the Confederates They had
gone. little after breakfast another rumble and
clatter was heard All dashed to the windows
peered out. then tore into the street yelling like
mad. 1t was the Union meE gallcpng in. They
poured past in seemingly inexhaustble numbers
The villagers, free TO mingle once more ran about
eXctedly. Salome soon found her place among
the girls of her own age, who thrilled and
Rwed she.
Suddenly the cry around: "Buford's cavalry
Is coming. They've ridden all the way from Vir-
ginia without stop" and cheer of welcome
followed the over the town.
When they had passed an 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
buildings. and sometimes the glass from break
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.
Late in the afternoon Doctor Fulton came to the
head of the stairs and called down He asked II
there any women below who could help
caro- 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 woman 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 tsToans, shrieks
and cries were echoing in the interior A couple
Of men brushed past her with of the stretch
ers between them. She glanced down. A face
covered with blood was all she saw, A weakness
gripped her heart and she staggered TO one side
Someone inside was cursing with persistent bias
phemy Somehow the vigor and uaturalneSs OF
the act brought back her self-possession, and she
marched inside. The floor was covered with blood.
Men with legs or arms gone were rolling and tum-
bling over still, silent figures. Others were scream
ing and cIutching their mangled bodies in help
less and maudln suffering. sickeninG odor sent
the girls head reeling again AT her feet man
lay watching her with dull bleared eyes. She
dropped on one knee and tried to speak to him.
She had no voice. Her hand trembled and she
started violently as she touched him. Finally she
Etammered, What can do for you?"
Nothing" he murmured slowly. I'm going to
die" and he smiled feebly. 1t was too much. She
fed to the church steps. quiverng and sobbing in
long gasps.
1t was near sundown and the end OF 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 on the i'm
pulse inspired by she knew not what, she scurried
back into the shambles. She avoided glalcing at
the ROOM but knet at the head of the man to
whom she had first spoken. He was brighter and
smiled when she raised his head for a draft of
water She opened his clothing and found a
wound in his breast, She bathed 1t gently. A
doctor passiug told her that the man had been
shot through the lung and that his spine shat
tered There was no hope. She looked down at
the doomed man with great eyes. He tug.
ginE at his belt and pulled out a pocket Bible.