The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-11
1871 !?
Continued from Second Page

trying to get away. II was murder.
plain self slaughter, to stay.
"Houstonr' he appealed-"Houston?
And you. toor the wooden legged
man bawled back at him. 81 shoot
you too. Go back to your place there
or you get it too! Hang you cow
ardsl Go back-go backm The wood
en- legged man in his fury drove the
others before him. Jim SUNK back
with them and stared diZzily again
out toward the East river.
1t was Houston now-who told him
that he would shoot right through the
head the first man who left his posi-
ton. who shot down a man for run
ming back-it was stark, physical fear
Of Houston that was holding Jim in
his place Jim knew that; he could
not deny it. He was planning whether
he could shoot Houston before Hous
ton killed him when he turned IL the
shells were killing every one why
weren't they killing that wooden legged
fiend who made a man lie still to be
murdered
"Oh, Gcd. kiln himr' Jim prayed
XIII him, and let me go!'
Hold your places and watch the
river! The range viii be battle sight
when you first will see anything. Put
down the leaf of your sight. When
you see them take aim-with the leaf
down-and fire slowlyw Houston was
going from man to man and looking
at the rifles He had examined Jim's
also.
Watch the river"
Jim was watching the river-that Is.
he was staring fxedly out Of the slit
between his cotton bale and the win
dow. But instead of seeing out he
seemed to be looking into a close, con.
fined room in which fame was burn
ing. 1t was blush yellow fame at
the end of pipe. and he knew that
the fame was himself Its burning was
his life. As the shells burst 70 the
room they blew the flame down and
down SO that 1t almost went out; then
slowly the fame Strengthened and burn
ed yellow till another shell came and
blew 1t almost out again. He follow
ed the fame, gasping, fascinated each
time 1t blew fat. II 1t blew out he
knew he was dead. For many min
utes-how many Jim did not know
the haIlucination held him; he saw
nothing else. Then the flame and the
pipe and all was gone, and he knew
that he saw boats taking form In the
haze over the river. Besides the shells
bursting about him he heard again the
gun which had fired from behind N
"a, and Houston's fingers fixed the
sight Of his rife and Houston's voice
commanded hin, to fire.
He fired as they were firing from
the other windows and adj up and
down the river front-riies. machine
guns, artillery; they all were going.
There boat sank; but. oh, the shells!
The gun behind was not firing any
more.
"Aim ahead OF the boats or at the
front OF them. Pick out one boat and
shoot at that; don't shift from boat to
boat Keep on one and fire slowly.
slowlyi Sight your rifles. Aim, aim,
aim, men; then firei Aim at the front
of the boatsr'
That meant the boats were coming
on. The shells! They were smother.
ing the guns on this side; they were
killing all the rest Of the ri1emen on
both sides OF N 81. There couldn't
be any question Of 1t. and the boats
were coming on. Jim and those few
men about him who hadn't been killed
yet were the only ones firing at the
boats. They were fighting all those
men alone.
Fix bayonets!''
Company F could not do that.
Though the first boats from the smoke
were dashing to the docks before N
"a; though the shell fire from across
the river had stopped now that the
regents men were landing; though
they were rushing N 81 with boat.
load after boatload OF yelling men
Company F could not move to meet
them. Company r had held under
fire. Winslow and his sergeants some
how had held his men behind the bales
of the first floor Of N "a; above. 1t had
been Houston.
Jim Ashby was the only corporal