Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-07

!
CHAPTER XVIII.
0soakfss4 Undsr Firs.
~ OMPANY r fled out the. front
door Of the car. Corporal Jim
~ Ashhy-his'squad numbered two
other man besides Knbane and
ewenson- led his four across the
tracks, avoiding third rails. He climb
ed the barriers Of the railroad right
Of way ana led on 10 Madison avenus.
The shells scanned TO be bursting close.
TIE shock Of detonation rocked the
al and al about windows were bro
ken. The whlts and blss Gag of Com
pany b was on the corner Of u1th
strest An but two Of the men who
had answered roll can after the wreck
replied now. Tho battalion nd not de-
lay for those.
A sergeant, IN the khaki Of the reg
ular army, rode up ON motorcycle. he
found Major wray. saluted. and hand.
ed over written orders. The command
came down the column: Forward.
march"
Certainly the shells were bursting
closer than few minutes ago. and
they ware coming more often, too.
There was big Ere lower down in the
city-ssyersl big dres. The smoke blew
In CREST STEAMERS across the sky to-
ward TIE Hudson. How the big shells
were comingl Breakfast under are?
Jim had forgotten breakfast. He felt
- hunger to remind him Of It. He
did mot need TO eat There was talk
ing IN the ranks. plenty Of talking, but
no ono spoke Of needing to eat.
What Z sight was Madison avenuel
II Ill tho throngs who had crowded the
boats on the river, the trains, and the
roads north Of the otty bad hed from
New Turk, where could these people
b coming from7 Well, some Of them
were coming from houses and fats and
stores. right there on the avenue Old
mon, middle aged men, and boys. Men
gesturdng wtlo. and excited, men STAN
mesing and fur1e ,. men quiet and pale
and too calm were Leading their fami-
lies from their homes to start flight
to end-where and howl
That SHELF There was no doubt that
the shells were bursting farther up
town and were coming moro often.
Wensn screamed and children cried.
Men c1sDsd madly. What was the
matter With the f0ts-What wers they
doing? WARs was The army and al
the men ~ had voiuntsersd1 Some
one started Q chesr Tor The soldiers
marching down the car tracks. Tho
cars In Madison avenue Dor some rea-
son were not running.
"Where'rs you from, boysT
'Illinois.s
"Hursayl Hurray. Some more Of the
Illinois boys! Hurrayi Hurray! Say,
some Of you fellows are hurt! Been
nshting7 Whers7 How did Il come
outr
aNo. Train wrsckr' recruit con-
fessed.
bridge blown up before % BY spiesr'
some one corrected quickly. I'VE lost
half our men, be boasted.
where you soing7 Long Isiandr'
"Don't know. Hope sog'
They need you there. Our boys
were beaten this morning. The Ne
gents landing hundred thousand men
and they're marching ON New York. Oh,
there's another one. They're shell
49, Me- vo,a r1o.o obaI1S thovsro
exploding just below therer'
Column forward! Forward" some
ono was bsseeching now, not ordering.
'Closs up mont Oh, close up!"
Corporal Ashby gazed duly at tho
back Of the men in front Of him. then
70 Kilbans marching at his side. Tho
Irish boy1s face chalk white. Jim
knew that hi skin was as biz Aless
and hi hGs were 10 unsteady o. hs
strobe.
@Closs upi oh. hang It, close upr'
Jim stumbled forward, certain the
cry must b meant for him. But XII
bane scurriad similarly at the Same
instant IKE others all about Shell
fire. Big explosive shen fire! SO this
was It, and they were marching into
It! ''You low gutter. You rotten COW.
ardl' Jim's lips whispered at himself.
eco on. You've got to 30, and you've
got to walk straight You low, sneak
ing, cowsrdly gutter"
As 4 shell burst In building Jim
swayed- blind, deaf, insenhble.
I'M HSo