Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-06-08
WHO COMES
HERE?"
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1875, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.
Halt. Who comes here:"
Friends, with the countersigu."
Advance one aud give the counter.

change the pickets, and WAS dropped
out At poet No. !. We had fought Lee
all day long on the stransest battle.
held Vt the whole war In the Wilder
uess. From right 10 left hauk, from
front to rear. we were heInMed in by
IL which lizards and serpenls lurked.
Tickets IN which tue coy whippour-
will built It's nest. dense spots of for.
est which seemed never To have echoed
the RUG of the woodlands ux.
Post No. I was under a large tree ON
the edge Of thicEet. 1t was u lonely
place. we'll away from the camps. the
dead aud The dying. bul was glad to
be alone. had been nearly an hour
Oh the post without anything happens.
lug TO alarm me. when | heard per-
sou moving in the thicket across the
open strip.
Rustic. rustic! Step. step. 1t was
cautious movement. Whoever it was
hoped To reach NE without discovery,
but there were dead leaves underfoot,
aud the thicket was dense. hare
could not have moved without betray-
inE it's presence.
who comes here?'
There is silence for fifteen seconds,
and then woman's voice answers:
81 can't find the place! It's no dark
can't find the place..
Aye, 1t was q woman's voice. and 1t
had 4 sob IN 1t, too-a woman there liz
the darkness between the hostile lines.
with powder smoke still in the air.,
with stray bullets dartng through the
thickets with whiz rs OF some great
insect stirred to anger
who comes here:'
II wish 1t wasn't so dark! l am so
tireti!"
And then she comes across the OPEN
strip toward me. making no stop new.
or hesitating. walking straight up to-
me. as II she could see as well by,
night as in the sunshine OF day.
II can't find the place" she sobbetl
~ she came to Il stop within arms
length.
Good God, woman, what are you do.
ing here:" | gasped. almost terrified an
her presence.
See! See" she replied. holding
bundle out toward me. Zone time l
saw beautiful spot in the woods amt
said to myself that IL he died would
bury him there, but can't find It'll
can't tiud it,
What Is 1t, woman? What have YOU
got there?"
See! See! Don't he afraid He's
dead. He can't speak or move. Take
him.'
She put bundle into my arms, and
I cried out aud let my musket fall.
1t was the body Of a baby about year
| aud half old. Dead? Yes-dcad
from cruel bullet which bad pierced
ita little body and left Il great wound.
which looked horrible TO me in the dim
light; dead aud cold and bathed in
| its own blood-dead for hours. Aud
when reached out and touched the
| shawl or wrap worn by the mother my
dngers burned at the feel OF blood,
Was 1t your babyy Did you live In
the cabin beyond the thicket:'' asked.
still holding the little corpse.
He was so happy" she said as she
patted the little bare head with a
i motherly hand And was 80 hap
/, ~ too. He won't ever laugh and
crow again. Will hey I've got to find
that beautiful place and bury him.
haven't i? And you'll help me? Yes:
know you will. for you Gul't swear
| md .,,,rss. ut sno
! She had LOST her mind Think Of 1T
an insane mother wandering over q
bloody battlefield with her dead child
IN her arms. She had but one idea
to bury II In dell which she had once
visited aud remarked It's beauty, q dell
In which Federal aud Confederate were
doubtless then bulying their own dead.
krew not what to du could not
leave my post. and | did not want her
to 60 wandering farther WIS trying
to so"the aud quiet the woman when
she suddenly cried out:
All. it's not 80 dark now. aud can
mud the place. I'LL go on ahead ami
dig The grave. and you follow on with
the baby. Poor baby. He won't know
that he is buried. will he? can mud
the pa,e e. aud you
Come back. Come back" | called
10 her AZ she fed away In the dark
ness but she was .UU feet away as
she answered lDe:
"l'l fnd the place. Poor, poor
baby"
And when The relief came ] told the
story and pointed to tue bundle rest.
ing on the ground beside me.
God pity her" whispered the SER
gealit az he lifted his cap
]sod pity her." echoed all the 9th
srs rs they stood uncovered around thu
poor little corpse.
Time meant human lives that night
Grant WAS moving toy the flank Lee
was moving by the hank to match
him. The morrow WAS to witness more
slaughter : make thousands Of other
widows and orphans.
dig here" said the sergeant. and
With our bayonefs we scooped ont a
shallow grave In scarcely more than a
minutes time.
4 Carefully now. Foor little thing
Now FIJI in. That will do. God knows
where 1t lies. Fall in Forward
march,
And yet men write OF the glory OF
var,
o.
| Notice.
l.. Il