The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-06
ABIave Man Afraid
Of His Shadow
D. r. A Mitchell

ommander OF the Bulgarian forces
ating q cur right. We are within
. deem miles Of them. and 1t is
sary hat We come together. There
rod 1oading In that direction. and
have 10 90 on foot. But the moon
AIRY full, and your way win be
ed Here = the written message.
nteaAnt Ooermeir took the mes
mlutod and left his superior,
fng ot once. The general had
en- correctly in saying that the
. was nearly full. but when ober.
got bsyond the tip Of the army's
he looked mp to see that a film
lot Was spread over II and the sky
TIT
rell,. - MD TO himself. Il shall
no shadow. Tonight I am not my
I fosl ~ I did after that last
"a VIA the pluck had gone out OF
n o&nee words. II I should see
shadow Il would brighten me-"
Q country through which he walk
ras No Mans land. II was sparse
sttled With peasants. but war had
en- most Of them away. What else
there was probable. but not Ger
THAT b, sniper lying In wait
any enemy. one passing would
likely receive a challenge he would
more apt TO receive bullet The
too. was rugged. Nature had not
othed the country. which was up
down grade. rocky. covered with
Eyed trees. and. TO make II worse
had filed Il with shell holes.
Ne lieutenant had come to com
otively level sweep when. looking
n on the ground before him. he saw
It seemed to be his shadow cast by
moon-such a shadow as the moon
Id throw covered with the thin
" that partly obscured II. Turn
he looked up 10 where the moon
Id be. II was not there. Turning
IN, be saw II overhead and slightly
re him.
'urely," he said. that cannot be "a
low cast by the moon. Shadows
:. on, Z direct line with the light that
:eo them" He looked down In front
rhim again. There was that dark
ething, shadow or whatever il was
Il was not well defined. Indeed, il
like Z aim of darkness. He turned
eyes upward to see what was caus'
It There was nothing In the hcay.
= except that pale mist which dim
q the moon, and line from the
IN formed an angle with the shadow
he warrior trembled.
ny was It that in battle he could
I'd up against shot and shell with
culver and here in perfect silence
b not q creature. SO far as he knew
harm him, he was shaking like n
in the wind?
/ the distance was n light. lie
lsed II and FASTENED his pace max
straight toward it. The nearer h,
le to it his fear grew less. And
N suddenly he heard Who comesy
the German tongue and heard tn,
K Of q rife, instead Of fearing q
-yet might shoot him before he coulo
Se himself known he felt brave a'
Von.
| be lieutenant was taken to head
-rters, delivered his message to the
-eral commanding and was about t'
out on his return when the officer
to him:
Why not return with us. lieuten
I? We shall move to make "A juno
/ with your force at daylight.
bermeir would gladly have done "a
general suggested. But there is
fessional pride among soldiers tina
It be maintained. The Lieutenant
, afraid of his shadow, but he wa
e afraid of an imputation of COW
ice, not so much from his comrades
from himself. He thanked the gen
and set off on his walk back to M
l command
he atmosphere bad not changed
re was the same mist over the fac'
he moon. Ohermeir would not lool
his shadow. Why? lie said L
.s.f II would he cowardly TO do ~
m It occurred to him that it wonl'
cowardIy not TO look for il. Th'
IN was now at his back. With
ad he could not control he lookts
n before him. There was the blacl
ig, denser if anything. than before
shuddered
ut be trudged on. trying TO mak'
self think that some peculiar at
pberic condition caused his shadow
,e out Of place. Many things caus'
action of light One thing he ha'
n noticed himself IN oar dipped
water viii appear to be broken a
point where il touches the surface.
ID oGorfs to explain away the mys
wefp futile. And had he satisfac
y exp1ained them TO himself 1
i'd ~ have helped the burden tina
81 I'm down. The journey home
: a ned longer than his going
3 ~ Goubtless that the farther b.
It - stronger the spell unde
q ofaggered. Yes; he staggered
y owes held by an invisible pow
q - black mass before him
Cd Instantly grew denser ans
| ~ - fill there was no spae,