The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-04-13

was very deeply Interested IN these
stories Of mystical aid on tho battle.
fields, and I met as many soldiers rs !
could of the Old Army of those days
French = contemplate little army
that lay in the open under howitzcr fire,
before the present trench WAS tullN or
ganigcd, that fought bravcly, aud often
hlindly. and that marched away from the
enemy. hcw ildCrcd. reluctant. With
bleeding feet aud dogged minds With
the exception Of she officers. IL Is hard
10 find amy of these old soldiers IN &C.
tive service now; they work on the rail
ways. or IN orderly rooms, as transport
men. or bntmen servants ~ ofieefs)
As ! have said. they are none too com
municativo about the old days, pnrtic.
ularly about the mystical stories. But
got the following account from two men.
Both were Of Celtic blood. one u man
from south Wales and one q Scotch
Highlander.
The Welshman said-and I give his
words without attempting his accent;
az can't describe how awful those
days after Mons were. But Just think
VI 1t for yoursclf-men marching.
marching. the enemy at our heels, every
NNANNsH wv N'NNNNhf NANfNW' NHH NfNN
Of M in the dark. still marching. hard
~ knowing " IL file ~ men that rose
suddenly in front of us were enemies or
friends. Think of US slceplrss. living
down in the dark. behind tufts 81 grass.
facing German devils ON horseback
not knowing what moment they would
be upon w.. II H. strange Il We Thought
We saw oT heard queer things' Those
Germans were ten 10 ony. Why didn't
they kill Ms ulli
at was one night when We were ~.
ing down behind those tufts of grass.
aud an lrishman that was somehow with
our lot kept staring NJ In the sky, lie
snid he could see -. Patrick ordering
the German hosts back. Well. Of course
] laughed Of him. But, well. there IL is,
ma am; pretty soon ! saw-something'
| can Z tell you how il came 10 me cx.
nctly--it was q kind of light. Maybe I
felt IL rather than saw II. and ! had n
feeling that the Germans were falling
back. What made " qucrrer was the
lrishmau speaking 10 M out Of the
dark. and saving, Now. you feel II y
true for YOURSELF How could he know
what a going ON IN me-
Looking hack, | don = know what
90 make OF il, hut then was sarc that
somebody was holding the Germans Oft
MS. and the queer part Of II vas hat the
idea of rcinforccmcnts never struck me.
No human power that England could
have sent us ~ that time could have
held them. II was something else. What
| felt that night was something like
this: There nre In the world dark forces.
and forces Of light; We an know that.
We see them in good people aud bad
people, Now there must be the same
forces in other worlds. and | believed
TINT the forces of ligh, had got them.
selves translated into something thai
fought for Us aud against the Ger.
mans.
Without preface another began to tell
me what hr had felt and seen.
eve were three brothcrs. he said.
Before the battle Of Mons, in the mid.
die of the night, my brother Dougnl
touched me on IN" shoulder and woke
me. I'm no bee going back ri' We.
Jock, be- said. YEN TAX this letter
60 my mother. - He had heard his call.
and | diduo ,all il foolishncss.
"Aftcr the sergeant ordered Ms "a
stand 10. before the attack. by brother
Alexander came past M, with ON order
from the first lieutenant to the sergeant.
and be stopped To shake hands wi me.
and h. said. 'Goodhy : We. lad BY that
] knew that Alexander had learned he
wouldnn march back wi me.
"'YcW have heard Of the battle
Those at home know more of It than w
did for many q day. \ mnu's a mndmot
IN q battle. lie sees nothing but tho
Germans IN front Of him. You might
have thought | would bee wondering
when and how my brothers would die
| wusna even thinking of myscl' ~
something that could die.
81 wasna thinking nj all. II was al
shouting aud red horror, aud keeping ,t
IL. ! didna rightly rome tu myscl' Ill
We were in retreat. II was when ",
were marching. WI the Germans ~ on
back. instead of before us. that I hrgar
90 feet like q man again, and u Wal
shame I felt. aud grief aud wonder
y Then II was that the corporal Vhl
walked beside me spoke 10 ne. aud HI
said that he had seen Dougal die, AN,
that he died without pain, shot thruugl
: the head. when vr walked ON further
T he told me that Alexander wa dead
: too, but that his death was less merci
o tul. Thu corporal was IN the same pla
toou with my brothers, and he know.
: ''It was IN the twilight when I cam
< a. full grief for my brothers. We wcr
marching, dropping like tired bcast'
Once some German snipers shot az rs
aud killed the man just behind me.
fell 10 thinking what II that had bee
me- aud how would my mother fare, wi
p all three of her sons gone' I began :
? wish for my own lite then, for my moth
: cr's sake.
THAT twilight was FUN Of terror
|. Germans everywhere, and IL not Gen
mans. then fear and wonder aud dii
trrss. | could see men falling down
struck. who knew how! No one dare
TO stop to'src " il were bullet. or Jus
sl..,. the .r,rguun. th.un Apl a.. ..,u