Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-07-28
YELL o. S IRl'EAk
~ MARY ]. HITCHCOCK

;sented brave appearance in the
morning sunlight. An ordinary red
brick on other days, the monotony Of
its everyday dress was broken now by
the brave splendor Of red and white
and blue. - .I..s r. r
1t was the eleventh day of the elev-
enth month, and across the square the
groups of khakiclad figures gathered
In numbers. My interest was centered,
however, In one who stood apart, yet
seemed to be the object of general
interest. More! Affectionate regard
was manifested In the clasping Of
hands, the glances of many eyes.
Came the sound of footsteps behind
me, and turning, I stood face-to-face
with one knew more than passing
we'll.
do you suppose I could dig up a
story among that crowdT' I asked,
and waited expectantly.
"Theres the story of the "Yellow
Streak" was the slow answer. 1--WE
have an hour or two before anything
starts, and up in the hail.
To the hall we went. Presently we
were sitting on the wide window SILL
looking down into the square.
"Was he really coward?'
The man looked at me, and smiled
family. 1--WE said so, but, maybe we
were wrong. But, wait-there's a
way to tell his story:
1T was year, seven months and
day after Shefford's marriage to
Colonel Chilton's daughter, that the
Presidents message to congress took
some Of us chaps that had never
dreamed of soldering by the shoul-
ders, as 1t were, and made of us SOL
diers, overnight. From the first, Maur-
ice kicked at the idea Of leaving the
peaceful life.
"We had got into the sub-zone be-
fore it struck me that he was talking
too much for his own good. Some Of
the boys limited that maybe he was
scared; that when the time came to
go in he'd turn and run to save his
skin.
But I was sorry for him, too. His
wife had been my schoolmate and be-
lieved in him so entirely that she had
come to me just before we lett and
asked that I look out for Maurice.
Somehow, she felt that he would be
brave!
And then we moved up. We were
really in at last! 1t grew worse, in
stead of better, and by the time we
left the training area there were more
than dozen bets being laid, for by
that time everyone Of the old crowd
was calling him the yellow Streak;
and the things they bet he'd do were
well, 40 part Of this story.
"But maybe telling you about the
night when I'd made up my mind to
have it out with Maurice belongs in
here. There was something doing
every minute-one way or another
and right in the middle of what the
papers would call "a quiet night "a
bunch of the fellows tumbled into the
TRENCH carrying wounded youngster
between them.
maurice was near me, and the way
he turned away as they went on to
the relief station made me promise
myself that I'd talk some stiffness in.
to his backbone if it could be done.
$50 that's why waited in the dug
out after things simmered down a lit
tie. They told me he had gone out
with bombing squad, and when the
hours slid along I just naturally
droWsed and slept.
"Of course, l can't say how the rest
Of it happened. The bombing party
came in just before daylight almost
drunk for need of sleep. I'd seen them
often-been one of them myself and
so l could guess that their steps were
none too sure-their NERVES pretty
raw, as they stumbled into the dug
out.
"Afterward, they agreed that Mau
rice was the last to come in-that he
had not started to empty his pockets
of the remaining bombs when It hap
pened-
1T was frightened, hysterical oath
that Weakened mel hadn't heard the
bomb strike the floor, but it was plain
enough who had dropped it. No, it
wasn't Maurice. but, he knew, as did
all the rest that, Eve seconds-a heart
beat or tWo-was all we could count
on from that minute.
II shut my eyes. praying that the
end would be mercifuils complete, so
I did not see that Maurice had thrown
the bomb straight toward the open
doorway just as a second bombing
party came around the corner of the
trench and paused outside.
"But I heard the shout Of warning
that he gave as he jumped; heard,
too, the muff1ed explosion, and the
cries that followed"
'Don't tell me any MORE" pleaded.
II can supply the rest"
My narrator grinned. "You think
you can, but I'd better finish, seeing
that I've told the story so far
"You're thinking that it killed him !
Well, it didn't! OF course, it did
things to him-mussing him up pretty
Eeneral-but the American surgeons
and his American grit pulled him
around after a spell''
''But, the yellow Streak?" I ques
toned. "Where-"
A long, lean finger pointed to the
Interesting figure that had stood apart
most Of the time.
mot much Of a mixer, but gold
clean through! Yes, that's him, and
we call him The Yellow Streak ever
now, though he's proved to us tina,
,.zhaf mon fal>a To ha nal