The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1922-05-18
YELLOW STREAK
BY MARY J. HITCHCOCK

Hoi HiHS sunlight. All oibildi! iru
brick on other days, the mon"tony Of
its everyday dress was broken now by
| the brave spleIlor of red and white
and blue
1t WAS the eleventh day of the elev-
enth month, and across the square the
groups of kllaki-clad figures gathered
/ in numbers. My interest was conferred
however, in one who stood apart, yet
seemed to he the object of general
interest. More Affect0nate regard
was manifested in the clasping of
hands, the Chances Of many eyes.
| Came the sound of footsteps behind
me, and turning. | stood face-to-face
with one | knew more than passing
well
''Do you suppose | could dig up II
story among that crowd?' l asked,
and waited eXpectantly.
'"There's the story of the yellow
Streak" was the slow answer We
have An hour or two before anything
starts and up in the hall"
To the hall we went Presently we
were sitting on the wide window sill,
looking down into the square.
WAS he really Il coward?'
The man looked at me, and smiled
family. I'VE said 50, but, maybe we
We're wrong. But, wait-there's a
way to tell his story:
at was year, seven months ana
a day after Shefford's marriage to
Colonel Chlton's daughter. that the
Presidents message to congress took
some of Us chaps that had never
dreamed of soldering by the shout
ders, as ii 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
90 in he'd turn and run to save his
skin
but was sorry for him, too. His
| wife had been my sch6Olmate and he
lieved in him so entirely that she had
come 10 me just before We left and
asked that | 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 We're more
F., than a 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 We're
well, no 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 u
bunch of the fellows tumbed into the
trench, carrying a 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 he done.
80 that's why l waited in the dug
out after things simmered down u lit
tie. They told me he had gone out
with bombing squad, and when the
hours slid along just naturally
drowsed and slept
"Of course, l cant say how the rest
Of 1t 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 could guess that their steps We're
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 me-I hadn't heard the
| bomb strike the floor, but II was plain
enough who had dropped it, No, 1t
wasn't Maurice. but he knew, Ms did
| all the rest that, five seconds heart
( beat or two--was all we could count
on from that minute.
II shut my eyes, praying that the
! end would be mercifully complete, HI
4 did not see that Maurice had thrown
the bomb straight toward the open
doorway just as second bombing
party came around the corner of the
trench and paused outside.
.'But ! heard the shout of warning
that he gave as he jumped; heard
too, the muffied explosion, and the
| cries that followed
"Don't tell me any more" pleaded
II can supply the rest
Ny narrator grinned. You think
you can, hut I'd better finish, seeing
| that I've told the story so far
you're thinking that 1t killed him.
Well. 1t didn't! OF course, 1t did
things to Embarrassing him up pretty
| general-but the American surgeons
and his American grit pulled him