Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-06
An Episode Of War.
nv aTERMRN CRANE

The lieutenant's rubber blanket lay
on the ground and upon It he had
poured the company's supply of coffee.
CorporalS and other representatives of
the grimy and hot-throated men who
lined the breastwork had come for each
squads portion.
The lieutenant was frowning and Sc
rious ct this task Of division. His lips
pursed as he drew with his sword va
rious creviceS In the heap until brown
squares of coffee, astoundingly equal in
size, appeared on the blanket. He was
on the verge of q great triumph in
mathematics and the corporalS were
thronging forward each to reap little
square when suddenly the lieutenant
cried out and looked quickly at a man
near him as II he suspected it was
case Of personal assault. The others
cried out also when they saw blood upon
the lieutenant's sleeve.
He had WINGED like a man Stung,
swayed dangerously and then straight
ened. The sound Of his hoarse breath
ing was plainly audible. He looked
sadly, nystically, over the breastwork at
the green face of the wood where now
were many little puffs of white smoke.
During this moment the men about him
gAzed Statue-like and silent, aStoniShed
and awed by this catastrophe which
happened when catastropheS were not
VARCSbCO-hAACA 61ACy AluO ACAouAC w OS-
serve It.
AS the lieutenant stared at the wood
they. too, swung their heads so that for
another instant all hands, still silent.
contemplated the distant forest as If
their minds were fixed upon the mystery
Of bullets journey.
The ofncer had, Of course, been COM
PEELED to take his sword into his left
hand. He did not hold it by the hilt.
He gripped it at the middle of the blade
awkwardly. Turning his eyes from the
hostile wood, he looked at the sword as
he held it there and seemed puzzled as
to what to do with it, where to put it.
In short, this weapon had Of a sudden
become strange thing to him. He
looked at 1t in q kind Of stupefaction, as
II he had been endowed with a trident,
O scepter, or q spade.
Finally, he tried to sheath it. To
sheath q sword held by the left hand,
at the middle Of the blade, in a scab-
bard at the left hip. is feat worthy Of
q sawdust ring. This wounded oficer
engaged in . desperate struggle with the
sword and the webbing scabbard, and
during the time Of 1t he breathed like q
wrestler.
But at this instant the men, the Spec
tators, Awoke from their stone-like poses
and crowded forward synpathetically.
The orderly sergeant took the sword and
tenderly placed it in the scabbard. At
the time he leaned nervously backward
and did not allow even his finger to
brush the body Of the lieutenant. A
wound gives strange dignity to him who
bears 1t. Well men shy from this new
and terrible majesty. It is as II the
wounded mans hand is upon the cur
tain which hangs before the revelations
Of all exiStence-the meaning of ants,
potentates, wars, cities, sunshine, snow,
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and the power of it sheds radiance
upon q bloody form and makes the other
men understand sometimes that they
are little. His comrades look at him
with large eyes thoughtfully. Moreover,
they fear vaguely that the weight of
finger upon him might send him head
long, precipitate the tragedy, hurl him
And so the orderly sergeant while
sheathing the sword leaned nervously
backward
There were others who proffered as
siStance. One tinidly presented his
shoulder and asked the lieutenant If he
cared to lean upon it, but the latter
waved him away mournfully. He wore
the look Of one who knows he is the
victim Of terrible disease and under
stands his helplessness. He again stared
over the breastwork at the forest and
then turning, went slowly rearward. He
held his right wrist tenderly in his left
hand as If the wounded arm was made
OF very brittle glass.
And the men In silence stared at the
wood, then at the departing lieutenant
then at the wood, then at the lieu
tenant.
As the wounded officer passed from
the line of battle he was enabled to
see many things which as a participant
in the tight were unknown to him. He
saw q general on . black horse grazing
over the lines Of blue infantry at the
green woods which yelled his problems.