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diff --git a/old/badge10a.txt b/old/badge10a.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..65065fb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/badge10a.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7457 @@ +****The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Red Badge of Courage**** +#1a in our series by Stephen Crane + +This is our second version of The Red Badge of Courage, you may +look at badge10.txt for the first, this is badge10a.txt + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. 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LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO + 18 3 3 estabiish establish + 40 3 2 skirmish skirmish- + 78 4 4 a air an air + 130 2 recognzied recognized + 130 4 12 could a' could 'a + 139 2 4 not began not begun + 193 2 16 illusions to allusions to + + + + + + +The Red Badge of Courage + +by Stephen Crane + + +An Episode of the +American Civil War + + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE cold passed reluctantly from the earth, +and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched +out on the hills, resting. As the landscape +changed from brown to green, the army awak- +ened, and began to tremble with eagerness at the +noise of rumors. It cast its eyes upon the roads, +which were growing from long troughs of liquid +mud to proper thoroughfares. A river, amber- +tinted in the shadow of its banks, purled at the +army's feet; and at night, when the stream had +become of a sorrowful blackness, one could see +across it the red, eyelike gleam of hostile camp- +fires set in the low brows of distant hills. + +Once a certain tall soldier developed virtues +and went resolutely to wash a shirt. He came +flying back from a brook waving his garment +bannerlike. He was swelled with a tale he had +heard from a reliable friend, who had heard it +from a truthful cavalryman, who had heard it +from his trustworthy brother, one of the order- +lies at division headquarters. He adopted the +important air of a herald in red and gold. +"We're goin' t' move t' morrah--sure," he +said pompously to a group in the company +street. "We're goin' 'way up the river, cut +across, an' come around in behint 'em." + +To his attentive audience he drew a loud +and elaborate plan of a very brilliant campaign. +When he had finished, the blue-clothed men +scattered into small arguing groups between the +rows of squat brown huts. A negro teamster who +had been dancing upon a cracker box with the +hilarious encouragement of twoscore soldiers +was deserted. He sat mournfully down. Smoke +drifted lazily from a multitude of quaint chim- +neys. + +"It's a lie! that's all it is--a thunderin' lie!" +said another private loudly. His smooth face was +flushed, and his hands were thrust sulkily into his +trousers' pockets. He took the matter as an +affront to him. "I don't believe the derned old +army's ever going to move. We're set. I've +got ready to move eight times in the last two +weeks, and we ain't moved yet." + +The tall soldier felt called upon to defend +the truth of a rumor he himself had intro- +duced. He and the loud one came near to fight- +ing over it. + +A corporal began to swear before the assem- +blage. He had just put a costly board floor in +his house, he said. During the early spring he +had refrained from adding extensively to the +comfort of his environment because he had felt +that the army might start on the march at any +moment. Of late, however, he had been im- +pressed that they were in a sort of eternal camp. + +Many of the men engaged in a spirited debate. +One outlined in a peculiarly lucid manner all the +plans of the commanding general. He was op- +posed by men who advocated that there were +other plans of campaign. They clamored at each +other, numbers making futile bids for the pop- +ular attention. Meanwhile, the soldier who had +fetched the rumor bustled about with much +importance. He was continually assailed by +questions. + +"What's up, Jim?" + +"Th' army's goin' t' move." + +"Ah, what yeh talkin' about? How yeh know +it is?" + +"Well, yeh kin b'lieve me er not, jest as yeh +like. I don't care a hang." + +There was much food for thought in the man- +ner in which he replied. He came near to con- +vincing them by disdaining to produce proofs. +They grew excited over it. + +There was a youthful private who listened +with eager ears to the words of the tall soldier +and to the varied comments of his comrades. +After receiving a fill of discussions concerning +marches and attacks, he went to his hut and +crawled through an intricate hole that served it +as a door. He wished to be alone with some +new thoughts that had lately come to him. + +He lay down on a wide bank that stretched +across the end of the room. In the other end, +cracker boxes were made to serve as furniture. +They were grouped about the fireplace. A pic- +ture from an illustrated weekly was upon the log +walls, and three rifles were paralleled on pegs. +Equipments hunt on handy projections, and some +tin dishes lay upon a small pile of firewood. A +folded tent was serving as a roof. The sunlight, +without, beating upon it, made it glow a light +yellow shade. A small window shot an oblique +square of whiter light upon the cluttered floor. +The smoke from the fire at times neglected the +clay chimney and wreathed into the room, and +this flimsy chimney of clay and sticks made end- +less threats to set ablaze the whole establishment. + +The youth was in a little trance of astonish- +ment. So they were at last going to fight. On +the morrow, perhaps, there would be a battle, and +he would be in it. For a time he was obliged +to labor to make himself believe. He could not +accept with assurance an omen that he was about +to mingle in one of those great affairs of the earth. + +He had, of course, dreamed of battles all +his life--of vague and bloody conflicts that had +thrilled him with their sweep and fire. In visions +he had seen himself in many struggles. He had +imagined peoples secure in the shadow of his +eagle-eyed prowess. But awake he had regarded +battles as crimson blotches on the pages of the +past. He had put them as things of the bygone +with his thought-images of heavy crowns and +high castles. There was a portion of the world's +history which he had regarded as the time of +wars, but it, he thought, had been long gone over +the horizon and had disappeared forever. + +From his home his youthful eyes had looked +upon the war in his own country with distrust. +It must be some sort of a play affair. He had +long despaired of witnessing a Greeklike struggle. +Such would be no more, he had said. Men were +better, or more timid. Secular and religious +education had effaced the throat-grappling in- +stinct, or else firm finance held in check the pas- +sions. + +He had burned several times to enlist. Tales +of great movements shook the land. They might +not be distinctly Homeric, but there seemed to +be much glory in them. He had read of marches, +sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all. +His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures +extravagant in color, lurid with breathless deeds. + +But his mother had discouraged him. She +had affected to look with some contempt upon +the quality of his war ardor and patriotism. She +could calmly seat herself and with no apparent +difficulty give him many hundreds of reasons +why he was of vastly more importance on the +farm than on the field of battle. She had had +certain ways of expression that told him that her +statements on the subject came from a deep con- +viction. Moreover, on her side, was his belief +that her ethical motive in the argument was +impregnable. + +At last, however, he had made firm rebellion +against this yellow light thrown upon the color of +his ambitions. The newspapers, the gossip of the +village, his own picturings had aroused him to +an uncheckable degree. They were in truth +fighting finely down there. Almost every day +the newspapers printed accounts of a decisive +victory. + +One night, as he lay in bed, the winds had +carried to him the clangoring of the church bell +as some enthusiast jerked the rope frantically to +tell the twisted news of a great battle. This +voice of the people rejoicing in the night had +made him shiver in a prolonged ecstasy of ex- +citement. Later, he had gone down to his +mother's room and had spoken thus: "Ma, I'm +going to enlist." + +"Henry, don't you be a fool," his mother had +replied. She had then covered her face with the +quilt. There was an end to the matter for that +night. + +Nevertheless, the next morning he had gone +to a town that was near his mother's farm and +had enlisted in a company that was forming there. +When he had returned home his mother was +milking the brindle cow. Four others stood +waiting. "Ma, I've enlisted," he had said to her +diffidently. There was a short silence. "The +Lord's will be done, Henry," she had finally +replied, and had then continued to milk the +brindle cow. + +When he had stood in the doorway with his +soldier's clothes on his back, and with the light of +excitement and expectancy in his eyes almost +defeating the glow of regret for the home bonds, +he had seen two tears leaving their trails on his +mother's scarred cheeks. + +Still, she had disappointed him by saying +nothing whatever about returning with his shield +or on it. He had privately primed himself for a +beautiful scene. He had prepared certain sen- +tences which he thought could be used with +touching effect. But her words destroyed his +plans. She had doggedly peeled potatoes and +addressed him as follows: "You watch out, +Henry, an' take good care of yerself in this here +fighting business--you watch out, an' take good +care of yerself. Don't go a-thinkin' you can +lick the hull rebel army at the start, because yeh +can't. Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot +of others, and yeh've got to keep quiet an' do what +they tell yeh. I know how you are, Henry. + +"I've knet yeh eight pair of socks, Henry, and +I've put in all yer best shirts, because I want my +boy to be jest as warm and comf'able as anybody +in the army. Whenever they get holes in 'em, I +want yeh to send 'em right-away back to me, so's +I kin dern 'em. + +"An' allus be careful an' choose yer comp'ny. +There's lots of bad men in the army, Henry. +The army makes 'em wild, and they like nothing +better than the job of leading off a young feller +like you, as ain't never been away from home +much and has allus had a mother, an' a-learning +'em to drink and swear. Keep clear of them +folks, Henry. I don't want yeh to ever do any- +thing, Henry, that yeh would be 'shamed to let +me know about. Jest think as if I was a-watchin' +yeh. If yeh keep that in yer mind allus, I guess +yeh'll come out about right. + +"Yeh must allus remember yer father, too, +child, an' remember he never drunk a drop of +licker in his life, and seldom swore a cross oath. + +"I don't know what else to tell yeh, Henry, +excepting that yeh must never do no shirking, +child, on my account. If so be a time comes when +yeh have to be kilt or do a mean thing, why, +Henry, don't think of anything 'cept what's right, +because there's many a woman has to bear up +'ginst sech things these times, and the Lord 'll +take keer of us all. + +"Don't forgit about the socks and the shirts, +child; and I've put a cup of blackberry jam with +yer bundle, because I know yeh like it above all +things. Good-by, Henry. Watch out, and be a +good boy." + +He had, of course, been impatient under the +ordeal of this speech. It had not been quite what +he expected, and he had borne it with an air of +irritation. He departed feeling vague relief. + +Still, when he had looked back from the gate, +he had seen his mother kneeling among the po- +tato parings. Her brown face, upraised, was +stained with tears, and her spare form was quiver- + + +10 RED BADGE OF COURAGE. + +ing. He bowed his head and went on, feeling +suddenly ashamed of his purposes. + +From his home he had gone to the seminary +to bid adieu to many schoolmates. They had +thronged about him with wonder and admiration. +He had felt the gulf now between them and had +swelled with calm pride. He and some of his +fellows who had donned blue were quite over- +whelmed with privileges for all of one afternoon, +and it had been a very delicious thing. They had +strutted. + +A certain light-haired girl had made vivacious +fun at his martial spirit, but there was another and +darker girl whom he had gazed at steadfastly, and +he thought she grew demure and sad at sight of +his blue and brass. As he had walked down the +path between the rows of oaks, he had turned his +head and detected her at a window watching his +departure. As he perceived her, she had im- +mediately begun to stare up through the high +tree branches at the sky. He had seen a good +deal of flurry and haste in her movement as she +changed her attitude. He often thought of it. + +On the way to Washington his spirit had +soared. The regiment was fed and caressed at +station after station until the youth had believed +that he must be a hero. There was a lavish ex- +penditure of bread and cold meats, coffee, and +pickles and cheese. As he basked in the smiles +of the girls and was patted and complimented by +the old men, he had felt growing within him the +strength to do mighty deeds of arms. + +After complicated journeyings with many +pauses, there had come months of monotonous +life in a camp. He had had the belief that real +war was a series of death struggles with small +time in between for sleep and meals; but since his +regiment had come to the field the army had done +little but sit still and try to keep warm. + +He was brought then gradually back to his old +ideas. Greeklike struggles would be no more. +Men were better, or more timid. Secular and +religious education had effaced the throat-grap- +pling instinct, or else firm finance held in check +the passions. + +He had grown to regard himself merely as a +part of a vast blue demonstration. His province +was to look out, as far as he could, for his per- +sonal comfort. For recreation he could twiddle +his thumbs and speculate on the thoughts which +must agitate the minds of the generals. Also, he +was drilled and drilled and reviewed, and drilled +and drilled and reviewed. + +The only foes he had seen were some pickets +along the river bank. They were a sun-tanned, +philosophical lot, who sometimes shot reflectively +at the blue pickets. When reproached for this +afterward, they usually expressed sorrow, and +swore by their gods that the guns had exploded +without their permission. The youth, on guard +duty one night, conversed across the stream with +one of them. He was a slightly ragged man, who +spat skillfully between his shoes and possessed a +great fund of bland and infantile assurance. The +youth liked him personally. + +"Yank," the other had informed him, "yer a +right dum good feller." This sentiment, floating +to him upon the still air, had made him tempo- +rarily regret war. + +Various veterans had told him tales. Some +talked of gray, bewhiskered hordes who were +advancing with relentless curses and chewing +tobacco with unspeakable valor; tremendous +bodies of fierce soldiery who were sweeping +along like the Huns. Others spoke of tattered +and eternally hungry men who fired despondent +powders. "They'll charge through hell's fire an' +brimstone t' git a holt on a haversack, an' sech +stomachs ain't a-lastin' long," he was told. From +the stories, the youth imagined the red, live bones +sticking out through slits in the faded uniforms. + +Still, he could not put a whole faith in veter- +ans' tales, for recruits were their prey. They +talked much of smoke, fire, and blood, but he +could not tell how much might be lies. They +persistently yelled "Fresh fish!" at him, and were +in no wise to be trusted. + +However, he perceived now that it did not +greatly matter what kind of soldiers he was going +to fight, so long as they fought, which fact no one +disputed. There was a more serious problem. He +lay in his bunk pondering upon it. He tried to +mathematically prove to himself that he would +not run from a battle. + +Previously he had never felt obliged to wrestle +too seriously with this question. In his life he had +taken certain things for granted, never challeng- +ing his belief in ultimate success, and bothering +little about means and roads. But here he was +confronted with a thing of moment. It had sud- +denly appeared to him that perhaps in a battle he +might run. He was forced to admit that as far as +war was concerned he knew nothing of himself. + +A sufficient time before he would have allowed +the problem to kick its heels at the outer portals +of his mind, but now he felt compelled to give +serious attention to it. + +A little panic-fear grew in his mind. As his +imagination went forward to a fight, he saw hide- +ous possibilities. He contemplated the lurking +menaces of the future, and failed in an effort to +see himself standing stoutly in the midst of them. +He recalled his visions of broken-bladed glory, +but in the shadow of the impending tumult he +suspected them to be impossible pictures. + +He sprang from the bunk and began to pace +nervously to and fro. "Good Lord, what's th' +matter with me?" he said aloud. + +He felt that in this crisis his laws of life were +useless. Whatever he had learned of himself was +here of no avail. He was an unknown quantity. +He saw that he would again be obliged to experi- +ment as he had in early youth. He must accumu- +late information of himself, and meanwhile he re- +solved to remain close upon his guard lest those +qualities of which he knew nothing should ever- +lastingly disgrace him. "Good Lord!" he re- +peated in dismay. + +After a time the tall soldier slid dexterously +through the hole. The loud private followed. +They were wrangling. + +"That's all right," said the tall soldier as he +entered. He waved his hand expressively. "You +can believe me or not, jest as you like. All you +got to do is to sit down and wait as quiet as you +can. Then pretty soon you'll find out I was right." + +His comrade grunted stubbornly. For a mo- +ment he seemed to be searching for a formidable +reply. Finally he said: "Well, you don't know +everything in the world, do you?" + +"Didn't say I knew everything in the world," +retorted the other sharply. He began to stow +various articles snugly into his knapsack. + +The youth, pausing in his nervous walk, looked +down at the busy figure. "Going to be a battle, +sure, is there, Jim?" he asked. + +"Of course there is," replied the tall soldier. +"Of course there is. You jest wait 'til to-morrow, +and you'll see one of the biggest battles ever was. +You jest wait." + +"Thunder!der!" said the youth. + +"Oh, you'll see fighting this time, my boy, +what'll be regular out-and-out fighting," added +the tall soldier, with the air of a man who is +about to exhibit a battle for the benefit of his +friends. + +"Huh!" said the loud one from a corner. + +"Well," remarked the youth, "like as not this +story'll turn out jest like them others did." + +"Not much it won't," replied the tall soldier, +exasperated. "Not much it won't. Didn't the +cavalry all start this morning?" He glared about +him. No one denied his statement. "The cav- +alry started this morning," he continued. "They +say there ain't hardly any cavalry left in camp. +They're going to Richmond, or some place, while +we fight all the Johnnies. It's some dodge like +that. The regiment's got orders, too. A feller +what seen 'em go to headquarters told me a little +while ago. And they're raising blazes all over +camp--anybody can see that." + +"Shucks!" said the loud one. + +The youth remained silent for a time. At last +he spoke to the tall soldier. "Jim!" + +"What?" + +"How do you think the reg'ment 'll do?" + +"Oh, they'll fight all right, I guess, after they +once get into it," said the other with cold judg- +ment. He made a fine use of the third person. +"There's been heaps of fun poked at 'em because +they're new, of course, and all that; but they'll +fight all right, I guess." + +"Think any of the boys 'll run?" persisted the +youth. + +"Oh, there may be a few of 'em run, but +there's them kind in every regiment, 'specially +when they first goes under fire," said the other +in a tolerant way. "Of course it might happen +that the hull kit-and-boodle might start and run, +if some big fighting came first-off, and then again +they might stay and fight like fun. But you can't +bet on nothing. Of course they ain't never been +under fire yet, and it ain't likely they'll lick the +hull rebel army all-to-oncet the first time; but I +think they'll fight better than some, if worse than +others. That's the way I figger. They call the +reg'ment 'Fresh fish' and everything; but the +boys come of good stock, and most of 'em 'll fight +like sin after they oncet git shootin'," he added, +with a mighty emphasis on the last four words. + +"Oh, you think you know--" began the loud +soldier with scorn. + +The other turned savagely upon him. They +had a rapid altercation, in which they fastened +upon each other various strange epithets. + +The youth at last interrupted them. "Did +you ever think you might run yourself, Jim?" he +asked. On concluding the sentence he laughed +as if he had meant to aim a joke. The loud sol- +dier also giggled. + +The tall private waved his hand. "Well," said +he profoundly, "I've thought it might get too hot +for Jim Conklin in some of them scrimmages, and +if a whole lot of boys started and run, why, I +s'pose I'd start and run. And if I once started to +run, I'd run like the devil, and no mistake. But +if everybody was a-standing and a-fighting, why, +I'd stand and fight. Be jiminey, I would. I'll +bet on it." + +"Huh!" said the loud one. + +The youth of this tale felt gratitude for these +words of his comrade. He had feared that all of +the untried men possessed a great and correct +confidence. He now was in a measure reassured. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +THE next morning the youth discovered that +his tall comrade had been the fast-flying messen- +ger of a mistake. There was much scoffing at +the latter by those who had yesterday been firm +adherents of his views, and there was even a lit- +tle sneering by men who had never believed the +rumor. The tall one fought with a man from +Chatfield Corners and beat him severely. + +The youth felt, however, that his problem was +in no wise lifted from him. There was, on the +contrary, an irritating prolongation. The tale +had created in him a great concern for himself. +Now, with the newborn question in his mind, he +was compelled to sink back into his old place as +part of a blue demonstration. + +For days he made ceaseless calculations, but +they were all wondrously unsatisfactory. He +found that he could establish nothing. He final- +ly concluded that the only way to prove himself +was to go into the blaze, and then figuratively to + +18 +watch his legs to discover their merits and faults. +He reluctantly admitted that he could not sit +still and with a mental slate and pencil derive an +answer. To gain it, he must have blaze, blood, +and danger, even as a chemist requires this, that, +and the other. So he fretted for an opportunity. + +Meanwhile he continually tried to measure +himself by his comrades. The tall soldier, for +one, gave him some assurance. This man's se- +rene unconcern dealt him a measure of con- +fidence, for he had known him since childhood, +and from his intimate knowledge he did not see +how he could be capable of anything that was +beyond him, the youth. Still, he thought that +his comrade might be mistaken about himself. +Or, on the other hand, he might be a man here- +tofore doomed to peace and obscurity, but, in +reality, made to shine in war. + +The youth would have liked to have discov- +ered another who suspected himself. A sympa- +thetic comparison of mental notes would have +been a joy to him. + +He occasionally tried to fathom a comrade +with seductive sentences. He looked about to +find men in the proper mood. All attempts +failed to bring forth any statement which looked +in any way like a confession to those doubts +which he privately acknowledged in himself. +He was afraid to make an open declaration of +his concern, because he dreaded to place some +unscrupulous confidant upon the high plane of +the unconfessed from which elevation he could +be derided. + +In regard to his companions his mind wa- +vered between two opinions, according to his +mood. Sometimes he inclined to believing them +all heroes. In fact, he usually admitted in secret +the superior development of the higher qualities +in others. He could conceive of men going very +insignificantly about the world bearing a load of +courage unseen, and although he had known +many of his comrades through boyhood, he be- +gan to fear that his judgment of them had been +blind. Then, in other moments, he flouted these +theories, and assured himself that his fellows +were all privately wondering and quaking. + +His emotions made him feel strange in the +presence of men who talked excitedly of a pro- +spective battle as of a drama they were about to +witness, with nothing but eagerness and curiosity +apparent in their faces. It was often that he sus- +pected them to be liars. + +He did not pass such thoughts without severe +condemnation of himself. He dinned reproaches +at times. He was convicted by himself of many +shameful crimes against the gods of traditions. + +In his great anxiety his heart was continually +clamoring at what he considered the intolerable +slowness of the generals. They seemed content +to perch tranquilly on the river bank, and leave +him bowed down by the weight of a great prob- +lem. He wanted it settled forthwith. He could +not long bear such a load, he said. Sometimes +his anger at the commanders reached an acute +stage, and he grumbled about the camp like a +veteran. + +One morning, however, he found himself in +the ranks of his prepared regiment. The men +were whispering speculations and recounting the +old rumors. In the gloom before the break of +the day their uniforms glowed a deep purple +hue. From across the river the red eyes were +still peering. In the eastern sky there was a yel- +low patch like a rug laid for the feet of the com- +ing sun; and against it, black and patternlike, +loomed the gigantic figure of the colonel on a +gigantic horse. + +From off in the darkness came the trampling +of feet. The youth could occasionally see dark +shadows that moved like monsters. The regi- +ment stood at rest for what seemed a long time. +The youth grew impatient. It was unendurable +the way these affairs were managed. He won- +dered how long they were to be kept waiting. + +As he looked all about him and pondered +upon the mystic gloom, he began to believe that +at any moment the ominous distance might be +aflare, and the rolling crashes of an engagement +come to his ears. Staring once at the red eyes +across the river, he conceived them to be grow- +ing larger, as the orbs of a row of dragons ad- +vancing. He turned toward the colonel and saw +him lift his gigantic arm and calmly stroke his +mustache. + +At last he heard from along the road at the +foot of the hill the clatter of a horse's galloping +hoofs. It must be the coming of orders. He +bent forward, scarce breathing. The exciting +clickety-click, as it grew louder and louder, +seemed to be beating upon his soul. Presently a +horseman with jangling equipment drew rein be- +fore the colonel of the regiment. The two held +a short, sharp-worded conversation. The men in +the foremost ranks craned their necks. + +As the horseman wheeled his animal and gal- +loped away he turned to shout over his shoulder, +"Don't forget that box of cigars!" The colonel +mumbled in reply. The youth wondered what a +box of cigars had to do with war. + +A moment later the regiment went swinging +off into the darkness. It was now like one of +those moving monsters wending with many feet. +The air was heavy, and cold with dew. A mass +of wet grass, marched upon, rustled like silk. + +There was an occasional flash and glimmer +of steel from the backs of all these huge crawl- +ing reptiles. From the road came creakings and +grumblings as some surly guns were dragged +away. + +The men stumbled along still muttering specu- +lations. There was a subdued debate. Once a +man fell down, and as he reached for his rifle a +comrade, unseeing, trod upon his hand. He of +the injured fingers swore bitterly and aloud. A +low, tittering laugh went among his fellows. + +Presently they passed into a roadway and +marched forward with easy strides. A dark +regiment moved before them, and from behind +also came the tinkle of equipments on the bodies +of marching men. + +The rushing yellow of the developing day +went on behind their backs. When the sunrays +at last struck full and mellowingly upon the +earth, the youth saw that the landscape was +streaked with two long, thin, black columns +which disappeared on the brow of a hill in front +and rearward vanished in a wood. They were +like two serpents crawling from the cavern of the +night. + +The river was not in view. The tall soldier +burst into praises of what he thought to be his +powers of perception. + +Some of the tall one's companions cried with +emphasis that they, too, had evolved the same +thing, and they congratulated themselves upon +it. But there were others who said that the tall +one's plan was not the true one at all. They per- +sisted with other theories. There was a vigorous +discussion. + +The youth took no part in them. As he +walked along in careless line he was engaged +with his own eternal debate. He could not hin- +der himself from dwelling upon it. He was de- +spondent and sullen, and threw shifting glances +about him. He looked ahead, often expecting to +hear from the advance the rattle of firing. + +But the long serpents crawled slowly from +hill to hill without bluster of smoke. A dun-col- +ored cloud of dust floated away to the right. +The sky overhead was of a fairy blue. + +The youth studied the faces of his compan- +ions, ever on the watch to detect kindred emo- +tions. He suffered disappointment. Some ardor +of the air which was causing the veteran com- +mands to move with glee--almost with song-- +had infected the new regiment. The men began +to speak of victory as of a thing they knew. +Also, the tall soldier received his vindication. +They were certainly going to come around in +behind the enemy. They expressed commisera- +tion for that part of the army which had been +left upon the river bank, felicitating themselves +upon being a part of a blasting host. + +The youth, considering himself as separated +from the others, was saddened by the blithe and +merry speeches that went from rank to rank. +The company wags all made their best endeav- +ors. The regiment tramped to the tune of +laughter. + +The blatant soldier often convulsed whole +files by his biting sarcasms aimed at the tall one. + +And it was not long before all the men seemed +to forget their mission. Whole brigades grinned +in unison, and regiments laughed. + +A rather fat soldier attempted to pilfer a horse +from a dooryard. He planned to load his knap- +sack upon it. He was escaping with his prize +when a young girl rushed from the house and +grabbed the animal's mane. There followed a +wrangle. The young girl, with pink cheeks and +shining eyes, stood like a dauntless statue. + +The observant regiment, standing at rest in +the roadway, whooped at once, and entered +whole-souled upon the side of the maiden. The +men became so engrossed in this affair that they +entirely ceased to remember their own large war. +They jeered the piratical private, and called +attention to various defects in his personal ap- +pearance; and they were wildly enthusiastic in +support of the young girl. + +To her, from some distance, came bold advice. +"Hit him with a stick." + +There were crows and catcalls showered +upon him when he retreated without the horse. +The regiment rejoiced at his downfall. Loud +and vociferous congratulations were showered +upon the maiden, who stood panting and regard- +ing the troops with defiance. + +At nightfall the column broke into regimental +pieces, and the fragments went into the fields to +camp. Tents sprang up like strange plants. +Camp fires, like red, peculiar blossoms, dotted +the night. + +The youth kept from intercourse with his +companions as much as circumstances would +allow him. In the evening he wandered a few +paces into the gloom. From this little distance +the many fires, with the black forms of men pass- +ing to and fro before the crimson rays, made +weird and satanic effects. + +He lay down in the grass. The blades +pressed tenderly against his cheek. The moon +had been lighted and was hung in a treetop. +The liquid stillness of the night enveloping him +made him feel vast pity for himself. There was +a caress in the soft winds; and the whole mood +of the darkness, he thought, was one of sympathy +for himself in his distress. + +He wished, without reserve, that he was at +home again making the endless rounds from the +house to the barn, from the barn to the fields, +from the fields to the barn, from the barn to the +house. He remembered he had often cursed the +brindle cow and her mates, and had sometimes +flung milking stools. But, from his present point +of view, there was a halo of happiness about each +of their heads, and he would have sacrificed all +the brass buttons on the continent to have been +enabled to return to them. He told himself that +he was not formed for a soldier. And he mused +seriously upon the radical differences between +himself and those men who were dodging imp- +like around the fires. + +As he mused thus he heard the rustle of grass, +and, upon turning his head, discovered the loud +soldier. He called out, "Oh, Wilson!" + +The latter approached and looked down. +"Why, hello, Henry; is it you? What you do- +ing here?" + +"Oh, thinking," said the youth. + +The other sat down and carefully lighted his +pipe. "You're getting blue, my boy. You're +looking thundering peeked. What the dickens +is wrong with you?" + +"Oh, nothing," said the youth. + +The loud soldier launched then into the sub- +ject of the anticipated fight. "Oh, we've got +'em now!" As he spoke his boyish face was +wreathed in a gleeful smile, and his voice had +an exultant ring. "We've got 'em now. At +last, by the eternal thunders, we'll lick 'em +good!" + +"If the truth was known," he added, more +soberly, "THEY'VE licked US about every clip up to +now; but this time--this time--we'll lick 'em +good!" + +"I thought you was objecting to this march +a little while ago," said the youth coldly. + +"Oh, it wasn't that," explained the other. "I +don't mind marching, if there's going to be fight- +ing at the end of it. What I hate is this getting +moved here and moved there, with no good com- +ing of it, as far as I can see, excepting sore feet +and damned short rations." + +"Well, Jim Conklin says we'll get a plenty of +fighting this time." + +"He's right for once, I guess, though I can't +see how it come. This time we're in for a big +battle, and we've got the best end of it, certain +sure. Gee rod! how we will thump 'em!" + +He arose and began to pace to and fro excit- +edly. The thrill of his enthusiasm made him +walk with an elastic step. He was sprightly, +vigorous, fiery in his belief in success. He +looked into the future with clear, proud eye, and +he swore with the air of an old soldier. + +The youth watched him for a moment in +silence. When he finally spoke his voice was as +bitter as dregs. "Oh, you're going to do great +things, I s'pose!" + +The loud soldier blew a thoughtful cloud of +smoke from his pipe. "Oh, I don't know," he +remarked with dignity; "I don't know. I s'pose +I'll do as well as the rest. I'm going to try like +thunder." He evidently complimented himself +upon the modesty of this statement. + +"How do you know you won't run when the +time comes?" asked the youth. + +"Run?" said the loud one; "run?--of course +not!" He laughed. + +"Well," continued the youth, "lots of good- +a-'nough men have thought they was going to do +great things before the fight, but when the time +come they skedaddled." + +"Oh, that's all true, I s'pose," replied the +other; "but I'm not going to skedaddle. The +man that bets on my running will lose his money, +that's all." He nodded confidently. + +"Oh, shucks!" said the youth. "You ain't +the bravest man in the world, are you?" + +"No, I ain't," exclaimed the loud soldier in- +dignantly; "and I didn't say I was the bravest +man in the world, neither. I said I was going to +do my share of fighting--that's what I said. And +I am, too. Who are you, anyhow. You talk as +if you thought you was Napoleon Bonaparte." +He glared at the youth for a moment, and then +strode away. + +The youth called in a savage voice after his +comrade: "Well, you needn't git mad about it!" +But the other continued on his way and made no +reply. + +He felt alone in space when his injured com- +rade had disappeared. His failure to discover +any mite of resemblance in their view points +made him more miserable than before. No one +seemed to be wrestling with such a terrific per- +sonal problem. He was a mental outcast. + +He went slowly to his tent and stretched him- +self on a blanket by the side of the snoring tall +soldier. In the darkness he saw visions of a thou- +sand-tongued fear that would babble at his back +and cause him to flee, while others were going +coolly about their country's business. He admit- +ted that he would not be able to cope with this +monster. He felt that every nerve in his body +would be an ear to hear the voices, while other +men would remain stolid and deaf. + +And as he sweated with the pain of these +thoughts, he could hear low, serene sentences. +"I'll bid five." "Make it six." "Seven." +"Seven goes." + +He stared at the red, shivering reflection of +a fire on the white wall of his tent until, ex- +hausted and ill from the monotony of his suf- +fering, he fell asleep. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +WHEN another night came the columns, +changed to purple streaks, filed across two pon- +toon bridges. A glaring fire wine-tinted the +waters of the river. Its rays, shining upon the +moving masses of troops, brought forth here and +there sudden gleams of silver or gold. Upon +the other shore a dark and mysterious range of +hills was curved against the sky. The insect +voices of the night sang solemnly. + +After this crossing the youth assured himself +that at any moment they might be suddenly and +fearfully assaulted from the caves of the lowering +woods. He kept his eyes watchfully upon the +darkness. + +But his regiment went unmolested to a camp- +ing place, and its soldiers slept the brave sleep +of wearied men. In the morning they were +routed out with early energy, and hustled along +a narrow road that led deep into the forest. + +It was during this rapid march that the regi- + +32 +ment lost many of the marks of a new com- +mand. + +The men had begun to count the miles upon +their fingers, and they grew tired. "Sore feet +an' damned short rations, that's all," said the +loud soldier. There was perspiration and grum- +blings. After a time they began to shed their +knapsacks. Some tossed them unconcernedly +down; others hid them carefully, asserting their +plans to return for them at some convenient +time. Men extricated themselves from thick +shirts. Presently few carried anything but their +necessary clothing, blankets, haversacks, canteens, +and arms and ammunition. "You can now eat +and shoot," said the tall soldier to the youth. +"That's all you want to do." + +There was sudden change from the ponderous +infantry of theory to the light and speedy infantry +of practice. The regiment, relieved of a burden, +received a new impetus. But there was much +loss of valuable knapsacks, and, on the whole, +very good shirts. + +But the regiment was not yet veteranlike in +appearance. Veteran regiments in the army +were likely to be very small aggregations of men. +Once, when the command had first come to the +field, some perambulating veterans, noting the +length of their column, had accosted them thus: +"Hey, fellers, what brigade is that?" And when +the men had replied that they formed a regiment +and not a brigade, the older soldiers had laughed, +and said, "O Gawd!" + +Also, there was too great a similarity in the +hats. The hats of a regiment should properly +represent the history of headgear for a period of +years. And, moreover, there were no letters of +faded gold speaking from the colors. They were +new and beautiful, and the color bearer habitu- +ally oiled the pole. + +Presently the army again sat down to think. +The odor of the peaceful pines was in the men's +nostrils. The sound of monotonous axe blows +rang through the forest, and the insects, nodding +upon their perches, crooned like old women. +The youth returned to his theory of a blue dem- +onstration. + +One gray dawn, however, he was kicked in +the leg by the tall soldier, and then, before he +was entirely awake, he found himself running +down a wood road in the midst of men who were +panting from the first effects of speed. His can- +teen banged rhythmically upon his thigh, and his +haversack bobbed softly. His musket bounced +a trifle from his shoulder at each stride and made +his cap feel uncertain upon his head. + +He could hear the men whisper jerky sen- +tences: "Say--what's all this--about?" "What +th' thunder--we--skedaddlin' this way fer?" +"Billie--keep off m' feet. Yeh run--like a cow." +And the loud soldier's shrill voice could be +heard: "What th' devil they in sich a hurry for?" + +The youth thought the damp fog of early +morning moved from the rush of a great body +of troops. From the distance came a sudden +spatter of firing. + +He was bewildered. As he ran with his com- +rades he strenuously tried to think, but all he knew +was that if he fell down those coming behind +would tread upon him. All his faculties seemed +to be needed to guide him over and past obstruc- +tions. He felt carried along by a mob. + +The sun spread disclosing rays, and, one by +one, regiments burst into view like armed men +just born of the earth. The youth perceived +that the time had come. He was about to be +measured. For a moment he felt in the face of +his great trial like a babe, and the flesh over +his heart seemed very thin. He seized time to +look about him calculatingly. + +But he instantly saw that it would be impossi- +ble for him to escape from the regiment. It in- +closed him. And there were iron laws of tradi- +tion and law on four sides. He was in a moving +box. + +As he perceived this fact it occurred to him +that he had never wished to come to the war. +He had not enlisted of his free will. He had +been dragged by the merciless government. And +now they were taking him out to be slaughtered. + +The regiment slid down a bank and wallowed +across a little stream. The mournful current +moved slowly on, and from the water, shaded +black, some white bubble eyes looked at the men. + +As they climbed the hill on the farther side +artillery began to boom. Here the youth forgot +many things as he felt a sudden impulse of curi- +osity. He scrambled up the bank with a speed +that could not be exceeded by a bloodthirsty +man. + +He expected a battle scene. + +There were some little fields girted and +squeezed by a forest. Spread over the grass and +in among the tree trunks, he could see knots and +waving lines of skirmishers who were running +hither and thither and firing at the landscape. +A dark battle line lay upon a sunstruck clearing +that gleamed orange color. A flag fluttered. + +Other regiments floundered up the bank. The +brigade was formed in line of battle, and after a +pause started slowly through the woods in the +rear of the receding skirmishers, who were con- +tinually melting into the scene to appear again +farther on. They were always busy as bees, +deeply absorbed in their little combats. + +The youth tried to observe everything. He +did not use care to avoid trees and branches, +and his forgotten feet were constantly knocking +against stones or getting entangled in briers. +He was aware that these battalions with their +commotions were woven red and startling into +the gentle fabric of softened greens and browns. +It looked to be a wrong place for a battle field. + +The skirmishers in advance fascinated him. +Their shots into thickets and at distant and +prominent trees spoke to him of tragedies--hid- +den, mysterious, solemn. + +Once the line encountered the body of a dead +soldier. He lay upon his back staring at the sky. +He was dressed in an awkward suit of yellowish +brown. The youth could see that the soles of his +shoes had been worn to the thinness of writing +paper, and from a great rent in one the dead foot +projected piteously. And it was as if fate had +betrayed the soldier. In death it exposed to his +enemies that poverty which in life he had perhaps +concealed from his friends. + +The ranks opened covertly to avoid the corpse. +The invulnerable dead man forced a way for him- +self. The youth looked keenly at the ashen face. +The wind raised the tawny beard. It moved as +if a hand were stroking it. He vaguely desired +to walk around and around the body and stare; +the impulse of the living to try to read in dead +eyes the answer to the Question. + +During the march the ardor which the youth +had acquired when out of view of the field rapidly +faded to nothing. His curiosity was quite easily +satisfied. If an intense scene had caught him with +its wild swing as he came to the top of the bank, +he might have gone roaring on. This advance +upon Nature was too calm. He had opportunity +to reflect. He had time in which to wonder +about himself and to attempt to probe his sensa- +tions. + +Absurd ideas took hold upon him. He +thought that he did not relish the landscape. +It threatened him. A coldness swept over his +back, and it is true that his trousers felt to him +that they were no fit for his legs at all. + +A house standing placidly in distant fields +had to him an ominous look. The shadows of +the woods were formidable. He was certain that +in this vista there lurked fierce-eyed hosts. The +swift thought came to him that the generals did +not know what they were about. It was all a +trap. Suddenly those close forests would bristle +with rifle barrels. Ironlike brigades would ap- +pear in the rear. They were all going to be +sacrificed. The generals were stupids. The +enemy would presently swallow the whole com- +mand. He glared about him, expecting to see +the stealthy approach of his death. + +He thought that he must break from the ranks +and harangue his comrades. They must not all +be killed like pigs; and he was sure it would +come to pass unless they were informed of these +dangers. The generals were idiots to send them +marching into a regular pen. There was but one +pair of eyes in the corps. He would step forth +and make a speech. Shrill and passionate words +came to his lips. + +The line, broken into moving fragments by the +ground, went calmly on through fields and woods. +The youth looked at the men nearest him, and +saw, for the most part, expressions of deep inter- +est, as if they were investigating something that +had fascinated them. One or two stepped with +overvaliant airs as if they were already plunged +into war. Others walked as upon thin ice. The +greater part of the untested men appeared quiet +and absorbed. They were going to look at war, +the red animal--war, the blood-swollen god. And +they were deeply engrossed in this march. + +As he looked the youth gripped his outcry at +his throat. He saw that even if the men were +tottering with fear they would laugh at his warn- +ing. They would jeer him, and, if practicable, +pelt him with missiles. Admitting that he might +be wrong, a frenzied declamation of the kind +would turn him into a worm. + +He assumed, then, the demeanor of one who +knows that he is doomed alone to unwritten re- +sponsibilities. He lagged, with tragic glances at +the sky. + +He was surprised presently by the young lieu- +tenant of his company, who began heartily to +beat him with a sword, calling out in a loud and +insolent voice: "Come, young man, get up into +ranks there. No skulking'll do here." He mend- +ed his pace with suitable haste. And he hated +the lieutenant, who had no appreciation of fine +minds. He was a mere brute. + +After a time the brigade was halted in the +cathedral light of a forest. The busy skirmish- +ers were still popping. Through the aisles of +the wood could be seen the floating smoke from +their rifles. Sometimes it went up in little balls, +white and compact. + +During this halt many men in the regiment +began erecting tiny hills in front of them. They +used stones, sticks, earth, and anything they +thought might turn a bullet. Some built com- +paratively large ones, while others seemed con- +tent with little ones. + +This procedure caused a discussion among the +men. Some wished to fight like duelists, believ- +ing it to be correct to stand erect and be, from +their feet to their foreheads, a mark. They said +they scorned the devices of the cautious. But +the others scoffed in reply, and pointed to the +veterans on the flanks who were digging at the +ground like terriers. In a short time there was +quite a barricade along the regimental fronts. +Directly, however, they were ordered to with- +draw from that place. + +This astounded the youth. He forgot his +stewing over the advance movement. "Well, +then, what did they march us out here for?" he +demanded of the tall soldier. The latter with +calm faith began a heavy explanation, although +he had been compelled to leave a little protection +of stones and dirt to which he had devoted much +care and skill. + +When the regiment was aligned in another +position each man's regard for his safety caused +another line of small intrenchments. They ate +their noon meal behind a third one. They were +moved from this one also. They were marched +from place to place with apparent aimlessness. + +The youth had been taught that a man be- +came another thing in a battle. He saw his sal- +vation in such a change. Hence this waiting +was an ordeal to him. He was in a fever of im- +patience. He considered that there was denoted +a lack of purpose on the part of the generals. +He began to complain to the tall soldier. "I +can't stand this much longer," he cried. "I +don't see what good it does to make us wear +out our legs for nothin'." He wished to return +to camp, knowing that this affair was a blue +demonstration; or else to go into a battle and +discover that he had been a fool in his doubts, +and was, in truth, a man of traditional courage. +The strain of present circumstances he felt to be +intolerable. + +The philosophical tall soldier measured a sand- +wich of cracker and pork and swallowed it in a +nonchalant manner. "Oh, I suppose we must go +reconnoitering around the country jest to keep +'em from getting too close, or to develop 'em, or +something." + +"Huh!" said the loud soldier. + +"Well," cried the youth, still fidgeting, "I'd +rather do anything 'most than go tramping 'round +the country all day doing no good to nobody and +jest tiring ourselves out." + +"So would I," said the loud soldier. "It ain't +right. I tell you if anybody with any sense was +a-runnin' this army it--" + +"Oh, shut up!" roared the tall private. "You +little fool. You little damn' cuss. You ain't had +that there coat and them pants on for six months, +and yet you talk as if--" + +"Well, I wanta do some fighting anyway," +interrupted the other. "I didn't come here to +walk. I could 'ave walked to home--'round an' +'round the barn, if I jest wanted to walk." + +The tall one, red-faced, swallowed another +sandwich as if taking poison in despair. + +But gradually, as he chewed, his face became +again quiet and contented. He could not rage +in fierce argument in the presence of such sand- +wiches. During his meals he always wore an air +of blissful contemplation of the food he had swal- +lowed. His spirit seemed then to be communing +with the viands. + +He accepted new environment and circum- +stance with great coolness, eating from his haver- +sack at every opportunity. On the march he +went along with the stride of a hunter, object- +ing to neither gait nor distance. And he had +not raised his voice when he had been ordered +away from three little protective piles of earth +and stone, each of which had been an engineer- +ing feat worthy of being made sacred to the name +of his grandmother. + +In the afternoon the regiment went out over +the same ground it had taken in the morn- +ing. The landscape then ceased to threaten the +youth. He had been close to it and become +familiar with it. + +When, however, they began to pass into a +new region, his old fears of stupidity and in- +competence reassailed him, but this time he dog- +gedly let them babble. He was occupied with +his problem, and in his desperation he concluded +that the stupidity did not greatly matter. + +Once he thought he had concluded that it +would be better to get killed directly and end +his troubles. Regarding death thus out of the +corner of his eye, he conceived it to be noth- +ing but rest, and he was filled with a momen- +tary astonishment that he should have made an +extraordinary commotion over the mere matter +of getting killed. He would die; he would go +to some place where he would be understood. +It was useless to expect appreciation of his pro- +found and fine senses from such men as the lieu- +tenant. He must look to the grave for compre- +hension. + +The skirmish fire increased to a long chatter- +ing sound. With it was mingled far-away cheer- +ing. A battery spoke. + +Directly the youth would see the skirmishers +running. They were pursued by the sound of +musketry fire. After a time the hot, dangerous +flashes of the rifles were visible. Smoke clouds +went slowly and insolently across the fields like +observant phantoms. The din became crescendo, +like the roar of an oncoming train. + +A brigade ahead of them and on the right +went into action with a rending roar. It was +as if it had exploded. And thereafter it lay +stretched in the distance behind a long gray wall, +that one was obliged to look twice at to make +sure that it was smoke. + +The youth, forgetting his neat plan of getting +killed, gazed spell bound. His eyes grew wide +and busy with the action of the scene. His +mouth was a little ways open. + +Of a sudden he felt a heavy and sad hand laid +upon his shoulder. Awakening from his trance +of observation he turned and beheld the loud +soldier. + +"It's my first and last battle, old boy," said +the latter, with intense gloom. He was quite +pale and his girlish lip was trembling. + +"Eh?" murmured the youth in great aston- +ishment. + +"It's my first and last battle, old boy," +continued the loud soldier. "Something tells +me--" + +"What?" + +"I'm a gone coon this first time and--and I +w-want you to take these here things--to--my-- +folks." He ended in a quavering sob of pity for +himself. He handed the youth a little packet +done up in a yellow envelope. + +"Why, what the devil--" began the youth +again. + +But the other gave him a glance as from the +depths of a tomb, and raised his limp hand in a +prophetic manner and turned away. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +THE brigade was halted in the fringe of a +grove. The men crouched among the trees and +pointed their restless guns out at the fields. +They tried to look beyond the smoke. + +Out of this haze they could see running men. +Some shouted information and gestured as they +hurried. + +The men of the new regiment watched and +listened eagerly, while their tongues ran on in +gossip of the battle. They mouthed rumors that +had flown like birds out of the unknown. + +"They say Perry has been driven in with big +loss." + +"Yes, Carrott went t' th' hospital. He said he +was sick. That smart lieutenant is commanding +'G' Company. Th' boys say they won't be +under Carrott no more if they all have t' desert. +They allus knew he was a--" + +"Hannises' batt'ry is took." + +"It ain't either. I saw Hannises' batt'ry off on +th' left not more'n fifteen minutes ago." + +47 + + +"Well--" + +"Th' general, he ses he is goin' t' take th' hull +cammand of th' 304th when we go inteh action, +an' then he ses we'll do sech fightin' as never +another one reg'ment done." + +"They say we're catchin' it over on th' left. +They say th' enemy driv' our line inteh a devil of +a swamp an' took Hannises' batt'ry." + +"No sech thing. Hannises' batt'ry was 'long +here 'bout a minute ago." + +"That young Hasbrouck, he makes a good +off'cer. He ain't afraid 'a nothin'." + +"I met one of th' 148th Maine boys an' he ses +his brigade fit th' hull rebel army fer four hours +over on th' turnpike road an' killed about five +thousand of 'em. He ses one more sech fight as +that an' th' war 'll be over." + +"Bill wasn't scared either. No, sir! It wasn't +that. Bill ain't a-gittin' scared easy. He was +jest mad, that's what he was. When that feller +trod on his hand, he up an' sed that he was willin' +t' give his hand t' his country, but he be dumbed +if he was goin' t' have every dumb bushwhacker +in th' kentry walkin' 'round on it. Se he went t' +th' hospital disregardless of th' fight. Three +fingers was crunched. Th' dern doctor wanted +t' amputate 'm, an' Bill, he raised a heluva row, I +hear. He's a funny feller." + +The din in front swelled to a tremendous +chorus. The youth and his fellows were frozen +to silence. They could see a flag that tossed in +the smoke angrily. Near it were the blurred and +agitated forms of troops. There came a turbulent +stream of men across the fields. A battery chang- +ing position at a frantic gallop scattered the +stragglers right and left. + +A shell screaming like a storm banshee went +over the huddled heads of the reserves. It landed +in the grove, and exploding redly flung the brown +earth. There was a little shower of pine needles. + +Bullets began to whistle among the branches +and nip at the trees. Twigs and leaves came +sailing down. It was as if a thousand axes, wee +and invisible, were being wielded. Many of the +men were constantly dodging and ducking their +heads. + +The lieutenant of the youth's company was +shot in the hand. He began to swear so won- +drously that a nervous laugh went along the regi- +mental line. The officer's profanity sounded +conventional. It relieved the tightened senses of +the new men. It was as if he had hit his fingers +with a tack hammer at home. + +He held the wounded member carefully away +from his side so that the blood would not drip +upon his trousers. + +The captain of the company, tucking his sword +under his arm, produced a handkerchief and +began to bind with it the lieutenant's wound. +And they disputed as to how the binding should +be done. + +The battle flag in the distance jerked about +madly. It seemed to be struggling to free itself +from an agony. The billowing smoke was filled +with horizontal flashes. + +Men running swiftly emerged from it. They +grew in numbers until it was seen that the whole +command was fleeing. The flag suddenly sank +down as if dying. Its motion as it fell was a +gesture of despair. + +Wild yells came from behind the walls of +smoke. A sketch in gray and red dissolved into +a moblike body of men who galloped like wild +horses. + +The veteran regiments on the right and left of +the 304th immediately began to jeer. With the +passionate song of the bullets and the banshee +shrieks of shells were mingled loud catcalls and +bits of facetious advice concerning places of safety. + +But the new regiment was breathless with hor- +ror. "Gawd! Saunders's got crushed!" whis- +pered the man at the youth's elbow. They +shrank back and crouched as if compelled to +await a flood. + +The youth shot a swift glance along the blue +ranks of the regiment. The profiles were motion- +less, carven; and afterward he remembered that +the color sergeant was standing with his legs +apart, as if he expected to be pushed to the +ground. + +The following throng went whirling around +the flank. Here and there were officers carried +along on the stream like exasperated chips. They +were striking about them with their swords +and with their left fists, punching every head +they could reach. They cursed like highway- +men. + +A mounted officer displayed the furious anger +of a spoiled child. He raged with his head, his +arms, and his legs. + +Another, the commander of the brigade, was +galloping about bawling. His hat was gone and +his clothes were awry. He resembled a man +who has come from bed to go to a fire. The +hoofs of his horse often threatened the heads of +the running men, but they scampered with sin- +gular fortune. In this rush they were apparently +all deaf and blind. They heeded not the largest +and longest of the oaths that were thrown at +them from all directions. + +Frequently over this tumult could be heard +the grim jokes of the critical veterans; but the +retreating men apparently were not even con- +scious of the presence of an audience. + +The battle reflection that shone for an instant +in the faces on the mad current made the youth +feel that forceful hands from heaven would not +have been able to have held him in place if he +could have got intelligent control of his legs. + +There was an appalling imprint upon these +faces. The struggle in the smoke had pictured +an exaggeration of itself on the bleached cheeks +and in the eyes wild with one desire. + +The sight of this stampede exerted a floodlike +force that seemed able to drag sticks and stones +and men from the ground. They of the reserves +had to hold on. They grew pale and firm, and +red and quaking. + +The youth achieved one little thought in the +midst of this chaos. The composite monster +which had caused the other troops to flee had +not then appeared. He resolved to get a view +of it, and then, he thought he might very likely +run better than the best of them. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +THERE were moments of waiting. The youth +thought of the village street at home before the +arrival of the circus parade on a day in the +spring. He remembered how he had stood, a +small, thrillful boy, prepared to follow the dingy +lady upon the white horse, or the band in its +faded chariot. He saw the yellow road, the +lines of expectant people, and the sober houses. +He particularly remembered an old fellow who +used to sit upon a cracker box in front of the +store and feign to despise such exhibitions. A +thousand details of color and form surged in his +mind. The old fellow upon the cracker box ap- +peared in middle prominence. + +Some one cried, "Here they come!" + +There was rustling and muttering among the +men. They displayed a feverish desire to have +every possible cartridge ready to their hands. +The boxes were pulled around into various posi- +tions, and adjusted with great care. It was as if +seven hundred new bonnets were being tried on. + +53 + +The tall soldier, having prepared his rifle, pro- +duced a red handkerchief of some kind. He was +engaged in knitting it about his throat with ex- +quisite attention to its position, when the cry was +repeated up and down the line in a muffled roar +of sound. + +"Here they come! Here they come!" Gun +locks clicked. + +Across the smoke-infested fields came a brown +swarm of running men who were giving shrill +yells. They came on, stooping and swinging +their rifles at all angles. A flag, tilted forward, +sped near the front. + +As he caught sight of them the youth was +momentarily startled by a thought that perhaps +his gun was not loaded. He stood trying to +rally his faltering intellect so that he might rec- +ollect the moment when he had loaded, but he +could not. + +A hatless general pulled his dripping horse to +a stand near the colonel of the 304th. He shook +his fist in the other's face. "You 've got to hold +'em back!" he shouted, savagely; "you 've got +to hold 'em back!" + +In his agitation the colonel began to stammer. +"A-all r-right, General, all right, by Gawd! We- +we'll do our--we-we'll d-d-do--do our best, Gen- +eral." The general made a passionate gesture +and galloped away. The colonel, perchance to +relieve his feelings, began to scold like a wet +parrot. The youth, turning swiftly to make +sure that the rear was unmolested, saw the com- +mander regarding his men in a highly regretful +manner, as if he regretted above everything his +association with them. + +The man at the youth's elbow was mumbling, +as if to himself: "Oh, we 're in for it now! oh, +we 're in for it now!" + +The captain of the company had been pacing +excitedly to and fro in the rear. He coaxed in +schoolmistress fashion, as to a congregation of +boys with primers. His talk was an endless +repetition. "Reserve your fire, boys--don't +shoot till I tell you--save your fire--wait till +they get close up--don't be damned fools--" + +Perspiration streamed down the youth's face, +which was soiled like that of a weeping urchin. +He frequently, with a nervous movement, wiped +his eyes with his coat sleeve. His mouth was +still a little ways open. + +He got the one glance at the foe-swarming +field in front of him, and instantly ceased to de- +bate the question of his piece being loaded. Be- +fore he was ready to begin--before he had an- +nounced to himself that he was about to fight-- +he threw the obedient, well-balanced rifle into +position and fired a first wild shot. Directly he +was working at his weapon like an automatic +affair. + +He suddenly lost concern for himself, and for- +got to look at a menacing fate. He became not a +man but a member. He felt that something of +which he was a part--a regiment, an army, a +cause, or a country--was in a crisis. He was +welded into a common personality which was +dominated by a single desire. For some mo- +ments he could not flee no more than a little +finger can commit a revolution from a hand. + +If he had thought the regiment was about to +be annihilated perhaps he could have amputated +himself from it. But its noise gave him assur- +ance. The regiment was like a firework that, +once ignited, proceeds superior to circumstances +until its blazing vitality fades. It wheezed and +banged with a mighty power. He pictured the +ground before it as strewn with the discom- +fited. + +There was a consciousness always of the pres- +ence of his comrades about him. He felt the +subtle battle brotherhood more potent even than +the cause for which they were fighting. It was a +mysterious fraternity born of the smoke and dan- +ger of death. + +He was at a task. He was like a carpenter +who has made many boxes, making still another +box, only there was furious haste in his move- +ments. He, in his thought, was careering off in +other places, even as the carpenter who as he +works whistles and thinks of his friend or his +enemy, his home or a saloon. And these jolted +dreams were never perfect to him afterward, but +remained a mass of blurred shapes. + +Presently he began to feel the effects of the +war atmosphere--a blistering sweat, a sensation +that his eyeballs were about to crack like hot +stones. A burning roar filled his ears. + +Following this came a red rage. He devel- +oped the acute exasperation of a pestered animal, +a well-meaning cow worried by dogs. He had a +mad feeling against his rifle, which could only be +used against one life at a time. He wished to +rush forward and strangle with his fingers. He +craved a power that would enable him to make a +world-sweeping gesture and brush all back. His +impotency appeared to him, and made his rage +into that of a driven beast. + +Buried in the smoke of many rifles his anger +was directed not so much against the men whom +he knew were rushing toward him as against the +swirling battle phantoms which were choking +him, stuffing their smoke robes down his parched +throat. He fought frantically for respite for his +senses, for air, as a babe being smothered attacks +the deadly blankets. + +There was a blare of heated rage mingled with +a certain expression of intentness on all faces. +Many of the men were making low-toned noises +with their mouths, and these subdued cheers, +snarls, imprecations, prayers, made a wild, bar- +baric song that went as an undercurrent of sound, +strange and chantlike with the resounding chords +of the war march. The man at the youth's elbow +was babbling. In it there was something soft and +tender like the monologue of a babe. The tall +soldier was swearing in a loud voice. From his +lips came a black procession of curious oaths. Of +a sudden another broke out in a querulous way +like a man who has mislaid his hat. "Well, why +don't they support us? Why don't they send +supports? Do they think--" + +The youth in his battle sleep heard this as one +who dozes hears. + +There was a singular absence of heroic poses. +The men bending and surging in their haste and +rage were in every impossible attitude. The steel +ramrods clanked and clanged with incessant din +as the men pounded them furiously into the hot +rifle barrels. The flaps of the cartridge boxes were +all unfastened, and bobbed idiotically with each +movement. The rifles, once loaded, were jerked +to the shoulder and fired without apparent aim +into the smoke or at one of the blurred and shift- +ing forms which upon the field before the regi- +ment had been growing larger and larger like +puppets under a magician's hand. + +The officers, at their intervals, rearward, neg- +lected to stand in picturesque attitudes. They +were bobbing to and fro roaring directions and +encouragements. The dimensions of their howls +were extraordinary. They expended their lungs +with prodigal wills. And often they nearly stood +upon their heads in their anxiety to observe the +enemy on the other side of the tumbling smoke. + +The lieutenant of the youth's company had en- +countered a soldier who had fled screaming at +the first volley of his comrades. Behind the lines +these two were acting a little isolated scene. The +man was blubbering and staring with sheeplike +eyes at the lieutenant, who had seized him by the +collar and was pommeling him. He drove him +back into the ranks with many blows. The sol- +dier went mechanically, dully, with his animal- +like eyes upon the officer. Perhaps there was to +him a divinity expressed in the voice of the other +--stern, hard, with no reflection of fear in it. He +tried to reload his gun, but his shaking hands pre- +vented. The lieutenant was obliged to assist him. + +The men dropped here and there like bundles. +The captain of the youth's company had been +killed in an early part of the action. His body +lay stretched out in the position of a tired man +resting, but upon his face there was an astonished +and sorrowful look, as if he thought some friend +had done him an ill turn. The babbling man was +grazed by a shot that made the blood stream +widely down his face. He clapped both hands +to his head. "Oh!" he said, and ran. Another +grunted suddenly as if he had been struck by a +club in the stomach. He sat down and gazed +ruefully. In his eyes there was mute, indefinite +reproach. Farther up the line a man, standing +behind a tree, had had his knee joint splintered +by a ball. Immediately he had dropped his rifle +and gripped the tree with both arms. And there +he remained, clinging desperately and crying for +assistance that he might withdraw his hold upon +the tree. + +At last an exultant yell went along the quiver- +ing line. The firing dwindled from an uproar to +a last vindictive popping. As the smoke slowly +eddied away, the youth saw that the charge had +been repulsed. The enemy were scattered into +reluctant groups. He saw a man climb to the +top of the fence, straddle the rail, and fire a part- +ing shot. The waves had receded, leaving bits of +dark debris upon the ground. + +Some in the regiment began to whoop fren- +ziedly. Many were silent. Apparently they were +trying to contemplate themselves. + +After the fever had left his veins, the youth +thought that at last he was going to suffocate. +He became aware of the foul atmosphere in +which he had been struggling. He was grimy +and dripping like a laborer in a foundry. He +grasped his canteen and took a long swallow of +the warmed water. + +A sentence with variations went up and down +the line. "Well, we 've helt 'em back. We 've +helt 'em back; derned if we haven't." The men +said it blissfully, leering at each other with dirty +smiles. + +The youth turned to look behind him and off +to the right and off to the left. He experienced +the joy of a man who at last finds leisure in which +to look about him. + +Under foot there were a few ghastly forms +motionless. They lay twisted in fantastic contor- +tions. Arms were bent and heads were turned +in incredible ways. It seemed that the dead men +must have fallen from some great height to get +into such positions. They looked to be dumped +out upon the ground from the sky. + +From a position in the rear of the grove a bat- +tery was throwing shells over it. The flash of +the guns startled the youth at first. He thought +they were aimed directly at him. Through the +trees he watched the black figures of the gunners +as they worked swiftly and intently. Their labor +seemed a complicated thing. He wondered how +they could remember its formula in the midst of +confusion. + +The guns squatted in a row like savage chiefs. +They argued with abrupt violence. It was a +grim pow-wow. Their busy servants ran hither +and thither. + +A small procession of wounded men were go- +ing drearily toward the rear. It was a flow of +blood from the torn body of the brigade. + +To the right and to the left were the dark +lines of other troops. Far in front he thought he +could see lighter masses protruding in points +from the forest. They were suggestive of un- +numbered thousands. + +Once he saw a tiny battery go dashing along +the line of the horizon. The tiny riders were +beating the tiny horses. + +From a sloping hill came the sound of cheer- +ings and clashes. Smoke welled slowly through +the leaves. + +Batteries were speaking with thunderous ora- +torical effort. Here and there were flags, the +red in the stripes dominating. They splashed +bits of warm color upon the dark lines of +troops. + +The youth felt the old thrill at the sight of +the emblem. They were like beautiful birds +strangely undaunted in a storm. + +As he listened to the din from the hillside, to +a deep pulsating thunder that came from afar to +the left, and to the lesser clamors which came +from many directions, it occurred to him that +they were fighting, too, over there, and over +there, and over there. Heretofore he had sup- +posed that all the battle was directly under his +nose. + +As he gazed around him the youth felt a flash +of astonishment at the blue, pure sky and the +sun gleamings on the trees and fields. It was +surprising that Nature had gone tranquilly on +with her golden process in the midst of so much +devilment. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +THE youth awakened slowly. He came grad- +ually back to a position from which he could re- +gard himself. For moments he had been scruti- +nizing his person in a dazed way as if he had +never before seen himself. Then he picked up +his cap from the ground. He wriggled in his +jacket to make a more comfortable fit, and kneel- +ing relaced his shoe. He thoughtfully mopped +his reeking features. + +So it was all over at last! The supreme trial +had been passed. The red, formidable difficulties +of war had been vanquished. + +He went into an ecstasy of self-satisfaction. +He had the most delightful sensations of his life. +Standing as if apart from himself, he viewed that +last scene. He perceived that the man who had +fought thus was magnificent. + +He felt that he was a fine fellow. He saw +himself even with those ideals which he had con- +sidered as far beyond him. He smiled in deep +gratification. + +64 + +Upon his fellows he beamed tenderness and +good will. "Gee! ain't it hot, hey?" he said +affably to a man who was polishing his stream- +ing face with his coat sleeves. + +"You bet!" said the other, grinning sociably. +"I never seen sech dumb hotness." He sprawled +out luxuriously on the ground. "Gee, yes! An' +I hope we don't have no more fightin' till a week +from Monday." + +There were some handshakings and deep +speeches with men whose features were familiar, +but with whom the youth now felt the bonds of +tied hearts. He helped a cursing comrade to +bind up a wound of the shin. + +But, of a sudden, cries of amazement broke +out along the ranks of the new regiment. "Here +they come ag'in! Here they come ag'in!" The +man who had sprawled upon the ground started +up and said, "Gosh!" + +The youth turned quick eyes upon the field. +He discerned forms begin to swell in masses out +of a distant wood. He again saw the tilted flag +speeding forward. + +The shells, which had ceased to trouble the +regiment for a time, came swirling again, and ex- +ploded in the grass or among the leaves of the +trees. They looked to be strange war flowers +bursting into fierce bloom. + +The men groaned. The luster faded from +their eyes. Their smudged countenances now +expressed a profound dejection. They moved +their stiffened bodies slowly, and watched in sul- +len mood the frantic approach of the enemy. The +slaves toiling in the temple of this god began to +feel rebellion at his harsh tasks. + +They fretted and complained each to each. +"Oh, say, this is too much of a good thing! Why +can't somebody send us supports?" + +"We ain't never goin' to stand this second +banging. I didn't come here to fight the hull +damn' rebel army." + +There was one who raised a doleful cry. "I +wish Bill Smithers had trod on my hand, in- +steader me treddin' on his'n." The sore joints of +the regiment creaked as it painfully floundered +into position to repulse. + +The youth stared. Surely, he thought, this +impossible thing was not about to happen. He +waited as if he expected the enemy to suddenly +stop, apologize, and retire bowing. It was all a +mistake. + +But the firing began somewhere on the regi- +mental line and ripped along in both directions. +The level sheets of flame developed great clouds +of smoke that tumbled and tossed in the mild +wind near the ground for a moment, and then +rolled through the ranks as through a gate. The +clouds were tinged an earthlike yellow in the +sunrays and in the shadow were a sorry blue. +The flag was sometimes eaten and lost in this +mass of vapor, but more often it projected, sun- +touched, resplendent. + +Into the youth's eyes there came a look that +one can see in the orbs of a jaded horse. His +neck was quivering with nervous weakness and +the muscles of his arms felt numb and bloodless. +His hands, too, seemed large and awkward as if +he was wearing invisible mittens. And there was +a great uncertainty about his knee joints. + +The words that comrades had uttered previous +to the firing began to recur to him. "Oh, say, +this is too much of a good thing! What do they +take us for--why don't they send supports? I +didn't come here to fight the hull damned rebel +army." + +He began to exaggerate the endurance, the +skill, and the valor of those who were coming. +Himself reeling from exhaustion, he was aston- +ished beyond measure at such persistency. They +must be machines of steel. It was very gloomy +struggling against such affairs, wound up perhaps +to fight until sundown. + +He slowly lifted his rifle and catching a +glimpse of the thickspread field he blazed at a +cantering cluster. He stopped then and began +to peer as best he could through the smoke. He +caught changing views of the ground covered +with men who were all running like pursued +imps, and yelling. + +To the youth it was an onslaught of redoubt- +able dragons. He became like the man who lost +his legs at the approach of the red and green +monster. He waited in a sort of a horrified, +listening attitude. He seemed to shut his eyes +and wait to be gobbled. + +A man near him who up to this time had been +working feverishly at his rifle suddenly stopped +and ran with howls. A lad whose face had borne +an expression of exalted courage, the majesty of +he who dares give his life, was, at an instant, +smitten abject. He blanched like one who has +come to the edge of a cliff at midnight and is sud- +denly made aware. There was a revelation. He, +too, threw down his gun and fled. There was no +shame in his face. He ran like a rabbit. + +Others began to scamper away through the +smoke. The youth turned his head, shaken from +his trance by this movement as if the regiment +was leaving him behind. He saw the few fleeting +forms. + +He yelled then with fright and swung about. +For a moment, in the great clamor, he was like a +proverbial chicken. He lost the direction of +safety. Destruction threatened him from all +points. + +Directly he began to speed toward the rear in +great leaps. His rifle and cap were gone. His +unbuttoned coat bulged in the wind. The flap of +his cartridge box bobbed wildly, and his canteen, +by its slender cord, swung out behind. On his +face was all the horror of those things which he +imagined. + +The lieutenant sprang forward bawling. The +youth saw his features wrathfully red, and saw +him make a dab with his sword. His one thought +of the incident was that the lieutenant was a pecul- +iar creature to feel interested in such matters +upon this occasion. + +He ran like a blind man. Two or three times +he fell down. Once he knocked his shoulder so +heavily against a tree that he went headlong. + +Since he had turned his back upon the fight +his fears had been wondrously magnified. Death +about to thrust him between the shoulder blades +was far more dreadful than death about to smite +him between the eyes. When he thought of it +later, he conceived the impression that it is better +to view the appalling than to be merely within +hearing. The noises of the battle were like +stones; he believed himself liable to be crushed. + +As he ran he mingled with others. He +dimly saw men on his right and on his left, and +he heard footsteps behind him. He thought that +all the regiment was fleeing, pursued by these +ominous crashes. + +In his flight the sound of these following foot- +steps gave him his one meager relief. He felt +vaguely that death must make a first choice of +the men who were nearest; the initial morsels for +the dragons would be then those who were fol- +lowing him. So he displayed the zeal of an insane +sprinter in his purpose to keep them in the rear. +There was a race. + +As he, leading, went across a little field, he +found himself in a region of shells. They hurtled +over his head with long wild screams. As he +listened he imagined them to have rows of cruel +teeth that grinned at him. Once one lit before +him and the livid lightning of the explosion +effectually barred the way in his chosen direc- +tion. He groveled on the ground and then +springing up went careering off through some +bushes. + +He experienced a thrill of amazement when +he came within view of a battery in action. The +men there seemed to be in conventional moods, +altogether unaware of the impending annihila- +tion. The battery was disputing with a distant +antagonist and the gunners were wrapped in +admiration of their shooting. They were con- +tinually bending in coaxing postures over the +guns. They seemed to be patting them on the +back and encouraging them with words. The +guns, stolid and undaunted, spoke with dogged +valor. + +The precise gunners were coolly enthusiastic. +They lifted their eyes every chance to the smoke- +wreathed hillock from whence the hostile battery +addressed them. The youth pitied them as he +ran. Methodical idiots! Machine-like fools! The +refined joy of planting shells in the midst of the +other battery's formation would appear a little +thing when the infantry came swooping out of +the woods. + +The face of a youthful rider, who was jerking +his frantic horse with an abandon of temper +he might display in a placid barnyard, was im- +pressed deeply upon his mind. He knew that +he looked upon a man who would presently be +dead. + +Too, he felt a pity for the guns, standing, six +good comrades, in a bold row. + +He saw a brigade going to the relief of its pes- +tered fellows. He scrambled upon a wee hill and +watched it sweeping finely, keeping formation in +difficult places. The blue of the line was crusted +with steel color, and the brilliant flags projected. +Officers were shouting. + +This sight also filled him with wonder. The +brigade was hurrying briskly to be gulped into +the infernal mouths of the war god. What man- +ner of men were they, anyhow? Ah, it was some +wondrous breed! Or else they didn't compre- +hend--the fools. + +A furious order caused commotion in the artil- +lery. An officer on a bounding horse made mani- +acal motions with his arms. The teams went +swinging up from the rear, the guns were whirled +about, and the battery scampered away. The +cannon with their noses poked slantingly at the +ground grunted and grumbled like stout men, +brave but with objections to hurry. + +The youth went on, moderating his pace since +he had left the place of noises. + +Later he came upon a general of division +seated upon a horse that pricked its ears in +an interested way at the battle. There was a +great gleaming of yellow and patent leather +about the saddle and bridle. The quiet man +astride looked mouse-colored upon such a splen- +did charger. + +A jingling staff was galloping hither and +thither. Sometimes the general was surrounded +by horsemen and at other times he was quite +alone. He looked to be much harassed. He had +the appearance of a business man whose market +is swinging up and down. + +The youth went slinking around this spot. +He went as near as he dared trying to overhear +words. Perhaps the general, unable to compre- +hend chaos, might call upon him for information. +And he could tell him. He knew all concerning +it. Of a surety the force was in a fix, and any +fool could see that if they did not retreat while +they had opportunity--why-- + +He felt that he would like to thrash the gen- +eral, or at least approach and tell him in plain +words exactly what he thought him to be. It +was criminal to stay calmly in one spot and make +no effort to stay destruction. He loitered in a +fever of eagerness for the division commander to +apply to him. + +As he warily moved about, he heard the gen- +eral call out irritably: "Tompkins, go over an' +see Taylor, an' tell him not t' be in such an all- +fired hurry; tell him t' halt his brigade in th' +edge of th' woods; tell him t' detach a reg'ment +--say I think th' center 'll break if we don't help +it out some; tell him t' hurry up." + +A slim youth on a fine chestnut horse caught +these swift words from the mouth of his superior. +He made his horse bound into a gallop almost +from a walk in his haste to go upon his mission. +There was a cloud of dust. + +A moment later the youth saw the general +bounce excitedly in his saddle. + +"Yes, by heavens, they have!" The officer +leaned forward. His face was aflame with excite- +ment. "Yes, by heavens, they 've held 'im! +They 've held 'im!" + +He began to blithely roar at his staff: "We 'll +wallop 'im now. We 'll wallop 'im now. We 've +got 'em sure." He turned suddenly upon an aid: +"Here--you--Jones--quick--ride after Tompkins +--see Taylor--tell him t' go in--everlastingly-- +like blazes--anything." + +As another officer sped his horse after the first +messenger, the general beamed upon the earth +like a sun. In his eyes was a desire to chant a +paean. He kept repeating, "They 've held 'em, +by heavens!" + +His excitement made his horse plunge, and he +merrily kicked and swore at it. He held a little +carnival of joy on horseback. + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +THE youth cringed as if discovered in a crime. +By heavens, they had won after all! The im- +becile line had remained and become victors. +He could hear cheering. + +He lifted himself upon his toes and looked in +the direction of the fight. A yellow fog lay wal- +lowing on the treetops. From beneath it came +the clatter of musketry. Hoarse cries told of an +advance. + +He turned away amazed and angry. He felt +that he had been wronged. + +He had fled, he told himself, because annihila- +tion approached. He had done a good part in +saving himself, who was a little piece of the army. +He had considered the time, he said, to be one in +which it was the duty of every little piece to res- +cue itself if possible. Later the officers could fit +the little pieces together again, and make a battle +front. If none of the little pieces were wise enough +to save themselves from the flurry of death at such + +75 +a time, why, then, where would be the army? It +was all plain that he had proceeded according to +very correct and commendable rules. His ac- +tions had been sagacious things. They had been +full of strategy. They were the work of a mas- +ter's legs. + +Thoughts of his comrades came to him. The +brittle blue line had withstood the blows and won. +He grew bitter over it. It seemed that the blind +ignorance and stupidity of those little pieces had +betrayed him. He had been overturned and +crushed by their lack of sense in holding the po- +sition, when intelligent deliberation would have +convinced them that it was impossible. He, the +enlightened man who looks afar in the dark, had +fled because of his superior perceptions and +knowledge. He felt a great anger against his +comrades. He knew it could be proved that +they had been fools. + +He wondered what they would remark when +later he appeared in camp. His mind heard +howls of derision. Their density would not en- +able them to understand his sharper point of +view. + +He began to pity himself acutely. He was +ill used. He was trodden beneath the feet of an +iron injustice. He had proceeded with wisdom +and from the most righteous motives under +heaven's blue only to be frustrated by hateful +circumstances. + +A dull, animal-like rebellion against his fel- +lows, war in the abstract, and fate grew within +him. He shambled along with bowed head, his +brain in a tumult of agony and despair. When +he looked loweringly up, quivering at each +sound, his eyes had the expression of those of +a criminal who thinks his guilt and his pun- +ishment great, and knows that he can find no +words. + +He went from the fields into a thick woods, as +if resolved to bury himself. He wished to get +out of hearing of the crackling shots which were +to him like voices. + +The ground was cluttered with vines and +bushes, and the trees grew close and spread out +like bouquets. He was obliged to force his way +with much noise. The creepers, catching against +his legs, cried out harshly as their sprays were +torn from the barks of trees. The swishing sap- +lings tried to make known his presence to the +world. He could not conciliate the forest. As +he made his way, it was always calling out prot- +estations. When he separated embraces of trees +and vines the disturbed foliages waved their arms +and turned their face leaves toward him. He +dreaded lest these noisy motions and cries should +bring men to look at him. So he went far, seek- +ing dark and intricate places. + +After a time the sound of musketry grew faint +and the cannon boomed in the distance. The sun, +suddenly apparent, blazed among the trees. The +insects were making rhythmical noises. They +seemed to be grinding their teeth in unison. A +woodpecker stuck his impudent head around the +side of a tree. A bird flew on lighthearted wing. + +Off was the rumble of death. It seemed now +that Nature had no ears. + +This landscape gave him assurance. A fair +field holding life. It was the religion of peace. +It would die if its timid eyes were compelled to +see blood. He conceived Nature to be a woman +with a deep aversion to tragedy. + +He threw a pine cone at a jovial squirrel, and +he ran with chattering fear. High in a treetop +he stopped, and, poking his head cautiously from +behind a branch, looked down with an air of trepi- +dation. + +The youth felt triumphant at this exhibition. +There was the law, he said. Nature had given +him a sign. The squirrel, immediately upon rec- +ognizing danger, had taken to his legs without +ado. He did not stand stolidly baring his furry +belly to the missile, and die with an upward +glance at the sympathetic heavens. On the con- +trary, he had fled as fast as his legs could carry +him; and he was but an ordinary squirrel, too-- +doubtless no philosopher of his race. The youth +wended, feeling that Nature was of his mind. +She re-enforced his argument with proofs that +lived where the sun shone. + +Once he found himself almost into a swamp. +He was obliged to walk upon bog tufts and +watch his feet to keep from the oily mire. Paus- +ing at one time to look about him he saw, out at +some black water, a small animal pounce in and +emerge directly with a gleaming fish. + +The youth went again into the deep thickets. +The brushed branches made a noise that drowned +the sounds of cannon. He walked on, going from +obscurity into promises of a greater obscurity. + +At length he reached a place where the high, +arching boughs made a chapel. He softly pushed +the green doors aside and entered. Pine needles +were a gentle brown carpet. There was a reli- +gious half light. + +Near the threshold he stopped, horror-stricken +at the sight of a thing. + +He was being looked at by a dead man who +was seated with his back against a columnlike +tree. The corpse was dressed in a uniform that +once had been blue, but was now faded to a mel- +ancholy shade of green. The eyes, staring at the +youth, had changed to the dull hue to be seen on +the side of a dead fish. The mouth was open. +Its red had changed to an appalling yellow. +Over the gray skin of the face ran little ants. +One was trundling some sort of a bundle along +the upper lip. + +The youth gave a shriek as he confronted the +thing. He was for moments turned to stone be- +fore it. He remained staring into the liquid-look- +ing eyes. The dead man and the living man ex- +changed a long look. Then the youth cautiously +put one hand behind him and brought it against +a tree. Leaning upon this he retreated, step by +step, with his face still toward the thing. He +feared that if he turned his back the body might +spring up and stealthily pursue him. + +The branches, pushing against him, threat- +ened to throw him over upon it. His unguided +feet, too, caught aggravatingly in brambles; and +with it all he received a subtle suggestion to +touch the corpse. As he thought of his hand +upon it he shuddered profoundly. + +At last he burst the bonds which had fastened +him to the spot and fled, unheeding the under- +brush. He was pursued by a sight of the black +ants swarming greedily upon the gray face and +venturing horribly near to the eyes. + +After a time he paused, and, breathless and +panting, listened. He imagined some strange +voice would come from the dead throat and +squawk after him in horrible menaces. + +The trees about the portal of the chapel +moved soughingly in a soft wind. A sad silence +was upon the little guarding edifice. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +THE trees began softly to sing a hymn of twi- +light. The sun sank until slanted bronze rays +struck the forest. There was a lull in the noises +of insects as if they had bowed their beaks and +were making a devotional pause. There was +silence save for the chanted chorus of the trees. + +Then, upon this stillness, there suddenly broke +a tremendous clangor of sounds. A crimson roar +came from the distance. + +The youth stopped. He was transfixed by +this terrific medley of all noises. It was as if +worlds were being rended. There was the rip- +ping sound of musketry and the breaking crash +of the artillery. + +His mind flew in all directions. He conceived +the two armies to be at each other panther +fashion. He listened for a time. Then he began +to run in the direction of the battle. He saw +that it was an ironical thing for him to be run- +ning thus toward that which he had been at such + +82 +pains to avoid. But he said, in substance, to him- +self that if the earth and the moon were about to +clash, many persons would doubtless plan to get +upon the roofs to witness the collision. + +As he ran, he became aware that the forest +had stopped its music, as if at last becoming +capable of hearing the foreign sounds. The trees +hushed and stood motionless. Everything seemed +to be listening to the crackle and clatter and ear- +shaking thunder. The chorus pealed over the +still earth. + +It suddenly occurred to the youth that the +fight in which he had been was, after all, but +perfunctory popping. In the hearing of this +present din he was doubtful if he had seen real +battle scenes. This uproar explained a celes- +tial battle; it was tumbling hordes a-struggle in +the air. + +Reflecting, he saw a sort of a humor in the +point of view of himself and his fellows during +the late encounter. They had taken themselves +and the enemy very seriously and had imagined +that they were deciding the war. Individuals +must have supposed that they were cutting the +letters of their names deep into everlasting tablets +of brass, or enshrining their reputations forever in +the hearts of their countrymen, while, as to fact, +the affair would appear in printed reports under a +meek and immaterial title. But he saw that it was +good, else, he said, in battle every one would +surely run save forlorn hopes and their ilk. + +He went rapidly on. He wished to come to +the edge of the forest that he might peer out. + +As he hastened, there passed through his mind +pictures of stupendous conflicts. His accumulated +thought upon such subjects was used to form +scenes. The noise was as the voice of an eloquent +being, describing. + +Sometimes the brambles formed chains and +tried to hold him back. Trees, confronting him, +stretched out their arms and forbade him to pass. +After its previous hostility this new resistance of +the forest filled him with a fine bitterness. It +seemed that Nature could not be quite ready to +kill him. + +But he obstinately took roundabout ways, and +presently he was where he could see long gray +walls of vapor where lay battle lines. The voices +of cannon shook him. The musketry sounded in +long irregular surges that played havoc with his +ears. He stood regardant for a moment. His +eyes had an awestruck expression. He gawked +in the direction of the fight. + +Presently he proceeded again on his forward +way. The battle was like the grinding of an +immense and terrible machine to him. Its com- +plexities and powers, its grim processes, fascinated +him. He must go close and see it produce +corpses. + +He came to a fence and clambered over it. +On the far side, the ground was littered with +clothes and guns. A newspaper, folded up, lay +in the dirt. A dead soldier was stretched with +his face hidden in his arm. Farther off there +was a group of four or five corpses keeping +mournful company. A hot sun had blazed upon +the spot. + +In this place the youth felt that he was an +invader. This forgotten part of the battle ground +was owned by the dead men, and he hurried, in +the vague apprehension that one of the swollen +forms would rise and tell him to begone. + +He came finally to a road from which he +could see in the distance dark and agitated +bodies of troops, smoke-fringed. In the lane +was a blood-stained crowd streaming to the rear. +The wounded men were cursing, groaning, and +wailing. In the air, always, was a mighty swell +of sound that it seemed could sway the earth. +With the courageous words of the artillery and +the spiteful sentences of the musketry mingled +red cheers. And from this region of noises came +the steady current of the maimed. + +One of the wounded men had a shoeful of +blood. He hopped like a schoolboy in a game. +He was laughing hysterically. + +One was swearing that he had been shot in the +arm through the commanding general's misman- +agement of the army. One was marching with +an air imitative of some sublime drum major. +Upon his features was an unholy mixture of +merriment and agony. As he marched he sang +a bit of doggerel in a high and quavering voice: + + +"Sing a song 'a vic'try, + A pocketful 'a bullets, +Five an' twenty dead men + Baked in a--pie." + +Parts of the procession limped and staggered to +this tune. + +Another had the gray seal of death already +upon his face. His lips were curled in hard lines +and his teeth were clinched. His hands were +bloody from where he had pressed them upon his +wound. He seemed to be awaiting the moment +when he should pitch headlong. He stalked like +the specter of a soldier, his eyes burning with the +power of a stare into the unknown. + +There were some who proceeded sullenly, full +of anger at their wounds, and ready to turn upon +anything as an obscure cause. + +An officer was carried along by two privates. +He was peevish. "Don't joggle so, Johnson, yeh +fool," he cried. "Think m' leg is made of iron? +If yeh can't carry me decent, put me down an' +let some one else do it." + +He bellowed at the tottering crowd who +blocked the quick march of his bearers. "Say, +make way there, can't yeh? Make way, dickens +take it all." + +They sulkily parted and went to the road- +sides. As he was carried past they made pert +remarks to him. When he raged in reply and +threatened them, they told him to be damned. + +The shoulder of one of the tramping bearers +knocked heavily against the spectral soldier who +was staring into the unknown. + +The youth joined this crowd and marched +along with it. The torn bodies expressed the +awful machinery in which the men had been +entangled. + +Orderlies and couriers occasionally broke +through the throng in the roadway, scattering +wounded men right and left, galloping on fol- +lowed by howls. The melancholy march was +continually disturbed by the messengers, and +sometimes by bustling batteries that came swing- +ing and thumping down upon them, the officers +shouting orders to clear the way. + +There was a tattered man, fouled with dust, +blood and powder stain from hair to shoes, who +trudged quietly at the youth's side. He was lis- +tening with eagerness and much humility to the +lurid descriptions of a bearded sergeant. His +lean features wore an expression of awe and ad- +miration. He was like a listener in a country +store to wondrous tales told among the sugar +barrels. He eyed the story-teller with unspeak- +able wonder. His mouth was agape in yokel +fashion. + +The sergeant, taking note of this, gave pause +to his elaborate history while he administered a +sardonic comment. "Be keerful, honey, you 'll +be a-ketchin' flies," he said. + +The tattered man shrank back abashed. + +After a time he began to sidle near to the +youth, and in a different way try to make him a +friend. His voice was gentle as a girl's voice +and his eyes were pleading. The youth saw +with surprise that the soldier had two wounds, +one in the head, bound with a blood-soaked rag, +and the other in the arm, making that member +dangle like a broken bough. + +After they had walked together for some time +the tattered man mustered sufficient courage to +speak. "Was pretty good fight, wa'n't it?" +he timidly said. The youth, deep in thought, +glanced up at the bloody and grim figure with +its lamblike eyes. "What?" + +"Was pretty good fight, wa'n't it? + +"Yes," said the youth shortly. He quick- +ened his pace. + +But the other hobbled industriously after him. +There was an air of apology in his manner, but +he evidently thought that he needed only to talk +for a time, and the youth would perceive that he +was a good fellow. + +"Was pretty good fight, wa'n't it?" he began +in a small voice, and then he achieved the forti- +tude to continue. "Dern me if I ever see fellers +fight so. Laws, how they did fight! I knowed +th' boys 'd like when they onct got square at it. +Th' boys ain't had no fair chanct up t' now, but +this time they showed what they was. I knowed +it 'd turn out this way. Yeh can't lick them boys. +No, sir! They're fighters, they be." + +He breathed a deep breath of humble ad- +miration. He had looked at the youth for en- +couragement several times. He received none, +but gradually he seemed to get absorbed in his +subject. + +"I was talkin' 'cross pickets with a boy from +Georgie, onct, an' that boy, he ses, 'Your fellers +'ll all run like hell when they onct hearn a gun,' +he ses. 'Mebbe they will,' I ses, 'but I don't +b'lieve none of it,' I ses; 'an' b'jiminey,' I ses back +t' 'um, 'mebbe your fellers 'll all run like hell +when they onct hearn a gun,' I ses. He larfed. +Well, they didn't run t' day, did they, hey? No, +sir! They fit, an' fit, an' fit." + +His homely face was suffused with a light of +love for the army which was to him all things +beautiful and powerful. + +After a time he turned to the youth. "Where +yeh hit, ol' boy?" he asked in a brotherly tone. + +The youth felt instant panic at this question, +although at first its full import was not borne in +upon him. + +"What?" he asked. + +"Where yeh hit?" repeated the tattered man. + +"Why," began the youth, "I--I--that is-- +why--I--" + +He turned away suddenly and slid through +the crowd. His brow was heavily flushed, and +his fingers were picking nervously at one of his +buttons. He bent his head and fastened his eyes +studiously upon the button as if it were a little +problem. + +The tattered man looked after him in aston- +ishment. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +THE youth fell back in the procession until +the tattered soldier was not in sight. Then he +started to walk on with the others. + +But he was amid wounds. The mob of men +was bleeding. Because of the tattered soldier's +question he now felt that his shame could be +viewed. He was continually casting sidelong +glances to see if the men were contemplating the +letters of guilt he felt burned into his brow. + +At times he regarded the wounded soldiers +in an envious way. He conceived persons with +torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished +that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of cour- +age. + +The spectral soldier was at his side like a +stalking reproach. The man's eyes were still +fixed in a stare into the unknown. His gray, +appalling face had attracted attention in the +crowd, and men, slowing to his dreary pace, were +walking with him. They were discussing his +plight, questioning him and giving him advice. + +91 +In a dogged way he repelled them, signing to them +to go on and leave him alone. The shadows of +his face were deepening and his tight lips seemed +holding in check the moan of great despair. +There could be seen a certain stiffness in the +movements of his body, as if he were taking +infinite care not to arouse the passion of his +wounds. As he went on, he seemed always look- +ing for a place, like one who goes to choose a +grave. + +Something in the gesture of the man as he +waved the bloody and pitying soldiers away +made the youth start as if bitten. He yelled in +horror. Tottering forward he laid a quivering +hand upon the man's arm. As the latter slowly +turned his waxlike features toward him, the +youth screamed: + +"Gawd! Jim Conklin!" + +The tall soldier made a little commonplace +smile. "Hello, Henry," he said. + +The youth swayed on his legs and glared +strangely. He stuttered and stammered. "Oh, +Jim--oh, Jim--oh, Jim--" + +The tall soldier held out his gory hand. There +was a curious red and black combination of new +blood and old blood upon it. "Where yeh been, +Henry?" he asked. He continued in a monoto- +nous voice, "I thought mebbe yeh got keeled +over. There 's been thunder t' pay t'-day. I was +worryin' about it a good deal." + +The youth still lamented. "Oh, Jim--oh, Jim +--oh, Jim--" + +"Yeh know," said the tall soldier, "I was out +there." He made a careful gesture. "An', +Lord, what a circus! An', b'jiminey, I got shot-- +I got shot. Yes, b'jiminey, I got shot." He +reiterated this fact in a bewildered way, as if he +did not know how it came about. + +The youth put forth anxious arms to assist +him, but the tall soldier went firmly on as if pro- +pelled. Since the youth's arrival as a guardian +for his friend, the other wounded men had ceased +to display much interest. They occupied them- +selves again in dragging their own tragedies +toward the rear. + +Suddenly, as the two friends marched on, the +tall soldier seemed to be overcome by a terror. +His face turned to a semblance of gray paste. +He clutched the youth's arm and looked all about +him, as if dreading to be overheard. Then he +began to speak in a shaking whisper: + +"I tell yeh what I'm 'fraid of, Henry--I 'll tell +yeh what I 'm 'fraid of. I 'm 'fraid I 'll fall down +--an' then yeh know--them damned artillery +wagons--they like as not 'll run over me. That 's +what I 'm 'fraid of--" + +The youth cried out to him hysterically: "I 'll +take care of yeh, Jim! I'll take care of yeh! I +swear t' Gawd I will!" + +"Sure--will yeh, Henry?" the tall soldier +beseeched. + +"Yes--yes--I tell yeh--I'll take care of yeh, +Jim!" protested the youth. He could not speak +accurately because of the gulpings in his throat. + +But the tall soldier continued to beg in a +lowly way. He now hung babelike to the +youth's arm. His eyes rolled in the wildness of +his terror. "I was allus a good friend t' yeh, +wa'n't I, Henry? I 've allus been a pretty good +feller, ain't I? An' it ain't much t' ask, is it? Jest +t' pull me along outer th' road? I 'd do it fer you, +Wouldn't I, Henry?" + +He paused in piteous anxiety to await his +friend's reply. + +The youth had reached an anguish where the +sobs scorched him. He strove to express his +loyalty, but he could only make fantastic gestures. + +However, the tall soldier seemed suddenly to +forget all those fears. He became again the +grim, stalking specter of a soldier. He went +stonily forward. The youth wished his friend to +lean upon him, but the other always shook his +head and strangely protested. "No--no--no-- +leave me be--leave me be--" + +His look was fixed again upon the unknown. +He moved with mysterious purpose, and all of +the youth's offers he brushed aside. "No--no-- +leave me be--leave me be--" + +The youth had to follow. + +Presently the latter heard a voice talking +softly near his shoulders. Turning he saw that it +belonged to the tattered soldier. "Ye 'd better +take 'im outa th' road, pardner. There 's a batt'ry +comin' helitywhoop down th' road an' he 'll git +runned over. He 's a goner anyhow in about five +minutes--yeh kin see that. Ye 'd better take 'im +outa th' road. Where th' blazes does he git his +stren'th from?" + +"Lord knows!" cried the youth. He was +shaking his hands helplessly. + +He ran forward presently and grasped the +tall soldier by the arm. "Jim! Jim!" he coaxed, +"come with me." + +The tall soldier weakly tried to wrench himself +free. "Huh," he said vacantly. He stared at the +youth for a moment. At last he spoke as if dimly +comprehending. "Oh! Inteh th' fields? Oh!" + +He started blindly through the grass. + +The youth turned once to look at the lashing +riders and jouncing guns of the battery. He was +startled from this view by a shrill outcry from +the tattered man. + +"Gawd! He's runnin'!" + +Turning his head swiftly, the youth saw his +friend running in a staggering and stumbling +way toward a little clump of bushes. His heart +seemed to wrench itself almost free from his +body at this sight. He made a noise of pain. +He and the tattered man began a pursuit. There +was a singular race. + +When he overtook the tall soldier he began +to plead with all the words he could find. "Jim +--Jim--what are you doing--what makes you do +this way--you 'll hurt yerself." + +The same purpose was in the tall soldier's face. +He protested in a dulled way, keeping his eyes +fastened on the mystic place of his intentions. +"No--no--don't tech me--leave me be--leave +me be--" + +The youth, aghast and filled with wonder at the +tall soldier, began quaveringly to question him. +"Where yeh goin', Jim? What you thinking +about? Where you going? Tell me, won't you, +Jim?" + +The tall soldier faced about as upon relentless +pursuers. In his eyes there was a great appeal. +"Leave me be, can't yeh? Leave me be fer a +minnit." + +The youth recoiled. "Why, Jim," he said, in +a dazed way, "what's the matter with you?" + +The tall soldier turned and, lurching danger- +ously, went on. The youth and the tattered +soldier followed, sneaking as if whipped, feeling +unable to face the stricken man if he should again +confront them. They began to have thoughts of +a solemn ceremony. There was something rite- +like in these movements of the doomed soldier. +And there was a resemblance in him to a devotee +of a mad religion, blood-sucking, muscle-wrench- +ing, bone-crushing. They were awed and afraid. +They hung back lest he have at command a +dreadful weapon. + +At last, they saw him stop and stand motion- +less. Hastening up, they perceived that his face +wore an expression telling that he had at last +found the place for which he had struggled. His +spare figure was erect; his bloody hands were +quietly at his side. He was waiting with patience +for something that he had come to meet. He was +at the rendezvous. They paused and stood, ex- +pectant. + +There was a silence. + +Finally, the chest of the doomed soldier began +to heave with a strained motion. It increased in +violence until it was as if an animal was within +and was kicking and tumbling furiously to be +free. + +This spectacle of gradual strangulation made +the youth writhe, and once as his friend rolled his +eyes, he saw something in them that made him +sink wailing to the ground. He raised his voice +in a last supreme call. + +"Jim--Jim--Jim--" + +The tall soldier opened his lips and spoke. +He made a gesture. "Leave me be--don't tech +me--leave me be--" + +There was another silence while he waited. + +Suddenly, his form stiffened and straightened. +Then it was shaken by a prolonged ague. He +stared into space. To the two watchers there +was a curious and profound dignity in the firm +lines of his awful face. + +He was invaded by a creeping strangeness +that slowly enveloped him. For a moment the +tremor of his legs caused him to dance a sort of +hideous hornpipe. His arms beat wildly about +his head in expression of implike enthusiasm. + +His tall figure stretched itself to its full height. +There was a slight rending sound. Then it began +to swing forward, slow and straight, in the man- +ner of a falling tree. A swift muscular contortion +made the left shoulder strike the ground first. + +The body seemed to bounce a little way from +the earth. "God!" said the tattered soldier. + +The youth had watched, spellbound, this +ceremony at the place of meeting. His face +had been twisted into an expression of every +agony he had imagined for his friend. + +He now sprang to his feet and, going closer, +gazed upon the pastelike face. The mouth was +open and the teeth showed in a laugh. + +As the flap of the blue jacket fell away from +the body, he could see that the side looked as if it +had been chewed by wolves. + +The youth turned, with sudden, livid rage, +toward the battlefield. He shook his fist. He +seemed about to deliver a philippic. + +"Hell--" + +The red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +THE tattered man stood musing. + +"Well, he was reg'lar jim-dandy fer nerve, +wa'n't he," said he finally in a little awestruck +voice. "A reg'lar jim-dandy." He thoughtfully +poked one of the docile hands with his foot. "I +wonner where he got 'is stren'th from? I never +seen a man do like that before. It was a funny +thing. Well, he was a reg'lar jim-dandy." + +The youth desired to screech out his grief. +He was stabbed, but his tongue lay dead in the +tomb of his mouth. He threw himself again +upon the ground and began to brood. + +The tattered man stood musing. + +"Look-a-here, pardner," he said, after a time. +He regarded the corpse as he spoke. "He 's up +an' gone, ain't 'e, an' we might as well begin t' +look out fer ol' number one. This here thing is +all over. He 's up an' gone, ain't 'e? An' he 's all +right here. Nobody won't bother 'im. An' I +must say I ain't enjoying any great health m'self +these days." + +100 + +The youth, awakened by the tattered soldier's +tone, looked quickly up. He saw that he was +swinging uncertainly on his legs and that his face +had turned to a shade of blue. + +"Good Lord!" he cried, "you ain't goin' t'-- +not you, too." + +The tattered man waved his hand. "Nary +die," he said. "All I want is some pea soup an' +a good bed. Some pea soup," he repeated +dreamfully. + +The youth arose from the ground. "I wonder +where he came from. I left him over there." +He pointed. "And now I find 'im here. And +he was coming from over there, too." He in- +dicated a new direction. They both turned +toward the body as if to ask of it a question. + +"Well," at length spoke the tattered man, +"there ain't no use in our stayin' here an' tryin' t' +ask him anything." + +The youth nodded an assent wearily. They +both turned to gaze for a moment at the corpse. + +The youth murmured something. + +"Well, he was a jim-dandy, wa'n't 'e?" said +the tattered man as if in response. + +They turned their backs upon it and started +away. For a time they stole softly, treading +with their toes. It remained laughing there in +the grass. + +"I'm commencin' t' feel pretty bad," said the +tattered man, suddenly breaking one of his little +silences. "I'm commencin' t' feel pretty damn' +bad." + +The youth groaned. "O Lord!" He won- +dered if he was to be the tortured witness of +another grim encounter. + +But his companion waved his hand reassur- +ingly. "Oh, I'm not goin' t' die yit! There too +much dependin' on me fer me t' die yit. No, sir! +Nary die! I CAN'T! Ye'd oughta see th' swad +a' chil'ren I've got, an' all like that." + +The youth glancing at his companion could +see by the shadow of a smile that he was making +some kind of fun. + +As they plodded on the tattered soldier con- +tinued to talk. "Besides, if I died, I wouldn't +die th' way that feller did. That was th' funniest +thing. I'd jest flop down, I would. I never seen +a feller die th' way that feller did. + +"Yeh know Tom Jamison, he lives next door +t' me up home. He's a nice feller, he is, an' we +was allus good friends. Smart, too. Smart as a +steel trap. Well, when we was a-fightin' this +atternoon, all-of-a-sudden he begin t' rip up an' +cuss an' beller at me. 'Yer shot, yeh blamed +infernal!'--he swear horrible--he ses t' me. I +put up m' hand t' m' head an' when I looked at +m' fingers, I seen, sure 'nough, I was shot. I +give a holler an' begin t' run, but b'fore I could +git away another one hit me in th' arm an' whirl' +me clean 'round. I got skeared when they was +all a-shootin' b'hind me an' I run t' beat all, +but I cotch it pretty bad. I've an idee I'd +a' been fightin' yit, if t'was n't fer Tom Jami- +son." + +Then he made a calm announcement: "There's +two of 'em--little ones--but they 're beginnin' t' +have fun with me now. I don't b'lieve I kin walk +much furder." + +They went slowly on in silence. "Yeh look +pretty peek-ed yerself," said the tattered man at +last. "I bet yeh 've got a worser one than yeh +think. Ye'd better take keer of yer hurt. It +don't do t' let sech things go. It might be inside +mostly, an' them plays thunder. Where is it +located?" But he continued his harangue with- +out waiting for a reply. "I see 'a feller git hit +plum in th' head when my reg'ment was a-standin' +at ease onct. An' everybody yelled out to 'im: +Hurt, John? Are yeh hurt much? 'No," ses he. +He looked kinder surprised, an' he went on tellin' +'em how he felt. He sed he didn't feel nothin'. +But, by dad, th' first thing that feller knowed he +was dead. Yes, he was dead--stone dead. So, +yeh wanta watch out. Yeh might have some +queer kind 'a hurt yerself. Yeh can't never tell. +Where is your'n located?" + +The youth had been wriggling since the intro- +duction of this topic. He now gave a cry of ex- +asperation and made a furious motion with his +hand. "Oh, don't bother me!" he said. He was +enraged against the tattered man, and could have +strangled him. His companions seemed ever to +play intolerable parts. They were ever uprais- +ing the ghost of shame on the stick of their +curiosity. He turned toward the tattered man as +one at bay. "Now, don't bother me," he re- +peated with desperate menace. + +"Well, Lord knows I don't wanta bother any- +body," said the other. There was a little accent +of despair in his voice as he replied, "Lord +knows I 've gota 'nough m' own t' tend to." + +The youth, who had been holding a bitter de- +bate with himself and casting glances of hatred +and contempt at the tattered man, here spoke in +a hard voice. "Good-by," he said. + +The tattered man looked at him in gaping +amazement. "Why--why, pardner, where yeh +goin'?" he asked unsteadily. The youth looking +at him, could see that he, too, like that other one, +was beginning to act dumb and animal-like. His +thoughts seemed to be floundering about in his +head. "Now--now--look--a--here, you Tom +Jamison--now--I won't have this--this here +won't do. Where--where yeh goin'?" + +The youth pointed vaguely. "Over there," +he replied. + +"Well, now look--a--here--now," said the +tattered man, rambling on in idiot fashion. His +head was hanging forward and his words were +slurred. "This thing won't do, now, Tom Jami- +son. It won't do. I know yeh, yeh pig-headed +devil. Yeh wanta go trompin' off with a bad +hurt. It ain't right--now--Tom Jamison--it ain't. +Yeh wanta leave me take keer of yeh, Tom Jami- +son. It ain't--right--it ain't--fer yeh t' go-- +trompin' off--with a bad hurt--it ain't--ain't-- +ain't right--it ain't." + +In reply the youth climbed a fence and +started away. He could hear the tattered man +bleating plaintively. + +Once he faced about angrily. "What?" + +"Look--a--here, now, Tom Jamison--now-- +it ain't--" + +The youth went on. Turning at a distance he +saw the tattered man wandering about helplessly +in the field. + +He now thought that he wished he was dead. +He believed that he envied those men whose +bodies lay strewn over the grass of the fields and +on the fallen leaves of the forest. + +The simple questions of the tattered man had +been knife thrusts to him. They asserted a +society that probes pitilessly at secrets until all is +apparent. His late companion's chance persist- +ency made him feel that he could not keep his +crime concealed in his bosom. It was sure to be +brought plain by one of those arrows which +cloud the air and are constantly pricking, dis- +covering, proclaiming those things which are +willed to be forever hidden. He admitted that +he could not defend himself against this agency. +It was not within the power of vigilance. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +HE became aware that the furnace roar of the +battle was growing louder. Great brown clouds +had floated to the still heights of air before him. +The noise, too, was approaching. The woods +filtered men and the fields became dotted. + +As he rounded a hillock, he perceived that the +roadway was now a crying mass of wagons, +teams, and men. From the heaving tangle issued +exhortations, commands, imprecations. Fear was +sweeping it all along. The cracking whips bit +and horses plunged and tugged. The white- +topped wagons strained and stumbled in their +exertions like fat sheep. + +The youth felt comforted in a measure by this +sight. They were all retreating. Perhaps, then, +he was not so bad after all. He seated himself +and watched the terror-stricken wagons. They +fled like soft, ungainly animals. All the roarers +and lashers served to help him to magnify the +dangers and horrors of the engagement that he + +107 +might try to prove to himself that the thing with +which men could charge him was in truth a +symmetrical act. There was an amount of pleas- +ure to him in watching the wild march of this +vindication. + +Presently the calm head of a forward-going +column of infantry appeared in the road. It +came swiftly on. Avoiding the obstructions gave +it the sinuous movement of a serpent. The men +at the head butted mules with their musket +stocks. They prodded teamsters indifferent to +all howls. The men forced their way through +parts of the dense mass by strength. The blunt +head of the column pushed. The raving team- +sters swore many strange oaths. + +The commands to make way had the ring of a +great importance in them. The men were going +forward to the heart of the din. They were to +confront the eager rush of the enemy. They felt +the pride of their onward movement when the +remainder of the army seemed trying to dribble +down this road. They tumbled teams about +with a fine feeling that it was no matter so long +as their column got to the front in time. This +importance made their faces grave and stern. +And the backs of the officers were very rigid. + +As the youth looked at them the black weight +of his woe returned to him. He felt that he was +regarding a procession of chosen beings. The +separation was as great to him as if they had +marched with weapons of flame and banners of +sunlight. He could never be like them. He +could have wept in his longings. + +He searched about in his mind for an ade- +quate malediction for the indefinite cause, the +thing upon which men turn the words of final +blame. It--whatever it was--was responsible for +him, he said. There lay the fault. + +The haste of the column to reach the battle +seemed to the forlorn young man to be some- +thing much finer than stout fighting. Heroes, he +thought, could find excuses in that long seething +lane. They could retire with perfect self-respect +and make excuses to the stars. + +He wondered what those men had eaten that +they could be in such haste to force their way to +grim chances of death. As he watched his envy +grew until he thought that he wished to change +lives with one of them. He would have liked to +have used a tremendous force, he said, throw off +himself and become a better. Swift pictures of +himself, apart, yet in himself, came to him--a +blue desperate figure leading lurid charges with +one knee forward and a broken blade high--a +blue, determined figure standing before a crimson +and steel assault, getting calmly killed on a high +place before the eyes of all. He thought of the +magnificent pathos of his dead body. + +These thoughts uplifted him. He felt the +quiver of war desire. In his ears, he heard the +ring of victory. He knew the frenzy of a rapid +successful charge. The music of the trampling +feet, the sharp voices, the clanking arms of the +column near him made him soar on the red wings +of war. For a few moments he was sublime. + +He thought that he was about to start for the +front. Indeed, he saw a picture of himself, dust- +stained, haggard, panting, flying to the front at +the proper moment to seize and throttle the dark, +leering witch of calamity. + +Then the difficulties of the thing began to +drag at him. He hesitated, balancing awkwardly +on one foot. + +He had no rifle; he could not fight with his +hands, said he resentfully to his plan. Well, +rifles could be had for the picking. They were +extraordinarily profuse. + +Also, he continued, it would be a miracle if he +found his regiment. Well, he could fight with +any regiment. + +He started forward slowly. He stepped as if +he expected to tread upon some explosive thing. +Doubts and he were struggling. + +He would truly be a worm if any of his com- +rades should see him returning thus, the marks of +his flight upon him. There was a reply that the +intent fighters did not care for what happened +rearward saving that no hostile bayonets ap- +peared there. In the battle-blur his face would, +in a way be hidden, like the face of a cowled +man. + +But then he said that his tireless fate would +bring forth, when the strife lulled for a moment, +a man to ask of him an explanation. In imagina- +tion he felt the scrutiny of his companions as he +painfully labored through some lies. + +Eventually, his courage expended itself upon +these objections. The debates drained him of his +fire. + +He was not cast down by this defeat of his +plan, for, upon studying the affair carefully, he +could not but admit that the objections were very +formidable. + +Furthermore, various ailments had begun to +cry out. In their presence he could not persist +in flying high with the wings of war; they +rendered it almost impossible for him to see him- +self in a heroic light. He tumbled headlong. + +He discovered that he had a scorching thirst. +His face was so dry and grimy that he thought +he could feel his skin crackle. Each bone of his +body had an ache in it, and seemingly threatened +to break with each movement. His feet were +like two sores. Also, his body was calling for +food. It was more powerful than a direct hunger. +There was a dull, weight like feeling in his stom- +ach, and, when he tried to walk, his head swayed +and he tottered. He could not see with distinct- +ness. Small patches of green mist floated before +his vision. + +While he had been tossed by many emotions, +he had not been aware of ailments. Now they +beset him and made clamor. As he was at last +compelled to pay attention to them, his capacity +for self-hate was multiplied. In despair, he +declared that he was not like those others. He +now conceded it to be impossible that he should +ever become a hero. He was a craven loon. +Those pictures of glory were piteous things. He +groaned from his heart and went staggering off. + +A certain mothlike quality within him kept +him in the vicinity of the battle. He had a great +desire to see, and to get news. He wished to +know who was winning. + +He told himself that, despite his unprecedented +suffering, he had never lost his greed for a victory, +yet, he said, in a half-apologetic manner to his +conscience, he could not but know that a defeat +for the army this time might mean many favor- +able things for him. The blows of the enemy +would splinter regiments into fragments. Thus, +many men of courage, he considered, would be +obliged to desert the colors and scurry like +chickens. He would appear as one of them. +They would be sullen brothers in distress, and he +could then easily believe he had not run any +farther or faster than they. And if he himself +could believe in his virtuous perfection, he con- +ceived that there would be small trouble in con- +vincing all others. + +He said, as if in excuse for this hope, that +previously the army had encountered great +defeats and in a few months had shaken off all +blood and tradition of them, emerging as bright +and valiant as a new one; thrusting out of sight +the memory of disaster, and appearing with the +valor and confidence of unconquered legions. +The shrilling voices of the people at home would +pipe dismally for a time, but various generals +were usually compelled to listen to these ditties. +He of course felt no compunctions for proposing +a general as a sacrifice. He could not tell who +the chosen for the barbs might be, so he could +center no direct sympathy upon him. The +people were afar and he did not conceive public +opinion to be accurate at long range. It was +quite probable they would hit the wrong man +who, after he had recovered from his amazement +would perhaps spend the rest of his days in writ- +ing replies to the songs of his alleged failure. It +would be very unfortunate, no doubt, but in this +case a general was of no consequence to the +youth. + +In a defeat there would be a roundabout +vindication of himself. He thought it would +prove, in a manner, that he had fled early because +of his superior powers of perception. A serious +prophet upon predicting a flood should be the +first man to climb a tree. This would demon- +strate that he was indeed a seer. + +A moral vindication was regarded by the +youth as a very important thing. Without salve, +he could not, he thought, wear the sore badge of +his dishonor through life. With his heart con- +tinually assuring him that he was despicable, he +could not exist without making it, through his +actions, apparent to all men. + +If the army had gone gloriously on he would +be lost. If the din meant that now his army's +flags were tilted forward he was a condemned +wretch. He would be compelled to doom +himself to isolation. If the men were advancing, +their indifferent feet were trampling upon his +chances for a successful life. + +As these thoughts went rapidly through his +mind, he turned upon them and tried to thrust +them away. He denounced himself as a villain. +He said that he was the most unutterably selfish +man in existence. His mind pictured the soldiers +who would place their defiant bodies before the +spear of the yelling battle fiend, and as he saw +their dripping corpses on an imagined field, he +said that he was their murderer. + +Again he thought that he wished he was dead. +He believed that he envied a corpse. Thinking +of the slain, he achieved a great contempt for +some of them, as if they were guilty for thus +becoming lifeless. They might have been killed +by lucky chances, he said, before they had had +opportunities to flee or before they had been +really tested. Yet they would receive laurels +from tradition. He cried out bitterly that their +crowns were stolen and their robes of glori- +ous memories were shams. However, he still +said that it was a great pity he was not as +they. + +A defeat of the army had suggested itself to +him as a means of escape from the consequences +of his fall. He considered, now, however, that it +was useless to think of such a possibility. His +education had been that success for that mighty +blue machine was certain; that it would make +victories as a contrivance turns out buttons. He +presently discarded all his speculations in the +other direction. He returned to the creed of +soldiers. + +When he perceived again that it was not +possible for the army to be defeated, he tried +to bethink him of a fine tale which he could take +back to his regiment, and with it turn the expected +shafts of derision. + +But, as he mortally feared these shafts, it +became impossible for him to invent a tale he felt +he could trust. He experimented with many +schemes, but threw them aside one by one as +flimsy. He was quick to see vulnerable places in +them all. + +Furthermore, he was much afraid that some +arrow of scorn might lay him mentally low before +he could raise his protecting tale. + +He imagined the whole regiment saying: +"Where's Henry Fleming? He run, didn't 'e? +Oh, my!" He recalled various persons who +would be quite sure to leave him no peace +about it. They would doubtless question him +with sneers, and laugh at his stammering hesi- +tation. In the next engagement they would +try to keep watch of him to discover when he +would run. + +Wherever he went in camp, he would en- +counter insolent and lingeringly cruel stares. As +he imagined himself passing near a crowd of +comrades, he could hear some one say, "There +he goes!" + +Then, as if the heads were moved by one +muscle, all the faces were turned toward him +with wide, derisive grins. He seemed to hear +some one make a humorous remark in a low tone. +At it the others all crowed and cackled. He was +a slang phrase. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + +THE column that had butted stoutly at the +obstacles in the roadway was barely out of the +youth's sight before he saw dark waves of men +come sweeping out of the woods and down +through the fields. He knew at once that the +steel fibers had been washed from their hearts. +They were bursting from their coats and +their equipments as from entanglements. They +charged down upon him like terrified buffaloes. + +Behind them blue smoke curled and clouded +above the treetops, and through the thickets he +could sometimes see a distant pink glare. The +voices of the cannon were clamoring in intermi- +nable chorus. + +The youth was horrorstricken. He stared +in agony and amazement. He forgot that he +was engaged in combating the universe. He +threw aside his mental pamphlets on the philoso- +phy of the retreated and rules for the guidance +of the damned. + +118 + +The fight was lost. The dragons were com- +ing with invincible strides. The army, helpless +in the matted thickets and blinded by the over- +hanging night, was going to be swallowed. War, +the red animal, war, the blood-swollen god, would +have bloated fill. + +Within him something bade to cry out. He +had the impulse to make a rallying speech, to sing +a battle hymn, but he could only get his tongue to +call into the air: "Why--why--what--what 's +th' matter?" + +Soon he was in the midst of them. They +were leaping and scampering all about him. +Their blanched faces shone in the dusk. They +seemed, for the most part, to be very burly men. +The youth turned from one to another of them as +they galloped along. His incoherent questions +were lost. They were heedless of his appeals. +They did not seem to see him. + +They sometimes gabbled insanely. One huge +man was asking of the sky: "Say, where de +plank road? Where de plank road!" It was as if +he had lost a child. He wept in his pain and +dismay. + +Presently, men were running hither and +thither in all ways. The artillery booming, +forward, rearward, and on the flanks made +jumble of ideas of direction. Landmarks had +vanished into the gathered gloom. The youth +began to imagine that he had got into the +center of the tremendous quarrel, and he could +perceive no way out of it. From the mouths of +the fleeing men came a thousand wild questions, +but no one made answers. + +The youth, after rushing about and throwing +interrogations at the heedless bands of retreating +infantry, finally clutched a man by the arm. They +swung around face to face. + +"Why--why--" stammered the youth strug- +gling with his balking tongue. + +The man screamed: "Let go me! Let go +me!" His face was livid and his eyes were roll- +ing uncontrolled. He was heaving and panting. +He still grasped his rifle, perhaps having for- +gotten to release his hold upon it. He tugged +frantically, and the youth being compelled to lean +forward was dragged several paces. + +"Let go me! Let go me!" + +"Why--why--" stuttered the youth. + +"Well, then!" bawled the man in a lurid +rage. He adroitly and fiercely swung his rifle. +It crushed upon the youth's head. The man +ran on. + +The youth's fingers had turned to paste upon +the other's arm. The energy was smitten from +his muscles. He saw the flaming wings of light- +ning flash before his vision. There was a deaf- +ening rumble of thunder within his head. + +Suddenly his legs seemed to die. He sank +writhing to the ground. He tried to arise. In +his efforts against the numbing pain he was like a +man wrestling with a creature of the air. + +There was a sinister struggle. + +Sometimes he would achieve a position half +erect, battle with the air for a moment, and +then fall again, grabbing at the grass. His face +was of a clammy pallor. Deep groans were +wrenched from him. + +At last, with a twisting movement, he got +upon his hands and knees, and from thence, like a +babe trying to walk, to his feet. Pressing his +hands to his temples he went lurching over the +grass. + +He fought an intense battle with his body. +His dulled senses wished him to swoon and he +opposed them stubbornly, his mind portraying +unknown dangers and mutilations if he should +fall upon the field. He went tall soldier fashion. +He imagined secluded spots where he could fall +and be unmolested. To search for one he strove +against the tide of his pain. + +Once he put his hand to the top of his head +and timidly touched the wound. The scratching +pain of the contact made him draw a long breath +through his clinched teeth. His fingers were +dabbled with blood. He regarded them with a +fixed stare. + +Around him he could hear the grumble of +jolted cannon as the scurrying horses were lashed +toward the front. Once, a young officer on a +besplashed charger nearly ran him down. He +turned and watched the mass of guns, men, and +horses sweeping in a wide curve toward a gap in +a fence. The officer was making excited motions +with a gauntleted hand. The guns followed the +teams with an air of unwillingness, of being +dragged by the heels. + +Some officers of the scattered infantry were +cursing and railing like fishwives. Their scold- +ing voices could be heard above the din. Into +the unspeakable jumble in the roadway rode a +squadron of cavalry. The faded yellow of their +facings shone bravely. There was a mighty +altercation. + +The artillery were assembling as if for a con- +ference. + +The blue haze of evening was upon the field. +The lines of forest were long purple shadows. +One cloud lay along the western sky partly +smothering the red. + +As the youth left the scene behind him, he +heard the guns suddenly roar out. He imagined +them shaking in black rage. They belched and +howled like brass devils guarding a gate. The +soft air was filled with the tremendous remon- +strance. With it came the shattering peal of +opposing infantry. Turning to look behind him, +he could see sheets of orange light illumine the +shadowy distance. There were subtle and sudden +lightnings in the far air. At times he thought he +could see heaving masses of men. + +He hurried on in the dusk. The day had +faded until he could barely distinguish place for +his feet. The purple darkness was filled with +men who lectured and jabbered. Sometimes he +could see them gesticulating against the blue and +somber sky. There seemed to be a great ruck of +men and munitions spread about in the forest and +in the fields. + +The little narrow roadway now lay lifeless. +There were overturned wagons like sun-dried +bowlders. The bed of the former torrent was +choked with the bodies of horses and splintered +parts of war machines. + +It had come to pass that his wound pained him +but little. He was afraid to move rapidly, how- +ever, for a dread of disturbing it. He held his +head very still and took many precautions against +stumbling. He was filled with anxiety, and his +face was pinched and drawn in anticipation of the +pain of any sudden mistake of his feet in the +gloom. + +His thoughts, as he walked, fixed intently +upon his hurt. There was a cool, liquid feeling +about it and he imagined blood moving slowly +down under his hair. His head seemed swollen +to a size that made him think his neck to be +inadequate. + +The new silence of his wound made much +worriment. The little blistering voices of pain +that had called out from his scalp were, he +thought, definite in their expression of danger. +By them he believed that he could measure his +plight. But when they remained ominously +silent he became frightened and imagined ter- +rible fingers that clutched into his brain. + +Amid it he began to reflect upon various +incidents and conditions of the past. He be- +thought him of certain meals his mother had +cooked at home, in which those dishes of which +he was particularly fond had occupied prominent +positions. He saw the spread table. The pine +walls of the kitchen were glowing in the warm +light from the stove. Too, he remembered how +he and his companions used to go from the school- +house to the bank of a shaded pool. He saw his +clothes in disorderly array upon the grass of the +bank. He felt the swash of the fragrant water +upon his body. The leaves of the overhanging +maple rustled with melody in the wind of youth- +ful summer. + +He was overcome presently by a dragging +weariness. His head hung forward and his +shoulders were stooped as if he were bearing a +great bundle. His feet shuffled along the +ground. + +He held continuous arguments as to whether +he should lie down and sleep at some near spot, +or force himself on until he reached a certain +haven. He often tried to dismiss the question, +but his body persisted in rebellion and his senses +nagged at him like pampered babies. + +At last he heard a cheery voice near his +shoulder: "Yeh seem t' be in a pretty bad way, +boy?" + +The youth did not look up, but he assented +with thick tongue. "Uh!" + +The owner of the cheery voice took him firmly +by the arm. "Well," he said, with a round +laugh, "I'm goin' your way. Th' hull gang is +goin' your way. An' I guess I kin give yeh a +lift." They began to walk like a drunken man +and his friend. + +As they went along, the man questioned the +youth and assisted him with the replies like one +manipulating the mind of a child. Sometimes he +interjected anecdotes. "What reg'ment do yeh +b'long teh? Eh? What's that? Th' 304th N' +York? Why, what corps is that in? Oh, it is? +Why, I thought they wasn't engaged t'-day-- +they 're 'way over in th' center. Oh, they was, +eh? Well, pretty nearly everybody got their +share 'a fightin' t'-day. By dad, I give myself up +fer dead any number 'a times. There was shootin' +here an' shootin' there, an' hollerin' here an' +hollerin' there, in th' damn' darkness, until I +couldn't tell t' save m' soul which side I was on. +Sometimes I thought I was sure 'nough from +Ohier, an' other times I could 'a swore I was +from th' bitter end of Florida. It was th' most +mixed up dern thing I ever see. An' these here +hull woods is a reg'lar mess. It'll be a miracle +if we find our reg'ments t'-night. Pretty soon, +though, we 'll meet a-plenty of guards an' provost- +guards, an' one thing an' another. Ho! there they +go with an off'cer, I guess. Look at his hand +a-draggin'. He 's got all th' war he wants, I bet. +He won't be talkin' so big about his reputation +an' all when they go t' sawin' off his leg. Poor +feller! My brother 's got whiskers jest like that. +How did yeh git 'way over here, anyhow? Your +reg'ment is a long way from here, ain't it? Well, +I guess we can find it. Yeh know there was a +boy killed in my comp'ny t'-day that I thought +th' world an' all of. Jack was a nice feller. By +ginger, it hurt like thunder t' see ol' Jack jest git +knocked flat. We was a-standin' purty peaceable +fer a spell, 'though there was men runnin' ev'ry +way all 'round us, an' while we was a-standin' +like that, 'long come a big fat feller. He began +t' peck at Jack's elbow, an' he ses: 'Say, where 's +th' road t' th' river?' An' Jack, he never paid no +attention, an' th' feller kept on a-peckin' at his +elbow an' sayin': 'Say, where 's th' road t' th' +river?' Jack was a-lookin' ahead all th' time +tryin' t' see th' Johnnies comin' through th' +woods, an' he never paid no attention t' this big +fat feller fer a long time, but at last he turned +'round an' he ses: 'Ah, go t' hell an' find th' +road t' th' river!' An' jest then a shot slapped +him bang on th' side th' head. He was a sergeant, +too. Them was his last words. Thunder, I wish +we was sure 'a findin' our reg'ments t'-night. It 's +goin' t' be long huntin'. But I guess we kin +do it." + +In the search which followed, the man of the +cheery voice seemed to the youth to possess a +wand of a magic kind. He threaded the mazes +of the tangled forest with a strange fortune. In +encounters with guards and patrols he displayed +the keenness of a detective and the valor of a +gamin. Obstacles fell before him and became of +assistance. The youth, with his chin still on his +breast, stood woodenly by while his companion +beat ways and means out of sullen things. + +The forest seemed a vast hive of men buzzing +about in frantic circles, but the cheery man con- +ducted the youth without mistakes, until at last +he began to chuckle with glee and self-satisfaction. +"Ah, there yeh are! See that fire?" + +The youth nodded stupidly. + +"Well, there 's where your reg'ment is. An' +now, good-by, ol' boy, good luck t' yeh." + +A warm and strong hand clasped the youth's +languid fingers for an instant, and then he heard +a cheerful and audacious whistling as the man +strode away. As he who had so befriended him +was thus passing out of his life, it suddenly oc- +curred to the youth that he had not once seen his +face. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + +THE youth went slowly toward the fire in- +dicated by his departed friend. As he reeled, he +bethought him of the welcome his comrades +would give him. He had a conviction that he +would soon feel in his sore heart the barbed +missiles of ridicule. He had no strength to in- +vent a tale; he would be a soft target. + +He made vague plans to go off into the deeper +darkness and hide, but they were all destroyed +by the voices of exhaustion and pain from his +body. His ailments, clamoring, forced him to +seek the place of food and rest, at whatever cost. + +He swung unsteadily toward the fire. He +could see the forms of men throwing black +shadows in the red light, and as he went nearer +it became known to him in some way that the +ground was strewn with sleeping men. + +Of a sudden he confronted a black and +monstrous figure. A rifle barrel caught some +glinting beams. "Halt! halt!" He was dis- + +129 +mayed for a moment, but he presently thought +that he recognized the nervous voice. As he +stood tottering before the rifle barrel, he called +out: "Why, hello, Wilson, you--you here?" + +The rifle was lowered to a position of caution +and the loud soldier came slowly forward. He +peered into the youth's face. "That you, +Henry?" + +"Yes, it's--it's me." + +"Well, well, ol' boy," said the other, "by +ginger, I'm glad t' see yeh! I give yeh up +fer a goner. I thought yeh was dead sure +enough." There was husky emotion in his +voice. + +The youth found that now he could barely +stand upon his feet. There was a sudden sinking +of his forces. He thought he must hasten to pro- +duce his tale to protect him from the missiles +already at the lips of his redoubtable comrades. +So, staggering before the loud soldier, he began: +"Yes, yes. I've--I've had an awful time. I've +been all over. Way over on th' right. Ter'ble +fightin' over there. I had an awful time. I got +separated from th' reg'ment. Over on th' right, +I got shot. In th' head. I never see sech +fightin'. Awful time. I don't see how I could 'a +got separated from th' reg'ment. I got shot, +too." +His friend had stepped forward quickly. +"What? Got shot? Why didn't yeh say so +first? Poor ol' boy, we must--hol' on a minnit; +what am I doin'. I'll call Simpson." + +Another figure at that moment loomed in the +gloom. They could see that it was the corporal. +"Who yeh talkin' to, Wilson?" he demanded. +His voice was anger-toned. "Who yeh talkin' +to? Yeh th' derndest sentinel--why--hello, +Henry, you here? Why, I thought you was +dead four hours ago! Great Jerusalem, they +keep turnin' up every ten minutes or so! We +thought we'd lost forty-two men by straight +count, but if they keep on a-comin' this way, we'll +git th' comp'ny all back by mornin' yit. Where +was yeh?" + +"Over on th' right. I got separated"--began +the youth with considerable glibness. + +But his friend had interrupted hastily. "Yes, +an' he got shot in th' head an' he's in a fix, an' we +must see t' him right away." He rested his rifle +in the hollow of his left arm and his right around +the youth's shoulder. + +"Gee, it must hurt like thunder!" he said. + +The youth leaned heavily upon his friend. +"Yes, it hurts--hurts a good deal," he replied. +There was a faltering in his voice. + +"Oh," said the corporal. He linked his arm +in the youth's and drew him forward. "Come +on, Henry. I'll take keer 'a yeh." + +As they went on together the loud private +called out after them: "Put 'im t' sleep in my +blanket, Simpson. An'--hol' on a minnit--here's +my canteen. It's full 'a coffee. Look at his head +by th' fire an' see how it looks. Maybe it's a +pretty bad un. When I git relieved in a couple +'a minnits, I'll be over an' see t' him." + +The youth's senses were so deadened that his +friend's voice sounded from afar and he could +scarcely feel the pressure of the corporal's arm. +He submitted passively to the latter's directing +strength. His head was in the old manner hang- +ing forward upon his breast. His knees wobbled. + +The corporal led him into the glare of the +fire. "Now, Henry," he said, "let's have look at +yer ol' head." + +The youth sat down obediently and the cor- +poral, laying aside his rifle, began to fumble in the +bushy hair of his comrade. He was obliged to +turn the other's head so that the full flush of the +fire light would beam upon it. He puckered his +mouth with a critical air. He drew back his lips +and whistled through his teeth when his fingers +came in contact with the splashed blood and the +rare wound. + +"Ah, here we are!" he said. He awkwardly +made further investigations. "Jest as I thought," +he added, presently. "Yeh've been grazed by a +ball. It's raised a queer lump jest as if some +feller had lammed yeh on th' head with a club. +It stopped a-bleedin' long time ago. Th' most +about it is that in th' mornin' yeh'll feel that a +number ten hat wouldn't fit yeh. An' your +head'll be all het up an' feel as dry as burnt pork. +An' yeh may git a lot 'a other sicknesses, too, by +mornin'. Yeh can't never tell. Still, I don't +much think so. It's jest a damn' good belt on th' +head, an' nothin' more. Now, you jest sit here +an' don't move, while I go rout out th' relief. +Then I'll send Wilson t' take keer 'a yeh." + +The corporal went away. The youth re- +mained on the ground like a parcel. He stared +with a vacant look into the fire. + +After a time he aroused, for some part, and +the things about him began to take form. He +saw that the ground in the deep shadows was +cluttered with men, sprawling in every con- +ceivable posture. Glancing narrowly into the +more distant darkness, he caught occasional +glimpses of visages that loomed pallid and +ghostly, lit with a phosphorescent glow. These +faces expressed in their lines the deep stupor of +the tired soldiers. They made them appear like +men drunk with wine. This bit of forest might +have appeared to an ethereal wanderer as a scene +of the result of some frightful debauch. + +On the other side of the fire the youth +observed an officer asleep, seated bolt upright, +with his back against a tree. There was some- +thing perilous in his position. Badgered by +dreams, perhaps, he swayed with little bounces +and starts, like an old toddy-stricken grandfather +in a chimney corner. Dust and stains were upon +his face. His lower jaw hung down as if lacking +strength to assume its normal position. He was +the picture of an exhausted soldier after a feast of +war. + +He had evidently gone to sleep with his +sword in his arms. These two had slumbered in +an embrace, but the weapon had been allowed +in time to fall unheeded to the ground. The +brass-mounted hilt lay in contact with some parts +of the fire. + +Within the gleam of rose and orange light +from the burning sticks were other soldiers, +snoring and heaving, or lying deathlike in +slumber. A few pairs of legs were stuck forth, +rigid and straight. The shoes displayed the mud +or dust of marches and bits of rounded trousers, +protruding from the blankets, showed rents and +tears from hurried pitchings through the dense +brambles. + +The fire crackled musically. From it swelled +light smoke. Overhead the foliage moved +softly. The leaves, with their faces turned +toward the blaze, were colored shifting hues of +silver, often edged with red. Far off to the right, +through a window in the forest could be seen a +handful of stars lying, like glittering pebbles, on +the black level of the night. + +Occasionally, in this low-arched hall, a soldier +would arouse and turn his body to a new posi- +tion, the experience of his sleep having taught +him of uneven and objectionable places upon the +ground under him. Or, perhaps, he would lift +himself to a sitting posture, blink at the fire for +an unintelligent moment, throw a swift glance at +his prostrate companion, and then cuddle down +again with a grunt of sleepy content. + +The youth sat in a forlorn heap until his +friend the loud young soldier came, swinging two +canteens by their light strings. "Well, now, +Henry, ol' boy," said the latter, "we'll have yeh +fixed up in jest about a minnit." + +He had the bustling ways of an amateur +nurse. He fussed around the fire and stirred the +sticks to brilliant exertions. He made his patient +drink largely from the canteen that contained the +coffee. It was to the youth a delicious draught. +He tilted his head afar back and held the canteen +long to his lips. The cool mixture went caress- +ingly down his blistered throat. Having finished, +he sighed with comfortable delight. + +The loud young soldier watched his comrade +with an air of satisfaction. He later produced +an extensive handkerchief from his pocket. He +folded it into a manner of bandage and soused +water from the other canteen upon the middle of +it. This crude arrangement he bound over the +youth's head, tying the ends in a queer knot at +the back of the neck. + +"There," he said, moving off and surveying +his deed, "yeh look like th' devil, but I bet yeh +feel better." + +The youth contemplated his friend with grate- +ful eyes. Upon his aching and swelling head the +cold cloth was like a tender woman's hand. + +"Yeh don't holler ner say nothin'," remarked +his friend approvingly. "I know I'm a black- +smith at takin' keer 'a sick folks, an' yeh never +squeaked. Yer a good un, Henry. Most 'a men +would a' been in th' hospital long ago. A shot in +th' head ain't foolin' business." + +The youth made no reply, but began to fumble +with the buttons of his jacket. + +"Well, come, now," continued his friend, +"come on. I must put yeh t' bed an' see that yeh +git a good night's rest." + +The other got carefully erect, and the loud +young soldier led him among the sleeping forms +lying in groups and rows. Presently he stooped +and picked up his blankets. He spread the rubber +one upon the ground and placed the woolen one +about the youth's shoulders. + +"There now," he said, "lie down an' git some +sleep." + +The youth, with his manner of doglike obe- +dience, got carefully down like a crone stoop- +ing. He stretched out with a murmur of relief +and comfort. The ground felt like the softest +couch. + +But of a sudden he ejaculated: "Hol' on a +minnit! Where you goin' t' sleep?" + +His friend waved his hand impatiently. +"Right down there by yeh." + +"Well, but hol' on a minnit," continued the +youth. "What yeh goin' t' sleep in? I've got +your--" + +The loud young soldier snarled: "Shet up +an' go on t' sleep. Don't be makin' a damn' fool +'a yerself," he said severely. + +After the reproof the youth said no more. +An exquisite drowsiness had spread through him. +The warm comfort of the blanket enveloped him +and made a gentle languor. His head fell for- +ward on his crooked arm and his weighted lids +went softly down over his eyes. Hearing a +splatter of musketry from the distance, he +wondered indifferently if those men sometimes +slept. He gave a long sigh, snuggled down into +his blanket, and in a moment was like his com- +rades. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + +WHEN the youth awoke it seemed to him that +he had been asleep for a thousand years, and he +felt sure that he opened his eyes upon an unex- +pected world. Gray mists were slowly shifting +before the first efforts of the sun rays. An im- +pending splendor could be seen in the eastern +sky. An icy dew had chilled his face, and im- +mediately upon arousing he curled farther down +into his blanket. He stared for a while at the +leaves overhead, moving in a heraldic wind of +the day. + +The distance was splintering and blaring with +the noise of fighting. There was in the sound +an expression of a deadly persistency, as if it had +not begun and was not to cease. + +About him were the rows and groups of men +that he had dimly seen the previous night. They +were getting a last draught of sleep before the +awakening. The gaunt, careworn features and +dusty figures were made plain by this quaint + +139 +light at the dawning, but it dressed the skin of +the men in corpselike hues and made the tangled +limbs appear pulseless and dead. The youth +started up with a little cry when his eyes first +swept over this motionless mass of men, thick- +spread upon the ground, pallid, and in strange +postures. His disordered mind interpreted the +hall of the forest as a charnel place. He believed +for an instant that he was in the house of the +dead, and he did not dare to move lest these +corpses start up, squalling and squawking. In a +second, however, he achieved his proper mind. +He swore a complicated oath at himself. He +saw that this somber picture was not a fact of +the present, but a mere prophecy. + +He heard then the noise of a fire crackling +briskly in the cold air, and, turning his head, he +saw his friend pottering busily about a small +blaze. A few other figures moved in the fog, and +he heard the hard cracking of axe blows. + +Suddenly there was a hollow rumble of +drums. A distant bugle sang faintly. Similar +sounds, varying in strength, came from near and +far over the forest. The bugles called to each +other like brazen gamecocks. The near thunder +of the regimental drums rolled. + +The body of men in the woods rustled. There +was a general uplifting of heads. A murmuring +of voices broke upon the air. In it there was +much bass of grumbling oaths. Strange gods +were addressed in condemnation of the early +hours necessary to correct war. An officer's +peremptory tenor rang out and quickened the +stiffened movement of the men. The tangled +limbs unraveled. The corpse-hued faces were +hidden behind fists that twisted slowly in the eye +sockets. + +The youth sat up and gave vent to an enormous +yawn. "Thunder!" he remarked petulantly. +He rubbed his eyes, and then putting up his hand +felt carefully of the bandage over his wound. +His friend, perceiving him to be awake, came +from the fire. "Well, Henry, ol' man, how do +yeh feel this mornin'?" he demanded. + +The youth yawned again. Then he puckered +his mouth to a little pucker. His head, in truth, +felt precisely like a melon, and there was an un- +pleasant sensation at his stomach. + +"Oh, Lord, I feel pretty bad," he said. + +"Thunder!" exclaimed the other. "I hoped +ye'd feel all right this mornin'. Let's see th' +bandage--I guess it's slipped." He began to +tinker at the wound in rather a clumsy way until +the youth exploded. + +"Gosh-dern it!" he said in sharp irritation; +"you're the hangdest man I ever saw! You +wear muffs on your hands. Why in good +thunderation can't you be more easy? I'd rather +you'd stand off an' throw guns at it. Now, go +slow, an' don't act as if you was nailing down +carpet." + +He glared with insolent command at his +friend, but the latter answered soothingly. +"Well, well, come now, an' git some grub," he +said. "Then, maybe, yeh'll feel better." + +At the fireside the loud young soldier +watched over his comrade's wants with tender- +ness and care. He was very busy marshaling +the little black vagabonds of tin cups and pour- +ing into them the streaming, iron colored mixture +from a small and sooty tin pail. He had some +fresh meat, which he roasted hurriedly upon a +stick. He sat down then and contemplated the +youth's appetite with glee. + +The youth took note of a remarkable change +in his comrade since those days of camp life upon +the river bank. He seemed no more to be con- +tinually regarding the proportions of his personal +prowess. He was not furious at small words that +pricked his conceits. He was no more a loud +young soldier. There was about him now a +fine reliance. He showed a quiet belief in +his purposes and his abilities. And this in- +ward confidence evidently enabled him to be +indifferent to little words of other men aimed +at him. + +The youth reflected. He had been used to +regarding his comrade as a blatant child with an +audacity grown from his inexperience, thought- +less, headstrong, jealous, and filled with a tinsel +courage. A swaggering babe accustomed to strut +in his own dooryard. The youth wondered +where had been born these new eyes; when his +comrade had made the great discovery that +there were many men who would refuse to be +subjected by him. Apparently, the other had +now climbed a peak of wisdom from which he +could perceive himself as a very wee thing. And +the youth saw that ever after it would be easier +to live in his friend's neighborhood. + +His comrade balanced his ebony coffee-cup on +his knee. "Well, Henry," he said, "what d'yeh +think th' chances are? D'yeh think we'll wal- +lop 'em?" + +The youth considered for a moment. "Day- +b'fore-yesterday," he finally replied, with boldness, +"you would 'a' bet you'd lick the hull kit-an'- +boodle all by yourself." + +His friend looked a trifle amazed. "Would +I?" he asked. He pondered. "Well, perhaps I +would," he decided at last. He stared humbly at +the fire. + +The youth was quite disconcerted at this sur- +prising reception of his remarks. "Oh, no, you +wouldn't either," he said, hastily trying to re- +trace. + +But the other made a deprecating gesture. +"Oh, yeh needn't mind, Henry," he said. "I be- +lieve I was a pretty big fool in those days." He +spoke as after a lapse of years. + +There was a little pause. + +"All th' officers say we've got th' rebs in +a pretty tight box," said the friend, clearing +his throat in a commonplace way. "They all +seem t' think we've got 'em jest where we +want 'em." + +"I don't know about that," the youth replied. +"What I seen over on th' right makes me think +it was th' other way about. From where I was, +it looked as if we was gettin' a good poundin' +yestirday." + +"D'yeh think so?" inquired the friend. "I +thought we handled 'em pretty rough yestir- +day." + +"Not a bit," said the youth. "Why, lord, +man, you didn't see nothing of the fight. Why!" +Then a sudden thought came to him. "Oh! +Jim Conklin's dead." + +His friend started. "What? Is he? Jim +Conklin?" + +The youth spoke slowly. "Yes. He's dead. +Shot in th' side." + +"Yeh don't say so. Jim Conklin. . . . poor +cuss!" + +All about them were other small fires sur- +rounded by men with their little black utensils. +From one of these near came sudden sharp +voices in a row. It appeared that two light- +footed soldiers had been teasing a huge, bearded +man, causing him to spill coffee upon his blue +knees. The man had gone into a rage and had +sworn comprehensively. Stung by his language, +his tormentors had immediately bristled at him +with a great show of resenting unjust oaths. +Possibly there was going to be a fight. + +The friend arose and went over to them, mak- +ing pacific motions with his arms. "Oh, here, +now, boys, what's th' use?" he said. "We'll +be at th' rebs in less'n an hour. What's th' +good fightin' 'mong ourselves?" + +One of the light-footed soldiers turned upon +him red-faced and violent. "Yeh needn't come +around here with yer preachin'. I s'pose yeh +don't approve 'a fightin' since Charley Morgan +licked yeh; but I don't see what business this +here is 'a yours or anybody else." + +"Well, it ain't," said the friend mildly. "Still +I hate t' see--" + +There was a tangled argument. + +"Well, he--," said the two, indicating their +opponent with accusative forefingers. + +The huge soldier was quite purple with rage. +He pointed at the two soldiers with his great +hand, extended clawlike. "Well, they--" + +But during this argumentative time the de- +sire to deal blows seemed to pass, although they +said much to each other. Finally the friend re- +turned to his old seat. In a short while the +three antagonists could be seen together in an +amiable bunch. + +"Jimmie Rogers ses I'll have t' fight him +after th' battle t'-day," announced the friend as +he again seated himself. "He ses he don't +allow no interferin' in his business. I hate t' see +th' boys fightin' 'mong themselves." + +The youth laughed. "Yer changed a good +bit. Yeh ain't at all like yeh was. I remember +when you an' that Irish feller--" He stopped +and laughed again. + +"No, I didn't use t' be that way," said his +friend thoughtfully. "That's true 'nough." + +"Well, I didn't mean--" began the youth. + +The friend made another deprecatory gesture. +"Oh, yeh needn't mind, Henry." + +There was another little pause. + +"Th' reg'ment lost over half th' men yestir- +day," remarked the friend eventually. "I thought +a course they was all dead, but, laws, they kep' +a-comin' back last night until it seems, after all, +we didn't lose but a few. They'd been scattered +all over, wanderin' around in th' woods, fightin' +with other reg'ments, an' everything. Jest like +you done." + +"So?" said the youth. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + +THE regiment was standing at order arms at +the side of a lane, waiting for the command to +march, when suddenly the youth remembered +the little packet enwrapped in a faded yellow +envelope which the loud young soldier with lugu- +brious words had intrusted to him. It made him +start. He uttered an exclamation and turned +toward his comrade. + +"Wilson!" + +"What?" + +His friend, at his side in the ranks, was thought- +fully staring down the road. From some cause +his expression was at that moment very meek. +The youth, regarding him with sidelong glances, +felt impelled to change his purpose. "Oh, noth- +ing," he said. + +His friend turned his head in some surprise, +"Why, what was yeh goin' t' say?" + +"Oh, nothing," repeated the youth. + +He resolved not to deal the little blow. It + +148 +was sufficient that the fact made him glad. It +was not necessary to knock his friend on the head +with the misguided packet. + +He had been possessed of much fear of his +friend, for he saw how easily questionings could +make holes in his feelings. Lately, he had as- +sured himself that the altered comrade would not +tantalize him with a persistent curiosity, but he +felt certain that during the first period of leisure +his friend would ask him to relate his adventures +of the previous day. + +He now rejoiced in the possession of a small +weapon with which he could prostrate his com- +rade at the first signs of a cross-examination. He +was master. It would now be he who could +laugh and shoot the shafts of derision. + +The friend had, in a weak hour, spoken with +sobs of his own death. He had delivered a mel- +ancholy oration previous to his funeral, and had +doubtless in the packet of letters, presented vari- +ous keepsakes to relatives. But he had not died, +and thus he had delivered himself into the hands +of the youth. + +The latter felt immensely superior to his +friend, but he inclined to condescension. He +adopted toward him an air of patronizing good +humor. + +His self-pride was now entirely restored. In +the shade of its flourishing growth he stood with +braced and self-confident legs, and since nothing +could now be discovered he did not shrink from +an encounter with the eyes of judges, and allowed +no thoughts of his own to keep him from an +attitude of manfulness. He had performed his +mistakes in the dark, so he was still a man. + +Indeed, when he remembered his fortunes of +yesterday, and looked at them from a distance he +began to see something fine there. He had +license to be pompous and veteranlike. + +His panting agonies of the past he put out of +his sight. + +In the present, he declared to himself that it +was only the doomed and the damned who roared +with sincerity at circumstance. Few but they +ever did it. A man with a full stomach and the +respect of his fellows had no business to scold +about anything that he might think to be wrong +in the ways of the universe, or even with the +ways of society. Let the unfortunates rail; the +others may play marbles. + +He did not give a great deal of thought to +these battles that lay directly before him. It was +not essential that he should plan his ways in +regard to them. He had been taught that many +obligations of a life were easily avoided. The +lessons of yesterday had been that retribution +was a laggard and blind. With these facts before +him he did not deem it necessary that he should +become feverish over the possibilities of the +ensuing twenty-four hours. He could leave +much to chance. Besides, a faith in himself had +secretly blossomed. There was a little flower of +confidence growing within him. He was now a +man of experience. He had been out among the +dragons, he said, and he assured himself that they +were not so hideous as he had imagined them. +Also, they were inaccurate; they did not sting +with precision. A stout heart often defied, and +defying, escaped. + +And, furthermore, how could they kill him +who was the chosen of gods and doomed to +greatness? + +He remembered how some of the men had +run from the battle. As he recalled their terror- +struck faces he felt a scorn for them. They had +surely been more fleet and more wild than was +absolutely necessary. They were weak mortals. +As for himself, he had fled with discretion and +dignity. + +He was aroused from this reverie by his +friend, who, having hitched about nervously and +blinked at the trees for a time, suddenly coughed +in an introductory way, and spoke. + +"Fleming!" + +"What?" + +The friend put his hand up to his mouth and +coughed again. He fidgeted in his jacket. + +"Well," he gulped, at last, "I guess yeh might +as well give me back them letters." Dark, prick- +ling blood had flushed into his cheeks and brow. + +"All right, Wilson," said the youth. He +loosened two buttons of his coat, thrust in his +hand, and brought forth the packet. As he ex- +tended it to his friend the latter's face was turned +from him. + +He had been slow in the act of producing the +packet because during it he had been trying to +invent a remarkable comment upon the affair. +He could conjure nothing of sufficient point. He +was compelled to allow his friend to escape +unmolested with his packet. And for this he +took unto himself considerable credit. It was a +generous thing. + +His friend at his side seemed suffering great +shame. As he contemplated him, the youth felt +his heart grow more strong and stout. He had +never been compelled to blush in such manner +for his acts; he was an individual of extraordi- +nary virtues. + +He reflected, with condescending pity: "Too +bad! Too bad! The poor devil, it makes him +feel tough!" + +After this incident, and as he reviewed the +battle pictures he had seen, he felt quite com- +petent to return home and make the hearts of +the people glow with stories of war. He could +see himself in a room of warm tints telling tales +to listeners. He could exhibit laurels. They +were insignificant; still, in a district where +laurels were infrequent, they might shine. + +He saw his gaping audience picturing him as +the central figure in blazing scenes. And he +imagined the consternation and the ejaculations +of his mother and the young lady at the seminary +as they drank his recitals. Their vague feminine +formula for beloved ones doing brave deeds on +the field of battle without risk of life would be +destroyed. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + + +A SPUTTERING of musketry was always to be +heard. Later, the cannon had entered the dis- +pute. In the fog-filled air their voices made a +thudding sound. The reverberations were con- +tinued. This part of the world led a strange, +battleful existence. + +The youth's regiment was marched to relieve +a command that had lain long in some damp +trenches. The men took positions behind a curv- +ing line of rifle pits that had been turned up, like +a large furrow, along the line of woods. Before +them was a level stretch, peopled with short, +deformed stumps. From the woods beyond +came the dull popping of the skirmishers and +pickets, firing in the fog. From the right came +the noise of a terrific fracas. + +The men cuddled behind the small embank- +ment and sat in easy attitudes awaiting their +turn. Many had their backs to the firing. The +youth's friend lay down, buried his face in his + +154 +arms, and almost instantly, it seemed, he was in a +deep sleep. + +The youth leaned his breast against the +brown dirt and peered over at the woods and up +and down the line. Curtains of trees interfered +with his ways of vision. He could see the low +line of trenches but for a short distance. A few +idle flags were perched on the dirt hills. Behind +them were rows of dark bodies with a few heads +sticking curiously over the top. + +Always the noise of skirmishers came from +the woods on the front and left, and the din on +the right had grown to frightful proportions. +The guns were roaring without an instant's pause +for breath. It seemed that the cannon had come +from all parts and were engaged in a stupendous +wrangle. It became impossible to make a sen- +tence heard. + +The youth wished to launch a joke--a quota- +tion from newspapers. He desired to say, "All +quiet on the Rappahannock," but the guns refused +to permit even a comment upon their uproar. +He never successfully concluded the sentence. +But at last the guns stopped, and among the +men in the rifle pits rumors again flew, like birds, +but they were now for the most part black +creatures who flapped their wings drearily near +to the ground and refused to rise on any wings of +hope. The men's faces grew doleful from the +interpreting of omens. Tales of hesitation and +uncertainty on the part of those high in place and +responsibility came to their ears. Stories of +disaster were borne into their minds with many +proofs. This din of musketry on the right, grow- +ing like a released genie of sound, expressed and +emphasized the army's plight. + +The men were disheartened and began to +mutter. They made gestures expressive of the +sentence: "Ah, what more can we do?" And it +could always be seen that they were bewildered +by the alleged news and could not fully compre- +hend a defeat. + +Before the gray mists had been totally ob- +literated by the sun rays, the regiment was march- +ing in a spread column that was retiring carefully +through the woods. The disordered, hurrying +lines of the enemy could sometimes be seen down +through the groves and little fields. They were +yelling, shrill and exultant. + +At this sight the youth forgot many personal +matters and became greatly enraged. He ex- +ploded in loud sentences. "B'jiminey, we're +generaled by a lot 'a lunkheads." + +"More than one feller has said that t'-day," +observed a man. + +His friend, recently aroused, was still very +drowsy. He looked behind him until his mind +took in the meaning of the movement. Then he +sighed. "Oh, well, I s'pose we got licked," he +remarked sadly. + +The youth had a thought that it would not be +handsome for him to freely condemn other men. +He made an attempt to restrain himself, but the +words upon his tongue were too bitter. He +presently began a long and intricate denunciation +of the commander of the forces. + +"Mebbe, it wa'n't all his fault--not all to- +gether. He did th' best he knowed. It's our +luck t' git licked often," said his friend in a weary +tone. He was trudging along with stooped +shoulders and shifting eyes like a man who has +been caned and kicked. + +"Well, don't we fight like the devil? Don't +we do all that men can?" demanded the youth +loudly. + +He was secretly dumfounded at this sentiment +when it came from his lips. For a moment his +face lost its valor and he looked guiltily about +him. But no one questioned his right to deal in +such words, and presently he recovered his air +of courage. He went on to repeat a statement +he had heard going from group to group at the +camp that morning. "The brigadier said he +never saw a new reg'ment fight the way we +fought yestirday, didn't he? And we didn't do +better than many another reg'ment, did we? +Well, then, you can't say it's th' army's fault, can +you?" + +In his reply, the friend's voice was stern. "'A +course not," he said. "No man dare say we +don't fight like th' devil. No man will ever dare +say it. Th' boys fight like hell-roosters. But +still--still, we don't have no luck." + +"Well, then, if we fight like the devil an' +don't ever whip, it must be the general's fault," +said the youth grandly and decisively. "And I +don't see any sense in fighting and fighting and +fighting, yet always losing through some derned +old lunkhead of a general." + +A sarcastic man who was tramping at the +youth's side, then spoke lazily. "Mebbe yeh +think yeh fit th' hull battle yestirday, Fleming," +he remarked. + +The speech pierced the youth. Inwardly he +was reduced to an abject pulp by these chance +words. His legs quaked privately. He cast a +frightened glance at the sarcastic man. + +"Why, no," he hastened to say in a concili- +ating voice, "I don't think I fought the whole +battle yesterday." + +But the other seemed innocent of any deeper +meaning. Apparently, he had no information. +It was merely his habit. "Oh!" he replied in the +same tone of calm derision. + +The youth, nevertheless, felt a threat. His +mind shrank from going near to the danger, and +thereafter he was silent. The significance of the +sarcastic man's words took from him all loud +moods that would make him appear prominent. +He became suddenly a modest person. + +There was low-toned talk among the troops. +The officers were impatient and snappy, their +countenances clouded with the tales of misfor- +tune. The troops, sifting through the forest, +were sullen. In the youth's company once a +man's laugh rang out. A dozen soldiers turned +their faces quickly toward him and frowned with +vague displeasure. + +The noise of firing dogged their footsteps. +Sometimes, it seemed to be driven a little way, +but it always returned again with increased +insolence. The men muttered and cursed, +throwing black looks in its direction. + +In a clear space the troops were at last halted. +Regiments and brigades, broken and detached +through their encounters with thickets, grew +together again and lines were faced toward the +pursuing bark of the enemy's infantry. + +This noise, following like the yellings of eager, +metallic hounds, increased to a loud and joyous +burst, and then, as the sun went serenely up the +sky, throwing illuminating rays into the gloomy +thickets, it broke forth into prolonged pealings. +The woods began to crackle as if afire. + +"Whoop-a-dadee," said a man, "here we are! +Everybody fightin'. Blood an' destruction." + +"I was willin' t' bet they'd attack as soon as +th' sun got fairly up," savagely asserted the +lieutenant who commanded the youth's company. +He jerked without mercy at his little mustache. +He strode to and fro with dark dignity in the +rear of his men, who were lying down behind +whatever protection they had collected. + +A battery had trundled into position in the +rear and was thoughtfully shelling the distance. +The regiment, unmolested as yet, awaited the +moment when the gray shadows of the woods +before them should be slashed by the lines of +flame. There was much growling and swearing. + +"Good Gawd," the youth grumbled, "we're +always being chased around like rats! It makes +me sick. Nobody seems to know where we go +or why we go. We just get fired around from +pillar to post and get licked here and get licked +there, and nobody knows what it's done for. It +makes a man feel like a damn' kitten in a bag. +Now, I'd like to know what the eternal thunders +we was marched into these woods for anyhow, + + +THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE 161 + +unless it was to give the rebs a regular pot shot +at us. We came in here and got our legs all +tangled up in these cussed briers, and then we +begin to fight and the rebs had an easy time of it. +Don't tell me it's just luck! I know better. It's +this derned old--" + +The friend seemed jaded, but he interrupted +his comrade with a voice of calm confidence. +"It'll turn out all right in th' end," he said. + +"Oh, the devil it will! You always talk like a +dog-hanged parson. Don't tell me! I know--" + +At this time there was an interposition by the +savage-minded lieutenant, who was obliged to +vent some of his inward dissatisfaction upon his +men. "You boys shut right up! There no +need 'a your wastin' your breath in long-winded +arguments about this an' that an' th' other. +You've been jawin' like a lot 'a old hens. All +you've got t' do is to fight, an' you'll get plenty 'a +that t' do in about ten minutes. Less talkin' an' +more fightin' is what's best for you boys. I never +saw sech gabbling jackasses." + +He paused, ready to pounce upon any man +who might have the temerity to reply. No words +being said, he resumed his dignified pacing. + +"There's too much chin music an' too little +fightin' in this war, anyhow," he said to them, +turning his head for a final remark. + +The day had grown more white, until the sun +shed his full radiance upon the thronged forest. +A sort of a gust of battle came sweeping toward +that part of the line where lay the youth's regi- +ment. The front shifted a trifle to meet it square- +ly. There was a wait. In this part of the field +there passed slowly the intense moments that pre- +cede the tempest. + +A single rifle flashed in a thicket before the +regiment. In an instant it was joined by many +others. There was a mighty song of clashes and +crashes that went sweeping through the woods. +The guns in the rear, aroused and enraged by +shells that had been thrown burlike at them, +suddenly involved themselves in a hideous alter- +cation with another band of guns. The battle +roar settled to a rolling thunder, which was a +single, long explosion. + +In the regiment there was a peculiar kind of +hesitation denoted in the attitudes of the men. +They were worn, exhausted, having slept but lit- +tle and labored much. They rolled their eyes +toward the advancing battle as they stood await- +ing the shock. Some shrank and flinched. They +stood as men tied to stakes. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + + +THIS advance of the enemy had seemed to the +youth like a ruthless hunting. He began to fume +with rage and exasperation. He beat his foot +upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the +swirling smoke that was approaching like a phan- +tom flood. There was a maddening quality in +this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no +rest, to give him no time to sit down and think. +Yesterday he had fought and had fled rapidly. +There had been many adventures. For to-day he +felt that he had earned opportunities for contem- +plative repose. He could have enjoyed portraying +to uninitiated listeners various scenes at which he +had been a witness or ably discussing the pro- +cesses of war with other proved men. Too it was +important that he should have time for physical +recuperation. He was sore and stiff from his ex- +periences. He had received his fill of all exer- +tions, and he wished to rest. + +But those other men seemed never to grow +weary; they were fighting with their old speed. + +163 +He had a wild hate for the relentless foe. Yester- +day, when he had imagined the universe to be +against him, he had hated it, little gods and big +gods; to-day he hated the army of the foe with +the same great hatred. He was not going to be +badgered of his life, like a kitten chased by boys, +he said. It was not well to drive men into final +corners; at those moments they could all develop +teeth and claws. + +He leaned and spoke into his friend's ear. He +menaced the woods with a gesture. "If they +keep on chasing us, by Gawd, they'd better watch +out. Can't stand TOO much." + +The friend twisted his head and made a calm +reply. "If they keep on a-chasin' us they'll drive +us all inteh th' river." + +The youth cried out savagely at this state- +ment. He crouched behind a little tree, with his +eyes burning hatefully and his teeth set in a cur- +like snarl. The awkward bandage was still about +his head, and upon it, over his wound, there was +a spot of dry blood. His hair was wondrously +tousled, and some straggling, moving locks hung +over the cloth of the bandage down toward his +forehead. His jacket and shirt were open at the +throat, and exposed his young bronzed neck. +There could be seen spasmodic gulpings at his +throat. + +His fingers twined nervously about his rifle. +He wished that it was an engine of annihilating +power. He felt that he and his companions were +being taunted and derided from sincere convic- +tions that they were poor and puny. His knowl- +edge of his inability to take vengeance for it made +his rage into a dark and stormy specter, that pos- +sessed him and made him dream of abominable +cruelties. The tormentors were flies sucking in- +solently at his blood, and he thought that he would +have given his life for a revenge of seeing their +faces in pitiful plights. + +The winds of battle had swept all about the +regiment, until the one rifle, instantly followed by +others, flashed in its front. A moment later the +regiment roared forth its sudden and valiant re- +tort. A dense wall of smoke settled slowly down. +It was furiously slit and slashed by the knifelike +fire from the rifles. + +To the youth the fighters resembled animals +tossed for a death struggle into a dark pit. There +was a sensation that he and his fellows, at bay, +were pushing back, always pushing fierce on- +slaughts of creatures who were slippery. Their +beams of crimson seemed to get no purchase upon +the bodies of their foes; the latter seemed to evade +them with ease, and come through, between, +around, and about with unopposed skill. + +When, in a dream, it occurred to the youth +that his rifle was an impotent stick, he lost sense +of everything but his hate, his desire to smash +into pulp the glittering smile of victory which he +could feel upon the faces of his enemies. + +The blue smoke-swallowed line curled and +writhed like a snake stepped upon. It swung its +ends to and fro in an agony of fear and rage. + +The youth was not conscious that he was erect +upon his feet. He did not know the direction of +the ground. Indeed, once he even lost the habit +of balance and fell heavily. He was up again +immediately. One thought went through the +chaos of his brain at the time. He wondered if +he had fallen because he had been shot. But the +suspicion flew away at once. He did not think +more of it. + +He had taken up a first position behind the lit- +tle tree, with a direct determination to hold it +against the world. He had not deemed it possi- +ble that his army could that day succeed, and +from this he felt the ability to fight harder. But +the throng had surged in all ways, until he lost +directions and locations, save that he knew where +lay the enemy. + +The flames bit him, and the hot smoke broiled +his skin. His rifle barrel grew so hot that ordi- +narily he could not have borne it upon his palms; +but he kept on stuffing cartridges into it, and +pounding them with his clanking, bending ram- +rod. If he aimed at some changing form through +the smoke, he pulled his trigger with a fierce +grunt, as if he were dealing a blow of the fist with +all his strength. + +When the enemy seemed falling back before +him and his fellows, he went instantly forward, +like a dog who, seeing his foes lagging, turns and +insists upon being pursued. And when he was +compelled to retire again, he did it slowly, sul- +lenly, taking steps of wrathful despair. + +Once he, in his intent hate, was almost alone, +and was firing, when all those near him had ceased. +He was so engrossed in his occupation that he +was not aware of a lull. + +He was recalled by a hoarse laugh and a sen- +tence that came to his ears in a voice of contempt +and amazement. "Yeh infernal fool, don't yeh +know enough t' quit when there ain't anything t' +shoot at? Good Gawd!" + +He turned then and, pausing with his rifle +thrown half into position, looked at the blue line +of his comrades. During this moment of leisure +they seemed all to be engaged in staring with +astonishment at him. They had become specta- +tors. Turning to the front again he saw, under +the lifted smoke, a deserted ground. + +He looked bewildered for a moment. Then +there appeared upon the glazed vacancy of his +eyes a diamond point of intelligence. "Oh," he +said, comprehending. + +He returned to his comrades and threw him- +self upon the ground. He sprawled like a man +who had been thrashed. His flesh seemed strange- +ly on fire, and the sounds of the battle continued +in his ears. He groped blindly for his canteen. + +The lieutenant was crowing. He seemed +drunk with fighting. He called out to the youth: +"By heavens, if I had ten thousand wild cats like +you I could tear th' stomach outa this war in +less'n a week!" He puffed out his chest with +large dignity as he said it. + +Some of the men muttered and looked at the +youth in awe-struck ways. It was plain that as +he had gone on loading and firing and cursing +without the proper intermission, they had found +time to regard him. And they now looked upon +him as a war devil. + +The friend came staggering to him. There +was some fright and dismay in his voice. "Are yeh +all right, Fleming? Do yeh feel all right? There +ain't nothin' th' matter with yeh, Henry, is there?" + +"No," said the youth with difficulty. His +throat seemed full of knobs and burs. + +These incidents made the youth ponder. It +was revealed to him that he had been a barbarian, +a beast. He had fought like a pagan who de- +fends his religion. Regarding it, he saw that it +was fine, wild, and, in some ways, easy. He had +been a tremendous figure, no doubt. By this +struggle he had overcome obstacles which he +had admitted to be mountains. They had fallen +like paper peaks, and he was now what he called +a hero. And he had not been aware of the pro- +cess. He had slept and, awakening, found him- +self a knight. + +He lay and basked in the occasional stares of +his comrades. Their faces were varied in de- +grees of blackness from the burned powder. +Some were utterly smudged. They were reek- +ing with perspiration, and their breaths came +hard and wheezing. And from these soiled ex- +panses they peered at him. + +"Hot work! Hot work!" cried the lieu- +tenant deliriously. He walked up and down, +restless and eager. Sometimes his voice could +be heard in a wild, incomprehensible laugh. + +When he had a particularly profound thought +upon the science of war he always unconsciously +addressed himself to the youth. + +There was some grim rejoicing by the men. +"By thunder, I bet this army'll never see another +new reg'ment like us!" +"You bet!" + + + "A dog, a woman, an' a walnut tree, + Th' more yeh beat 'em, th' better they be! + +That's like us." + +"Lost a piler men, they did. If an' ol' woman +swep' up th' woods she'd git a dustpanful." + +"Yes, an' if she'll come around ag'in in 'bout +an' hour she'll git a pile more." + +The forest still bore its burden of clamor. +From off under the trees came the rolling clatter +of the musketry. Each distant thicket seemed a +strange porcupine with quills of flame. A cloud +of dark smoke, as from smoldering ruins, went +up toward the sun now bright and gay in the +blue, enameled sky. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + + +THE ragged line had respite for some min- +utes, but during its pause the struggle in the +forest became magnified until the trees seemed to +quiver from the firing and the ground to shake +from the rushing of the men. The voices of the +cannon were mingled in a long and interminable +row. It seemed difficult to live in such an atmos- +phere. The chests of the men strained for a bit +of freshness, and their throats craved water. + +There was one shot through the body, who +raised a cry of bitter lamentation when came this +lull. Perhaps he had been calling out during +the fighting also, but at that time no one had +heard him. But now the men turned at the woe- +ful complaints of him upon the ground. + +"Who is it? Who is it?" + +"It's Jimmie Rogers. Jimmie Rogers." + +When their eyes first encountered him there +was a sudden halt, as if they feared to go near. +He was thrashing about in the grass, twisting his + +171 +shuddering body into many strange postures. +He was screaming loudly. This instant's hesita- +tion seemed to fill him with a tremendous, fantas- +tic contempt, and he damned them in shrieked +sentences. + +The youth's friend had a geographical illusion +concerning a stream, and he obtained permission +to go for some water. Immediately canteens +were showered upon him. "Fill mine, will +yeh?" "Bring me some, too." "And me, too." +He departed, ladened. The youth went with his +friend, feeling a desire to throw his heated body +onto the stream and, soaking there, drink quarts. + +They made a hurried search for the supposed +stream, but did not find it. "No water here," +said the youth. They turned without delay and +began to retrace their steps. + +From their position as they again faced to- +ward the place of the fighting, they could of +course comprehend a greater amount of the bat- +tle than when their visions had been blurred by +the hurling smoke of the line. They could see +dark stretches winding along the land, and on +one cleared space there was a row of guns mak- +ing gray clouds, which were filled with large +flashes of orange-colored flame. Over some foli- +age they could see the roof of a house. One win- +dow, glowing a deep murder red, shone squarely +through the leaves. From the edifice a tall lean- +ing tower of smoke went far into the sky. + +Looking over their own troops, they saw +mixed masses slowly getting into regular form. +The sunlight made twinkling points of the bright +steel. To the rear there was a glimpse of a dis- +tant roadway as it curved over a slope. It was +crowded with retreating infantry. From all the +interwoven forest arose the smoke and bluster +of the battle. The air was always occupied by +a blaring. + +Near where they stood shells were flip-flap- +ping and hooting. Occasional bullets buzzed in +the air and spanged into tree trunks. Wounded +men and other stragglers were slinking through +the woods. + +Looking down an aisle of the grove, the +youth and his companion saw a jangling general +and his staff almost ride upon a wounded man, +who was crawling on his hands and knees. The +general reined strongly at his charger's opened +and foamy mouth and guided it with dexterous +horsemanship past the man. The latter scram- +bled in wild and torturing haste. His strength +evidently failed him as he reached a place of +safety. One of his arms suddenly weakened, and +he fell, sliding over upon his back. He lay +stretched out, breathing gently. + +A moment later the small, creaking cavalcade +was directly in front of the two soldiers. An- +other officer, riding with the skillful abandon of a +cowboy, galloped his horse to a position directly +before the general. The two unnoticed foot sol- +diers made a little show of going on, but they +lingered near in the desire to overhear the con- +versation. Perhaps, they thought, some great +inner historical things would be said. + +The general, whom the boys knew as the com- +mander of their division, looked at the other +officer and spoke coolly, as if he were criticising +his clothes. "Th' enemy's formin' over there for +another charge," he said. "It'll be directed +against Whiterside, an' I fear they'll break +through there unless we work like thunder t' stop +them." + +The other swore at his restive horse, and then +cleared his throat. He made a gesture toward +his cap. "It'll be hell t' pay stoppin' them," he +said shortly. + +"I presume so," remarked the general. Then +he began to talk rapidly and in a lower tone. He +frequently illustrated his words with a pointing +finger. The two infantrymen could hear nothing +until finally he asked: "What troops can you +spare?" + +The officer who rode like a cowboy reflected +for an instant. "Well," he said, "I had to order +in th' 12th to help th' 76th, an' I haven't really got +any. But there's th' 304th. They fight like a +lot 'a mule drivers. I can spare them best +of any." + +The youth and his friend exchanged glances +of astonishment. + +The general spoke sharply. "Get 'em ready, +then. I'll watch developments from here, an' +send you word when t' start them. It'll happen +in five minutes." + +As the other officer tossed his fingers toward +his cap and wheeling his horse, started away, the +general called out to him in a sober voice: "I +don't believe many of your mule drivers will get +back." + +The other shouted something in reply. He +smiled. + +With scared faces, the youth and his compan- +ion hurried back to the line. + +These happenings had occupied an incredibly +short time, yet the youth felt that in them he had +been made aged. New eyes were given to him. +And the most startling thing was to learn sud- +denly that he was very insignificant. The officer +spoke of the regiment as if he referred to a +broom. Some part of the woods needed sweep- +ing, perhaps, and he merely indicated a broom in +a tone properly indifferent to its fate. It was +war, no doubt, but it appeared strange. + +As the two boys approached the line, the lieu- +tenant perceived them and swelled with wrath. +"Fleming--Wilson--how long does it take yeh +to git water, anyhow--where yeh been to." + +But his oration ceased as he saw their eyes, +which were large with great tales. "We're goin' +t' charge--we're goin' t' charge!" cried the +youth's friend, hastening with his news. + +"Charge?" said the lieutenant. "Charge? +Well, b'Gawd! Now, this is real fightin'." Over +his soiled countenance there went a boastful +smile. "Charge? Well, b'Gawd!" + +A little group of soldiers surrounded the two +youths. "Are we, sure 'nough? Well, I'll be +derned! Charge? What fer? What at? Wil- +son, you're lyin'." + +"I hope to die," said the youth, pitching his +tones to the key of angry remonstrance. "Sure +as shooting, I tell you." + +And his friend spoke in re-enforcement. "Not +by a blame sight, he ain't lyin'. We heard 'em +talkin'." + +They caught sight of two mounted figures a +short distance from them. One was the colonel +of the regiment and the other was the officer who +had received orders from the commander of the +division. They were gesticulating at each other. +The soldier, pointing at them, interpreted the +scene. + +One man had a final objection: "How could +yeh hear 'em talkin'?" But the men, for a large +part, nodded, admitting that previously the two +friends had spoken truth. + +They settled back into reposeful attitudes +with airs of having accepted the matter. And +they mused upon it, with a hundred varieties of +expression. It was an engrossing thing to think +about. Many tightened their belts carefully and +hitched at their trousers. + +A moment later the officers began to bustle +among the men, pushing them into a more com- +pact mass and into a better alignment. They +chased those that straggled and fumed at a few +men who seemed to show by their attitudes that +they had decided to remain at that spot. They +were like critical shepherds struggling with sheep. + +Presently, the regiment seemed to draw itself +up and heave a deep breath. None of the men's +faces were mirrors of large thoughts. The sol- +diers were bended and stooped like sprinters be- +fore a signal. Many pairs of glinting eyes peered +from the grimy faces toward the curtains of the +deeper woods. They seemed to be engaged in +deep calculations of time and distance. + +They were surrounded by the noises of the +monstrous altercation between the two armies. +The world was fully interested in other matters. +Apparently, the regiment had its small affair to +itself. + +The youth, turning, shot a quick, inquiring +glance at his friend. The latter returned to him +the same manner of look. They were the only +ones who possessed an inner knowledge. "Mule +drivers--hell t' pay--don't believe many will get +back." It was an ironical secret. Still, they saw +no hesitation in each other's faces, and they nod- +ded a mute and unprotesting assent when a shag- +gy man near them said in a meek voice: "We'll +git swallowed." + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + + +THE youth stared at the land in front of him. +Its foliages now seemed to veil powers and hor- +rors. He was unaware of the machinery of orders +that started the charge, although from the cor- +ners of his eyes he saw an officer, who looked +like a boy a-horseback, come galloping, waving +his hat. Suddenly he felt a straining and heaving +among the men. The line fell slowly forward +like a toppling wall, and, with a convulsive gasp +that was intended for a cheer, the regiment began +its journey. The youth was pushed and jostled +for a moment before he understood the move- +ment at all, but directly he lunged ahead and +began to run. + +He fixed his eye upon a distant and promi- +nent clump of trees where he had concluded the +enemy were to be met, and he ran toward it as +toward a goal. He had believed throughout that +it was a mere question of getting over an unpleas- +ant matter as quickly as possible, and he ran + +179 +desperately, as if pursued for a murder. His +face was drawn hard and tight with the stress of +his endeavor. His eyes were fixed in a lurid +glare. And with his soiled and disordered dress, +his red and inflamed features surmounted by the +dingy rag with its spot of blood, his wildly +swinging rifle and banging accouterments, he +looked to be an insane soldier. + +As the regiment swung from its position out +into a cleared space the woods and thickets be- +fore it awakened. Yellow flames leaped toward +it from many directions. The forest made a tre- +mendous objection. + +The line lurched straight for a moment. Then +the right wing swung forward; it in turn was +surpassed by the left. Afterward the center +careered to the front until the regiment was a +wedge-shaped mass, but an instant later the +opposition of the bushes, trees, and uneven places +on the ground split the command and scattered +it into detached clusters. + +The youth, light-footed, was unconsciously in +advance. His eyes still kept note of the clump of +trees. From all places near it the clannish yell +of the enemy could be heard. The little flames +of rifles leaped from it. The song of the bullets +was in the air and shells snarled among the tree- +tops. One tumbled directly into the middle of a +hurrying group and exploded in crimson fury. +There was an instant's spectacle of a man, almost +over it, throwing up his hands to shield his eyes. + +Other men, punched by bullets, fell in gro- +tesque agonies. The regiment left a coherent +trail of bodies. + +They had passed into a clearer atmosphere. +There was an effect like a revelation in the new +appearance of the landscape. Some men work- +ing madly at a battery were plain to them, and +the opposing infantry's lines were defined by the +gray walls and fringes of smoke. + +It seemed to the youth that he saw every- +thing. Each blade of the green grass was bold +and clear. He thought that he was aware of +every change in the thin, transparent vapor that +floated idly in sheets. The brown or gray trunks +of the trees showed each roughness of their sur- +faces. And the men of the regiment, with their +starting eyes and sweating faces, running madly, +or falling, as if thrown headlong, to queer, +heaped-up corpses--all were comprehended. His +mind took a mechanical but firm impression, so +that afterward everything was pictured and ex- +plained to him, save why he himself was there. + +But there was a frenzy made from this furious +rush. The men, pitching forward insanely, had +burst into cheerings, moblike and barbaric, but +tuned in strange keys that can arouse the dullard +and the stoic. It made a mad enthusiasm that, it +seemed, would be incapable of checking itself +before granite and brass. There was the deli- +rium that encounters despair and death, and is +heedless and blind to the odds. It is a temporary +but sublime absence of selfishness. And because +it was of this order was the reason, perhaps, why +the youth wondered, afterward, what reasons he +could have had for being there. + +Presently the straining pace ate up the ener- +gies of the men. As if by agreement, the leaders +began to slacken their speed. The volleys di- +rected against them had had a seeming windlike +effect. The regiment snorted and blew. Among +some stolid trees it began to falter and hesitate. +The men, staring intently, began to wait for some +of the distant walls of smoke to move and dis- +close to them the scene. Since much of their +strength and their breath had vanished, they re- +turned to caution. They were become men +again. + +The youth had a vague belief that he had run +miles, and he thought, in a way, that he was now +in some new and unknown land. + +The moment the regiment ceased its advance +the protesting splutter of musketry became a +steadied roar. Long and accurate fringes of +smoke spread out. From the top of a small hill +came level belchings of yellow flame that caused +an inhuman whistling in the air. + +The men, halted, had opportunity to see some +of their comrades dropping with moans and +shrieks. A few lay under foot, still or wailing. +And now for an instant the men stood, their rifles +slack in their hands, and watched the regiment +dwindle. They appeared dazed and stupid. This +spectacle seemed to paralyze them, overcome +them with a fatal fascination. They stared wood- +enly at the sights, and, lowering their eyes, looked +from face to face. It was a strange pause, and a +strange silence. + +Then, above the sounds of the outside commo- +tion, arose the roar of the lieutenant. He strode +suddenly forth, his infantile features black with +rage. + +"Come on, yeh fools!" he bellowed. "Come +on! Yeh can't stay here. Yeh must come on." +He said more, but much of it could not be under- +stood. + +He started rapidly forward, with his head +turned toward the men. "Come on," he was +shouting. The men stared with blank and yokel- +like eyes at him. He was obliged to halt and +retrace his steps. He stood then with his back +to the enemy and delivered gigantic curses into +the faces of the men. His body vibrated from +the weight and force of his imprecations. And +he could string oaths with the facility of a maiden +who strings beads. + +The friend of the youth aroused. Lurching +suddenly forward and dropping to his knees, he +fired an angry shot at the persistent woods. This +action awakened the men. They huddled no +more like sheep. They seemed suddenly to be- +think them of their weapons, and at once com- +menced firing. Belabored by their officers, they +began to move forward. The regiment, involved +like a cart involved in mud and muddle, started +unevenly with many jolts and jerks. The men +stopped now every few paces to fire and load, +and in this manner moved slowly on from trees +to trees. + +The flaming opposition in their front grew +with their advance until it seemed that all for- +ward ways were barred by the thin leaping +tongues, and off to the right an ominous demon- +stration could sometimes be dimly discerned. +The smoke lately generated was in confusing +clouds that made it difficult for the regiment to +proceed with intelligence. As he passed through +each curling mass the youth wondered what +would confront him on the farther side. + +The command went painfully forward until an +open space interposed between them and the +lurid lines. Here, crouching and cowering be- +hind some trees, the men clung with desperation, +as if threatened by a wave. They looked wild- +eyed, and as if amazed at this furious disturbance +they had stirred. In the storm there was an +ironical expression of their importance. The +faces of the men, too, showed a lack of a certain +feeling of responsibility for being there. It was +as if they had been driven. It was the dominant +animal failing to remember in the supreme mo- +ments the forceful causes of various superficial +qualities. The whole affair seemed incompre- +hensible to many of them. + +As they halted thus the lieutenant again be- +gan to bellow profanely. Regardless of the vin- +dictive threats of the bullets, he went about +coaxing, berating, and bedamning. His lips, +that were habitually in a soft and childlike curve, +were now writhed into unholy contortions. He +swore by all possible deities. + +Once he grabbed the youth by the arm. +"Come on, yeh lunkhead!" he roared. "Come +on! We'll all git killed if we stay here. We've +on'y got t' go across that lot. An' then"--the +remainder of his idea disappeared in a blue haze +of curses. + +The youth stretched forth his arm. "Cross +there?" His mouth was puckered in doubt and +awe. + +"Certainly. Jest 'cross th' lot! We can't +stay here," screamed the lieutenant. He poked +his face close to the youth and waved his ban- +daged hand. "Come on!" Presently he grap- +pled with him as if for a wrestling bout. It was +as if he planned to drag the youth by the ear on +to the assault. + +The private felt a sudden unspeakable indig- +nation against his officer. He wrenched fiercely +and shook him off. + +"Come on herself, then," he yelled. There +was a bitter challenge in his voice. + +They galloped together down the regimental +front. The friend scrambled after them. In front +of the colors the three men began to bawl: +"Come on! come on!" They danced and gy- +rated like tortured savages. + +The flag, obedient to these appeals, bended its +glittering form and swept toward them. The +men wavered in indecision for a moment, and then +with a long, wailful cry the dilapidated regiment +surged forward and began its new journey. + +Over the field went the scurrying mass. It +was a handful of men splattered into the faces of +the enemy. Toward it instantly sprang the yel- +low tongues. A vast quantity of blue smoke +hung before them. A mighty banging made ears +valueless. + +The youth ran like a madman to reach the +woods before a bullet could discover him. He +ducked his head low, like a football player. In +his haste his eyes almost closed, and the scene was +a wild blur. Pulsating saliva stood at the corners +of his mouth. + +Within him, as he hurled himself forward, was +born a love, a despairing fondness for this flag +which was near him. It was a creation of beauty +and invulnerability. It was a goddess, radiant, +that bended its form with an imperious gesture to +him. It was a woman, red and white, hating and +loving, that called him with the voice of his +hopes. Because no harm could come to it he en- +dowed it with power. He kept near, as if it +could be a saver of lives, and an imploring cry +went from his mind. + +In the mad scramble he was aware that the +color sergeant flinched suddenly, as if struck by a +bludgeon. He faltered, and then became motion- +less, save for his quivering knees. + +He made a spring and a clutch at the pole. +At the same instant his friend grabbed it from the +other side. They jerked at it, stout and furious, +but the color sergeant was dead, and the corpse +would not relinquish its trust. For a moment +there was a grim encounter. The dead man, +swinging with bended back, seemed to be obsti- +nately tugging, in ludicrous and awful ways, for +the possession of the flag. + +It was past in an instant of time. They +wrenched the flag furiously from the dead man, +and, as they turned again, the corpse swayed for- +ward with bowed head. One arm swung high, +and the curved hand fell with heavy protest on +the friend's unheeding shoulder. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +WHEN the two youths turned with the flag +they saw that much of the regiment had crum- +bled away, and the dejected remnant was coming +slowly back. The men, having hurled themselves +in projectile fashion, had presently expended their +forces. They slowly retreated, with their faces +still toward the spluttering woods, and their hot +rifles still replying to the din. Several officers +were giving orders, their voices keyed to screams. + +"Where in hell yeh goin'?" the lieutenant was +asking in a sarcastic howl. And a red-bearded +officer, whose voice of triple brass could plainly +be heard, was commanding: "Shoot into 'em! +Shoot into 'em, Gawd damn their souls!" There +was a melee of screeches, in which the men were +ordered to do conflicting and impossible things. + +The youth and his friend had a small scuffle +over the flag. "Give it t' me!" "No, let me +keep it!" Each felt satisfied with the other's pos- +session of it, but each felt bound to declare, by + +189 +an offer to carry the emblem, his willingness to +further risk himself. The youth roughly pushed +his friend away. + +The regiment fell back to the stolid trees. +There it halted for a moment to blaze at some +dark forms that had begun to steal upon its track. +Presently it resumed its march again, curving +among the tree trunks. By the time the depleted +regiment had again reached the first open space +they were receiving a fast and merciless fire. +There seemed to be mobs all about them. + +The greater part of the men, discouraged, +their spirits worn by the turmoil, acted as if +stunned. They accepted the pelting of the bul- +lets with bowed and weary heads. It was of no +purpose to strive against walls. It was of no use +to batter themselves against granite. And from +this consciousness that they had attempted to +conquer an unconquerable thing there seemed +to arise a feeling that they had been betrayed. +They glowered with bent brows, but danger- +ously, upon some of the officers, more particu- +larly upon the red-bearded one with the voice of +triple brass. + +However, the rear of the regiment was fringed +with men, who continued to shoot irritably at the +advancing foes. They seemed resolved to make +every trouble. The youthful lieutenant was per- +haps the last man in the disordered mass. His +forgotten back was toward the enemy. He had +been shot in the arm. It hung straight and rigid. +Occasionally he would cease to remember it, and +be about to emphasize an oath with a sweeping +gesture. The multiplied pain caused him to +swear with incredible power. + +The youth went along with slipping, uncertain +feet. He kept watchful eyes rearward. A scowl +of mortification and rage was upon his face. He +had thought of a fine revenge upon the officer +who had referred to him and his fellows as mule +drivers. But he saw that it could not come to +pass. His dreams had collapsed when the mule +drivers, dwindling rapidly, had wavered and hes- +itated on the little clearing, and then had recoiled. +And now the retreat of the mule drivers was a +march of shame to him. + +A dagger-pointed gaze from without his black- +ened face was held toward the enemy, but his +greater hatred was riveted upon the man, who, +not knowing him, had called him a mule driver. + +When he knew that he and his comrades had +failed to do anything in successful ways that might +bring the little pangs of a kind of remorse upon +the officer, the youth allowed the rage of the baf- +fled to possess him. This cold officer upon a +monument, who dropped epithets unconcernedly +down, would be finer as a dead man, he thought. +So grievous did he think it that he could +never possess the secret right to taunt truly in +answer. + +He had pictured red letters of curious revenge. +"We ARE mule drivers, are we?" And now he +was compelled to throw them away. + +He presently wrapped his heart in the cloak +of his pride and kept the flag erect. He ha- +rangued his fellows, pushing against their chests +with his free hand. To those he knew well he +made frantic appeals, beseeching them by name. +Between him and the lieutenant, scolding and +near to losing his mind with rage, there was felt a +subtle fellowship and equality. They supported +each other in all manner of hoarse, howling pro- +tests. + +But the regiment was a machine run down. +The two men babbled at a forceless thing. The +soldiers who had heart to go slowly were con- +tinually shaken in their resolves by a knowledge +that comrades were slipping with speed back to +the lines. It was difficult to think of reputation +when others were thinking of skins. Wounded +men were left crying on this black journey. + +The smoke fringes and flames blustered al- +ways. The youth, peering once through a sud- +den rift in a cloud, saw a brown mass of troops, +interwoven and magnified until they appeared to +be thousands. A fierce-hued flag flashed before +his vision. + +Immediately, as if the uplifting of the smoke +had been prearranged, the discovered troops +burst into a rasping yell, and a hundred flames +jetted toward the retreating band. A rolling +gray cloud again interposed as the regiment dog- +gedly replied. The youth had to depend again +upon his misused ears, which were trembling +and buzzing from the melee of musketry and yells. + +The way seemed eternal. In the clouded haze +men became panicstricken with the thought that +the regiment had lost its path, and was proceed- +ing in a perilous direction. Once the men who +headed the wild procession turned and came push- +ing back against their comrades, screaming that +they were being fired upon from points which +they had considered to be toward their own lines. +At this cry a hysterical fear and dismay beset the +troops. A soldier, who heretofore had been am- +bitious to make the regiment into a wise little +band that would proceed calmly amid the huge- +appearing difficulties, suddenly sank down and +buried his face in his arms with an air of bowing +to a doom. From another a shrill lamentation +rang out filled with profane allusions to a general. +Men ran hither and thither, seeking with their +eyes roads of escape. With serene regularity, as +if controlled by a schedule, bullets buffed into +men. + +The youth walked stolidly into the midst of +the mob, and with his flag in his hands took a +stand as if he expected an attempt to push him to +the ground. He unconsciously assumed the atti- +tude of the color bearer in the fight of the pre- +ceding day. He passed over his brow a hand +that trembled. His breath did not come freely. +He was choking during this small wait for the +crisis. + +His friend came to him. "Well, Henry, I +guess this is good-by--John." + +"Oh, shut up, you damned fool!" replied the +youth, and he would not look at the other. + +The officers labored like politicians to beat +the mass into a proper circle to face the men- +aces. The ground was uneven and torn. The +men curled into depressions and fitted them- +selves snugly behind whatever would frustrate +a bullet. + +The youth noted with vague surprise that the +lieutenant was standing mutely with his legs far +apart and his sword held in the manner of a cane. +The youth wondered what had happened to his +vocal organs that he no more cursed. + +There was something curious in this little in- +tent pause of the lieutenant. He was like a babe +which, having wept its fill, raises its eyes and +fixes upon a distant toy. He was engrossed in +this contemplation, and the soft under lip quivered +from self-whispered words. + +Some lazy and ignorant smoke curled slowly. +The men, hiding from the bullets, waited anx- +iously for it to lift and disclose the plight of the +regiment. + +The silent ranks were suddenly thrilled by the +eager voice of the youthful lieutenant bawling +out: "Here they come! Right onto us, +b'Gawd!" His further words were lost in a roar +of wicked thunder from the men's rifles. + +The youth's eyes had instantly turned in the +direction indicated by the awakened and agitated +lieutenant, and he had seen the haze of treachery +disclosing a body of soldiers of the enemy. They +were so near that he could see their features. +There was a recognition as he looked at the types +of faces. Also he perceived with dim amazement +that their uniforms were rather gay in effect, +being light gray, accented with a brilliant-hued +facing. Too, the clothes seemed new. + +These troops had apparently been going for- +ward with caution, their rifles held in readiness, +when the youthful lieutenant had discovered +them and their movement had been interrupted +by the volley from the blue regiment. From the +moment's glimpse, it was derived that they had +been unaware of the proximity of their dark- +suited foes or had mistaken the direction. Al- +most instantly they were shut utterly from the +youth's sight by the smoke from the energetic +rifles of his companions. He strained his vision +to learn the accomplishment of the volley, but the +smoke hung before him. + +The two bodies of troops exchanged blows in +the manner of a pair of boxers. The fast angry +firings went back and forth. The men in blue +were intent with the despair of their circum- +stances and they seized upon the revenge to be +had at close range. Their thunder swelled loud +and valiant. Their curving front bristled with +flashes and the place resounded with the clangor +of their ramrods. The youth ducked and dodged +for a time and achieved a few unsatisfactory +views of the enemy. There appeared to be many +of them and they were replying swiftly. They +seemed moving toward the blue regiment, step +by step. He seated himself gloomily on the +ground with his flag between his knees. + +As he noted the vicious, wolflike temper of +his comrades he had a sweet thought that if the +enemy was about to swallow the regimental +broom as a large prisoner, it could at least have +the consolation of going down with bristles for- +ward. + +But the blows of the antagonist began to +grow more weak. Fewer bullets ripped the air, +and finally, when the men slackened to learn of +the fight, they could see only dark, floating +smoke. The regiment lay still and gazed. Pres- +ently some chance whim came to the pestering +blur, and it began to coil heavily away. The men +saw a ground vacant of fighters. It would have +been an empty stage if it were not for a few +corpses that lay thrown and twisted into fantastic +shapes upon the sward. + +At sight of this tableau, many of the men in +blue sprang from behind their covers and made +an ungainly dance of joy. Their eyes burned +and a hoarse cheer of elation broke from their +dry lips. + +It had begun to seem to them that events were +trying to prove that they were impotent. These +little battles had evidently endeavored to demon- +strate that the men could not fight well. When +on the verge of submission to these opinions, the +small duel had showed them that the propor- +tions were not impossible, and by it they had +revenged themselves upon their misgivings and +upon the foe. + +The impetus of enthusiasm was theirs again. +They gazed about them with looks of uplifted +pride, feeling new trust in the grim, always +confident weapons in their hands. And they +were men. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + + +PRESENTLY they knew that no firing threat- +ened them. All ways seemed once more opened +to them. The dusty blue lines of their friends +were disclosed a short distance away. In the +distance there were many colossal noises, but in +all this part of the field there was a sudden +stillness. + +They perceived that they were free. The +depleted band drew a long breath of relief +and gathered itself into a bunch to complete +its trip. + +In this last length of journey the men began +to show strange emotions. They hurried with +nervous fear. Some who had been dark and un- +faltering in the grimmest moments now could not +conceal an anxiety that made them frantic. It +was perhaps that they dreaded to be killed in +insignificant ways after the times for proper +military deaths had passed. Or, perhaps, they +thought it would be too ironical to get killed at + +199 +the portals of safety. With backward looks of +perturbation, they hastened. + +As they approached their own lines there was +some sarcasm exhibited on the part of a gaunt +and bronzed regiment that lay resting in the +shade of trees. Questions were wafted to them. + +"Where th' hell yeh been?" + +"What yeh comin' back fer?" + +"Why didn't yeh stay there?" + +"Was it warm out there, sonny?" + +"Goin' home now, boys?" + +One shouted in taunting mimicry: "Oh, +mother, come quick an' look at th' sojers!" + +There was no reply from the bruised and bat- +tered regiment, save that one man made broad- +cast challenges to fist fights and the red-bearded +officer walked rather near and glared in great +swashbuckler style at a tall captain in the other +regiment. But the lieutenant suppressed the +man who wished to fist fight, and the tall cap- +tain, flushing at the little fanfare of the red- +bearded one, was obliged to look intently at some +trees. + +The youth's tender flesh was deeply stung by +these remarks. From under his creased brows +he glowered with hate at the mockers. He +meditated upon a few revenges. Still, many in +the regiment hung their heads in criminal fashion, +so that it came to pass that the men trudged with +sudden heaviness, as if they bore upon their +bended shoulders the coffin of their honor. And +the youthful lieutenant, recollecting himself, be- +gan to mutter softly in black curses. + +They turned when they arrived at their old +position to regard the ground over which they +had charged. + +The youth in this contemplation was smitten +with a large astonishment. He discovered that +the distances, as compared with the brilliant +measurings of his mind, were trivial and ridicu- +lous. The stolid trees, where much had taken +place, seemed incredibly near. The time, too, +now that he reflected, he saw to have been short. +He wondered at the number of emotions and +events that had been crowded into such little +spaces. Elfin thoughts must have exaggerated +and enlarged everything, he said. + +It seemed, then, that there was bitter justice +in the speeches of the gaunt and bronzed vet- +erans. He veiled a glance of disdain at his fel- +lows who strewed the ground, choking with dust, +red from perspiration, misty-eyed, disheveled. + +They were gulping at their canteens, fierce to +wring every mite of water from them, and they +polished at their swollen and watery features +with coat sleeves and bunches of grass. + +However, to the youth there was a consider- +able joy in musing upon his performances during +the charge. He had had very little time pre- +viously in which to appreciate himself, so that +there was now much satisfaction in quietly think- +ing of his actions. He recalled bits of color that +in the flurry had stamped themselves unawares +upon his engaged senses. + +As the regiment lay heaving from its hot exer- +tions the officer who had named them as mule +drivers came galloping along the line. He had +lost his cap. His tousled hair streamed wildly, +and his face was dark with vexation and wrath. +His temper was displayed with more clearness +by the way in which he managed his horse. He +jerked and wrenched savagely at his bridle, stop- +ping the hard-breathing animal with a furious +pull near the colonel of the regiment. He im- +mediately exploded in reproaches which came +unbidden to the ears of the men. They were +suddenly alert, being always curious about black +words between officers. + +"Oh, thunder, MacChesnay, what an awful +bull you made of this thing!" began the officer. +He attempted low tones, but his indignation +caused certain of the men to learn the sense of +his words. "What an awful mess you made! +Good Lord, man, you stopped about a hun- +dred feet this side of a very pretty success! If +your men had gone a hundred feet farther you +would have made a great charge, but as it is +--what a lot of mud diggers you've got any- +way!" + +The men, listening with bated breath, now +turned their curious eyes upon the colonel. +They had a ragamuffin interest in this affair. + +The colonel was seen to straighten his form +and put one hand forth in oratorical fashion. +He wore an injured air; it was as if a deacon +had been accused of stealing. The men were +wiggling in an ecstasy of excitement. + +But of a sudden the colonel's manner changed +from that of a deacon to that of a Frenchman. +He shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, well, general, +we went as far as we could," he said calmly. + +"As far as you could? Did you, b'Gawd?" +snorted the other. "Well, that wasn't very far, +was it?" he added, with a glance of cold con- +tempt into the other's eyes. "Not very far, I +think. You were intended to make a diversion +in favor of Whiterside. How well you succeeded +your own ears can now tell you." He wheeled +his horse and rode stiffly away. + +The colonel, bidden to hear the jarring noises +of an engagement in the woods to the left, broke +out in vague damnations. + +The lieutenant, who had listened with an air +of impotent rage to the interview, spoke suddenly +in firm and undaunted tones. "I don't care what +a man is--whether he is a general or what--if +he says th' boys didn't put up a good fight out +there he's a damned fool." + +"Lieutenant," began the colonel, severely, +"this is my own affair, and I'll trouble you--" + +The lieutenant made an obedient gesture. +"All right, colonel, all right," he said. He sat +down with an air of being content with him- +self. + +The news that the regiment had been re- +proached went along the line. For a time the +men were bewildered by it. "Good thunder!" +they ejaculated, staring at the vanishing form of +the general. They conceived it to be a huge +mistake. + +Presently, however, they began to believe that +in truth their efforts had been called light. The +youth could see this conviction weigh upon the +entire regiment until the men were like cuffed +and cursed animals, but withal rebellious. + +The friend, with a grievance in his eye, +went to the youth. "I wonder what he does +want," he said. "He must think we went out +there an' played marbles! I never see sech a +man!" + +The youth developed a tranquil philosophy +for these moments of irritation. "Oh, well," he +rejoined, "he probably didn't see nothing of it at +all and got mad as blazes, and concluded we were +a lot of sheep, just because we didn't do what he +wanted done. It's a pity old Grandpa Hender- +son got killed yestirday--he'd have known that +we did our best and fought good. It's just our +awful luck, that's what." + +"I should say so," replied the friend. He +seemed to be deeply wounded at an injustice. +"I should say we did have awful luck! There's +no fun in fightin' fer people when everything +yeh do--no matter what--ain't done right. I +have a notion t' stay behind next time an' let +'em take their ol' charge an' go t' th' devil +with it." + +The youth spoke soothingly to his comrade. +"Well, we both did good. I'd like to see the +fool what'd say we both didn't do as good as we +could!" + +"Of course we did," declared the friend +stoutly. "An' I'd break th' feller's neck if he was +as big as a church. But we're all right, anyhow, +for I heard one feller say that we two fit th' best +in th' reg'ment, an' they had a great argument +'bout it. Another feller, 'a course, he had t' up +an' say it was a lie--he seen all what was goin' +on an' he never seen us from th' beginnin' t' th' +end. An' a lot more struck in an' ses it wasn't +a lie--we did fight like thunder, an' they give +us quite a send-off. But this is what I can't +stand--these everlastin' ol' soldiers, titterin' an' +laughin', an' then that general, he's crazy." + +The youth exclaimed with sudden exaspera- +tion: "He's a lunkhead! He makes me mad. +I wish he'd come along next time. We'd show +'im what--" + +He ceased because several men had come +hurrying up. Their faces expressed a bringing +of great news. + +"O Flem, yeh jest oughta heard!" cried one, +eagerly. + +"Heard what?" said the youth. + +"Yeh jest oughta heard!" repeated the other, +and he arranged himself to tell his tidings. The +others made an excited circle. "Well, sir, th' +colonel met your lieutenant right by us--it was +damnedest thing I ever heard--an' he ses: 'Ahem! +ahem!' he ses. 'Mr. Hasbrouck!' he ses, 'by +th' way, who was that lad what carried th' flag?' +he ses. There, Flemin', what d' yeh think 'a +that? 'Who was th' lad what carried th' flag?' +he ses, an' th' lieutenant, he speaks up right +away: 'That's Flemin', an' he's a jimhickey,' he +ses, right away. What? I say he did. 'A jim- +hickey,' he ses--those 'r his words. He did, too. +I say he did. If you kin tell this story better +than I kin, go ahead an' tell it. Well, then, keep +yer mouth shet. Th' lieutenant, he ses: 'He's a +jimhickey,' an' th' colonel, he ses: 'Ahem! ahem! +he is, indeed, a very good man t' have, ahem! He +kep' th' flag 'way t' th' front. I saw 'im. He's a +good un,' ses th' colonel. 'You bet,' ses th' lieu- +tenant, 'he an' a feller named Wilson was at th' +head 'a th' charge, an' howlin' like Indians all th' +time,' he ses. 'Head 'a th' charge all th' time,' +he ses. 'A feller named Wilson,' he ses. There, +Wilson, m'boy, put that in a letter an' send it +hum t' yer mother, hay? 'A feller named Wil- +son,' he ses. An' th' colonel, he ses: 'Were they, +indeed? Ahem! ahem! My sakes!' he ses. 'At +th' head 'a th' reg'ment?' he ses. 'They were,' +ses th' lieutenant. 'My sakes!' ses th' colonel. +He ses: 'Well, well, well,' he ses, 'those two +babies?' 'They were,' ses th' lieutenant. +'Well, well,' ses th' colonel, 'they deserve t' be +major generals,' he ses. 'They deserve t' be +major-generals.' + +The youth and his friend had said: "Huh!" +"Yer lyin', Thompson." "Oh, go t' blazes!" +"He never sed it." "Oh, what a lie!" "Huh!" +But despite these youthful scoffings and embar- +rassments, they knew that their faces were deeply +flushing from thrills of pleasure. They ex- +changed a secret glance of joy and congratula- +tion. + +They speedily forgot many things. The past +held no pictures of error and disappointment. +They were very happy, and their hearts swelled +with grateful affection for the colonel and the +youthful lieutenant. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + + +WHEN the woods again began to pour forth +the dark-hued masses of the enemy the youth felt +serene self-confidence. He smiled briefly when +he saw men dodge and duck at the long screech- +ings of shells that were thrown in giant handfuls +over them. He stood, erect and tranquil, watch- +ing the attack begin against a part of the line +that made a blue curve along the side of an adja- +cent hill. His vision being unmolested by smoke +from the rifles of his companions, he had oppor- +tunities to see parts of the hard fight. It was a +relief to perceive at last from whence came some +of these noises which had been roared into his +ears. + +Off a short way he saw two regiments fight- +ing a little separate battle with two other regi- +ments. It was in a cleared space, wearing a set- +apart look. They were blazing as if upon a +wager, giving and taking tremendous blows. +The firings were incredibly fierce and rapid. + +209 +These intent regiments apparently were oblivious +of all larger purposes of war, and were slugging +each other as if at a matched game. + +In another direction he saw a magnificent +brigade going with the evident intention of driv- +ing the enemy from a wood. They passed in out +of sight and presently there was a most awe-in- +spiring racket in the wood. The noise was un- +speakable. Having stirred this prodigious up- +roar, and, apparently, finding it too prodigious, +the brigade, after a little time, came marching +airily out again with its fine formation in nowise +disturbed. There were no traces of speed in its +movements. The brigade was jaunty and seemed +to point a proud thumb at the yelling wood. + +On a slope to the left there was a long row of +guns, gruff and maddened, denouncing the +enemy, who, down through the woods, were +forming for another attack in the pitiless mo- +notony of conflicts. The round red discharges +from the guns made a crimson flare and a high, +thick smoke. Occasional glimpses could be +caught of groups of the toiling artillerymen. In +the rear of this row of guns stood a house, calm +and white, amid bursting shells. A congregation +of horses, tied to a long railing, were tugging +frenziedly at their bridles. Men were running +hither and thither. + +The detached battle between the four regi- +ments lasted for some time. There chanced to +be no interference, and they settled their dispute +by themselves. They struck savagely and pow- +erfully at each other for a period of minutes, and +then the lighter-hued regiments faltered and +drew back, leaving the dark-blue lines shouting. +The youth could see the two flags shaking with +laughter amid the smoke remnants. + +Presently there was a stillness, pregnant with +meaning. The blue lines shifted and changed a +trifle and stared expectantly at the silent woods +and fields before them. The hush was solemn +and churchlike, save for a distant battery that, +evidently unable to remain quiet, sent a faint +rolling thunder over the ground. It irritated, +like the noises of unimpressed boys. The men +imagined that it would prevent their perched +ears from hearing the first words of the new +battle. + +Of a sudden the guns on the slope roared out +a message of warning. A spluttering sound had +begun in the woods. It swelled with amazing +speed to a profound clamor that involved the +earth in noises. The splitting crashes swept +along the lines until an interminable roar was +developed. To those in the midst of it it became +a din fitted to the universe. It was the whirring +and thumping of gigantic machinery, complica- +tions among the smaller stars. The youth's ears +were filled up. They were incapable of hearing +more. + +On an incline over which a road wound he +saw wild and desperate rushes of men perpet- +ually backward and forward in riotous surges. +These parts of the opposing armies were two +long waves that pitched upon each other madly +at dictated points. To and fro they swelled. +Sometimes, one side by its yells and cheers would +proclaim decisive blows, but a moment later +the other side would be all yells and cheers. +Once the youth saw a spray of light forms go in +houndlike leaps toward the waving blue lines. +There was much howling, and presently it went +away with a vast mouthful of prisoners. Again, +he saw a blue wave dash with such thunderous +force against a gray obstruction that it seemed to +clear the earth of it and leave nothing but +trampled sod. And always in their swift and +deadly rushes to and fro the men screamed +and yelled like maniacs. + +Particular pieces of fence or secure positions +behind collections of trees were wrangled over, +as gold thrones or pearl bedsteads. There were +desperate lunges at these chosen spots seemingly +every instant, and most of them were bandied like +light toys between the contending forces. The +youth could not tell from the battle flags flying +like crimson foam in many directions which color +of cloth was winning. + +His emaciated regiment bustled forth with +undiminished fierceness when its time came. +When assaulted again by bullets, the men burst +out in a barbaric cry of rage and pain. They +bent their heads in aims of intent hatred +behind the projected hammers of their guns. +Their ramrods clanged loud with fury as their +eager arms pounded the cartridges into the rifle +barrels. The front of the regiment was a smoke- +wall penetrated by the flashing points of yellow +and red. + +Wallowing in the fight, they were in an +astonishingly short time resmudged. They +surpassed in stain and dirt all their previous ap- +pearances. Moving to and fro with strained +exertion, jabbering the while, they were, with +their swaying bodies, black faces, and glowing +eyes, like strange and ugly friends jigging heavily +in the smoke. + +The lieutenant, returning from a tour after a +bandage, produced from a hidden receptacle of +his mind new and portentous oaths suited to the +emergency. Strings of expletives he swung +lashlike over the backs of his men, and it was +evident that his previous efforts had in nowise +impaired his resources. + +The youth, still the bearer of the colors, did +not feel his idleness. He was deeply absorbed as +a spectator. The crash and swing of the great +drama made him lean forward, intent-eyed, his +face working in small contortions. Sometimes he +prattled, words coming unconsciously from him +in grotesque exclamations. He did not know +that he breathed; that the flag hung silently over +him, so absorbed was he. + +A formidable line of the enemy came within +dangerous range. They could be seen plainly-- +tall, gaunt men with excited faces running with +long strides toward a wandering fence. + +At sight of this danger the men suddenly +ceased their cursing monotone. There was an +instant of strained silence before they threw up +their rifles and fired a plumping volley at the +foes. There had been no order given; the men, +upon recognizing the menace, had immedi- +ately let drive their flock of bullets without wait- +ing for word of command. + +But the enemy were quick to gain the protec- +tion of the wandering line of fence. They slid down +behind it with remarkable celerity, and from this +position they began briskly to slice up the blue men. + +These latter braced their energies for a great +struggle. Often, white clinched teeth shone +from the dusky faces. Many heads surged to +and fro, floating upon a pale sea of smoke. +Those behind the fence frequently shouted and +yelped in taunts and gibelike cries, but the regi- +ment maintained a stressed silence. Perhaps, at +this new assault the men recalled the fact that +they had been named mud diggers, and it made +their situation thrice bitter. They were breath- +lessly intent upon keeping the ground and thrust- +ing away the rejoicing body of the enemy. They +fought swiftly and with a despairing savageness +denoted in their expressions. + +The youth had resolved not to budge what- +ever should happen. Some arrows of scorn that +had buried themselves in his heart had generated +strange and unspeakable hatred. It was clear +to him that his final and absolute revenge was to +be achieved by his dead body lying, torn and +gluttering, upon the field. This was to be a +poignant retaliation upon the officer who had +said "mule drivers," and later "mud diggers," +for in all the wild graspings of his mind for a +unit responsible for his sufferings and commo- +tions he always seized upon the man who had +dubbed him wrongly. And it was his idea, +vaguely formulated, that his corpse would be for +those eyes a great and salt reproach. + +The regiment bled extravagantly. Grunting +bundles of blue began to drop. The orderly +sergeant of the youth's company was shot through +the cheeks. Its supports being injured, his jaw +hung afar down, disclosing in the wide cavern of +his mouth a pulsing mass of blood and teeth. +And with it all he made attempts to cry out. +In his endeavor there was a dreadful earnestness, +as if he conceived that one great shriek would +make him well. + +The youth saw him presently go rearward. +His strength seemed in nowise impaired. He +ran swiftly, casting wild glances for succor. + +Others fell down about the feet of their com- +panions. Some of the wounded crawled out and +away, but many lay still, their bodies twisted into +impossible shapes. + +The youth looked once for his friend. He +saw a vehement young man, powder-smeared and +frowzled, whom he knew to be him. The lieu- +tenant, also, was unscathed in his position at the +rear. He had continued to curse, but it was now +with the air of a man who was using his last box +of oaths. + +For the fire of the regiment had begun to +wane and drip. The robust voice, that had come +strangely from the thin ranks, was growing +rapidly weak. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + + +THE colonel came running along back of the +line. There were other officers following him. +"We must charge'm!" they shouted. "We must +charge'm!" they cried with resentful voices, as +if anticipating a rebellion against this plan by the +men. + +The youth, upon hearing the shouts, began to +study the distance between him and the enemy. +He made vague calculations. He saw that to be +firm soldiers they must go forward. It would be +death to stay in the present place, and with all +the circumstances to go backward would exalt +too many others. Their hope was to push the +galling foes away from the fence. + +He expected that his companions, weary and +stiffened, would have to be driven to this assault, +but as he turned toward them he perceived with +a certain surprise that they were giving quick +and unqualified expressions of assent. There was +an ominous, clanging overture to the charge + +217 +when the shafts of the bayonets rattled upon the +rifle barrels. At the yelled words of command +the soldiers sprang forward in eager leaps. +There was new and unexpected force in the +movement of the regiment. A knowledge of its +faded and jaded condition made the charge ap- +pear like a paroxysm, a display of the strength +that comes before a final feebleness. The men +scampered in insane fever of haste, racing as if to +achieve a sudden success before an exhilarating +fluid should leave them. It was a blind and de- +spairing rush by the collection of men in dusty +and tattered blue, over a green sward and under +a sapphire sky, toward a fence, dimly outlined in +smoke, from behind which spluttered the fierce +rifles of enemies. + +The youth kept the bright colors to the front. +He was waving his free arm in furious circles, +the while shrieking mad calls and appeals, urging +on those that did not need to be urged, for it +seemed that the mob of blue men hurling them- +selves on the dangerous group of rifles were +again grown suddenly wild with an enthusiasm of +unselfishness. From the many firings starting +toward them, it looked as if they would merely +succeed in making a great sprinkling of corpses +on the grass between their former position and +the fence. But they were in a state of frenzy, +perhaps because of forgotten vanities, and it made +an exhibition of sublime recklessness. There was +no obvious questioning, nor figurings, nor dia- +grams. There was, apparently, no considered +loopholes. It appeared that the swift wings of +their desires would have shattered against the +iron gates of the impossible. + +He himself felt the daring spirit of a savage +religion mad. He was capable of profound sacri- +fices, a tremendous death. He had no time for +dissections, but he knew that he thought of the +bullets only as things that could prevent him +from reaching the place of his endeavor. There +were subtle flashings of joy within him that thus +should be his mind. + +He strained all his strength. His eyesight +was shaken and dazzled by the tension of thought +and muscle. He did not see anything excepting +the mist of smoke gashed by the little knives of +fire, but he knew that in it lay the aged fence of a +vanished farmer protecting the snuggled bodies +of the gray men. + +As he ran a thought of the shock of contact +gleamed in his mind. He expected a great con- +cussion when the two bodies of troops crashed +together. This became a part of his wild battle +madness. He could feel the onward swing of the +regiment about him and he conceived of a thun- +derous, crushing blow that would prostrate the +resistance and spread consternation and amaze- +ment for miles. The flying regiment was going +to have a catapultian effect. This dream made +him run faster among his comrades, who were +giving vent to hoarse and frantic cheers. + +But presently he could see that many of the +men in gray did not intend to abide the blow. +The smoke, rolling, disclosed men who ran, their +faces still turned. These grew to a crowd, who +retired stubbornly. Individuals wheeled fre- +quently to send a bullet at the blue wave. + +But at one part of the line there was a grim +and obdurate group that made no movement. +They were settled firmly down behind posts and +rails. A flag, ruffled and fierce, waved over them +and their rifles dinned fiercely. + +The blue whirl of men got very near, until +it seemed that in truth there would be a close +and frightful scuffle. There was an expressed +disdain in the opposition of the little group, +that changed the meaning of the cheers of the +men in blue. They became yells of wrath, +directed, personal. The cries of the two parties +were now in sound an interchange of scathing +insults. + +They in blue showed their teeth; their eyes +shone all white. They launched themselves as at +the throats of those who stood resisting. The +space between dwindled to an insignificant dis- +tance. + +The youth had centered the gaze of his soul +upon that other flag. Its possession would be +high pride. It would express bloody minglings, +near blows. He had a gigantic hatred for those +who made great difficulties and complications. +They caused it to be as a craved treasure of my- +thology, hung amid tasks and contrivances of +danger. + +He plunged like a mad horse at it. He was +resolved it should not escape if wild blows and +darings of blows could seize it. His own em- +blem, quivering and aflare, was winging toward +the other. It seemed there would shortly be +an encounter of strange beaks and claws, as of +eagles. + +The swirling body of blue men came to a +sudden halt at close and disastrous range and +roared a swift volley. The group in gray was +split and broken by this fire, but its riddled body +still fought. The men in blue yelled again and +rushed in upon it. + +The youth, in his leapings, saw, as through a +mist, a picture of four or five men stretched upon +the ground or writhing upon their knees with +bowed heads as if they had been stricken by bolts +from the sky. Tottering among them was the +rival color bearer, whom the youth saw had been +bitten vitally by the bullets of the last formidable +volley. He perceived this man fighting a last +struggle, the struggle of one whose legs are +grasped by demons. It was a ghastly battle. +Over his face was the bleach of death, but set +upon it was the dark and hard lines of desperate +purpose. With this terrible grin of resolution he +hugged his precious flag to him and was stum- +bling and staggering in his design to go the way +that led to safety for it. + +But his wounds always made it seem that his +feet were retarded, held, and he fought a grim +fight, as with invisible ghouls fastened greedily +upon his limbs. Those in advance of the scam- +pering blue men, howling cheers, leaped at the +fence. The despair of the lost was in his eyes as +he glanced back at them. + +The youth's friend went over the obstruction +in a tumbling heap and sprang at the flag as a +panther at prey. He pulled at it and, wrench- +ing it free, swung up its red brilliancy with a +mad cry of exultation even as the color bearer, +gasping, lurched over in a final throe and, stiff- +ening convulsively, turned his dead face to the +ground. There was much blood upon the grass +blades. + +At the place of success there began more wild +clamorings of cheers. The men gesticulated and +bellowed in an ecstasy. When they spoke it was +as if they considered their listener to be a mile +away. What hats and caps were left to them +they often slung high in the air. + +At one part of the line four men had been +swooped upon, and they now sat as prisoners. +Some blue men were about them in an eager and +curious circle. The soldiers had trapped strange +birds, and there was an examination. A flurry of +fast questions was in the air. + +One of the prisoners was nursing a superficial +wound in the foot. He cuddled it, baby-wise, +but he looked up from it often to curse with an +astonishing utter abandon straight at the noses of +his captors. He consigned them to red regions; +he called upon the pestilential wrath of strange +gods. And with it all he was singularly free +from recognition of the finer points of the con- +duct of prisoners of war. It was as if a clumsy +clod had trod upon his toe and he conceived it to +be his privilege, his duty, to use deep, resentful +oaths. + +Another, who was a boy in years, took his +plight with great calmness and apparent good +nature. He conversed with the men in blue, +studying their faces with his bright and keen +eyes. They spoke of battles and conditions. +There was an acute interest in all their faces dur- +ing this exchange of view points. It seemed a +great satisfaction to hear voices from where all +had been darkness and speculation. + +The third captive sat with a morose counte- +nance. He preserved a stoical and cold attitude. +To all advances he made one reply without varia- +tion, "Ah, go t' hell!" + +The last of the four was always silent and, +for the most part, kept his face turned in un- +molested directions. From the views the youth +received he seemed to be in a state of absolute +dejection. Shame was upon him, and with it +profound regret that he was, perhaps, no more +to be counted in the ranks of his fellows. The +youth could detect no expression that would +allow him to believe that the other was giving +a thought to his narrowed future, the pictured +dungeons, perhaps, and starvations and brutali- +ties, liable to the imagination. All to be seen +was shame for captivity and regret for the right +to antagonize. + +After the men had celebrated sufficiently they +settled down behind the old rail fence, on the +opposite side to the one from which their foes +had been driven. A few shot perfunctorily at +distant marks. + +There was some long grass. The youth +nestled in it and rested, making a convenient rail +support the flag. His friend, jubilant and glori- +fied, holding his treasure with vanity, came to +him there. They sat side by side and congratu- +lated each other. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + + +THE roarings that had stretched in a long line +of sound across the face of the forest began to +grow intermittent and weaker. The stentorian +speeches of the artillery continued in some dis- +tant encounter, but the crashes of the musketry +had almost ceased. The youth and his friend of +a sudden looked up, feeling a deadened form of +distress at the waning of these noises, which had +become a part of life. They could see changes +going on among the troops. There were march- +ings this way and that way. A battery wheeled +leisurely. On the crest of a small hill was the +thick gleam of many departing muskets. + +The youth arose. "Well, what now, I won- +der?" he said. By his tone he seemed to be +preparing to resent some new monstrosity in +the way of dins and smashes. He shaded his +eyes with his grimy hand and gazed over the +field. + +His friend also arose and stared. "I bet + +226 +we're goin' t' git along out of this an' back over +th' river," said he. + +"Well, I swan!" said the youth. + +They waited, watching. Within a little while +the regiment received orders to retrace its way. +The men got up grunting from the grass, regret- +ting the soft repose. They jerked their stiffened +legs, and stretched their arms over their heads. +One man swore as he rubbed his eyes. They all +groaned "O Lord!" They had as many objec- +tions to this change as they would have had to a +proposal for a new battle. + +They trampled slowly back over the field +across which they had run in a mad scamper. + +The regiment marched until it had joined its +fellows. The reformed brigade, in column, aimed +through a wood at the road. Directly they were +in a mass of dust-covered troops, and were +trudging along in a way parallel to the enemy's +lines as these had been defined by the previous +turmoil. + +They passed within view of a stolid white +house, and saw in front of it groups of their com- +rades lying in wait behind a neat breastwork. A +row of guns were booming at a distant enemy. +Shells thrown in reply were raising clouds of +dust and splinters. Horsemen dashed along the +line of intrenchments. + +At this point of its march the division curved +away from the field and went winding off in the +direction of the river. When the significance of +this movement had impressed itself upon the +youth he turned his head and looked over his +shoulder toward the trampled and debris-strewed +ground. He breathed a breath of new satisfac- +tion. He finally nudged his friend. "Well, it's +all over," he said to him. + +His friend gazed backward. "B'Gawd, it +is," he assented. They mused. + +For a time the youth was obliged to reflect +in a puzzled and uncertain way. His mind was +undergoing a subtle change. It took moments +for it to cast off its battleful ways and resume +its accustomed course of thought. Gradually his +brain emerged from the clogged clouds, and at +last he was enabled to more closely compre- +hend himself and circumstance. + +He understood then that the existence of shot +and counter-shot was in the past. He had dwelt +in a land of strange, squalling upheavals and had +come forth. He had been where there was red +of blood and black of passion, and he was es- +caped. His first thoughts were given to rejoic- +ings at this fact. + +Later he began to study his deeds, his fail- +ures, and his achievements. Thus, fresh from +scenes where many of his usual machines of re- +flection had been idle, from where he had pro- +ceeded sheeplike, he struggled to marshal all his +acts. + +At last they marched before him clearly. +From this present view point he was enabled +to look upon them in spectator fashion and +to criticise them with some correctness, for his +new condition had already defeated certain sym- +pathies. + +Regarding his procession of memory he felt +gleeful and unregretting, for in it his public deeds +were paraded in great and shining prominence. +Those performances which had been witnessed +by his fellows marched now in wide purple and +gold, having various deflections. They went +gayly with music. It was pleasure to watch these +things. He spent delightful minutes viewing the +gilded images of memory. + +He saw that he was good. He recalled with +a thrill of joy the respectful comments of his fel- +lows upon his conduct. + +Nevertheless, the ghost of his flight from +the first engagement appeared to him and +danced. There were small shoutings in his +brain about these matters. For a moment he +blushed, and the light of his soul flickered with +shame. + +A specter of reproach came to him. There +loomed the dogging memory of the tattered +soldier--he who, gored by bullets and faint for +blood, had fretted concerning an imagined wound +in another; he who had loaned his last of strength +and intellect for the tall soldier; he who, blind +with weariness and pain, had been deserted in +the field. + +For an instant a wretched chill of sweat was +upon him at the thought that he might be +detected in the thing. As he stood persistently +before his vision, he gave vent to a cry of sharp +irritation and agony. + +His friend turned. "What's the matter, +Henry?" he demanded. The youth's reply was +an outburst of crimson oaths. + +As he marched along the little branch-hung +roadway among his prattling companions this +vision of cruelty brooded over him. It clung +near him always and darkened his view of these +deeds in purple and gold. Whichever way his +thoughts turned they were followed by the +somber phantom of the desertion in the fields. +He looked stealthily at his companions, feeling +sure that they must discern in his face evidences +of this pursuit. But they were plodding in +ragged array, discussing with quick tongues the +accomplishments of the late battle. + +"Oh, if a man should come up an' ask me, I'd +say we got a dum good lickin'." + +"Lickin'--in yer eye! We ain't licked, sonny. +We're goin' down here aways, swing aroun', an' +come in behint 'em." + +"Oh, hush, with your comin' in behint 'em. +I've seen all 'a that I wanta. Don't tell me about +comin' in behint--" + +"Bill Smithers, he ses he'd rather been in +ten hundred battles than been in that heluva +hospital. He ses they got shootin' in th' night- +time, an' shells dropped plum among 'em in th' +hospital. He ses sech hollerin' he never see." + +"Hasbrouck? He's th' best off'cer in this +here reg'ment. He's a whale." + +"Didn't I tell yeh we'd come aroun' in behint +'em? Didn't I tell yeh so? We--" + +"Oh, shet yeh mouth!" + +For a time this pursuing recollection of the +tattered man took all elation from the youth's +veins. He saw his vivid error, and he was afraid +that it would stand before him all his life. He +took no share in the chatter of his comrades, nor +did he look at them or know them, save when he +felt sudden suspicion that they were seeing his +thoughts and scrutinizing each detail of the scene +with the tattered soldier. + +Yet gradually he mustered force to put the sin +at a distance. And at last his eyes seemed to +open to some new ways. He found that he could +look back upon the brass and bombast of his +earlier gospels and see them truly. He was +gleeful when he discovered that he now despised +them. + +With this conviction came a store of assur- +ance. He felt a quiet manhood, nonassertive but +of sturdy and strong blood. He knew that he +would no more quail before his guides wher- +ever they should point. He had been to touch +the great death, and found that, after all, it was +but the great death. He was a man. + +So it came to pass that as he trudged from +the place of blood and wrath his soul changed. +He came from hot plowshares to prospects of +clover tranquilly, and it was as if hot plowshares +were not. Scars faded as flowers. + +It rained. The procession of weary soldiers +became a bedraggled train, despondent and +muttering, marching with churning effort in a +trough of liquid brown mud under a low, +wretched sky. Yet the youth smiled, for he saw +that the world was a world for him, though many +discovered it to be made of oaths and walking +sticks. He had rid himself of the red sickness of +battle. The sultry nightmare was in the past. +He had been an animal blistered and sweating in +the heat and pain of war. He turned now with a +lover's thirst to images of tranquil skies, fresh +meadows, cool brooks--an existence of soft and +eternal peace. + +Over the river a golden ray of sun came +through the hosts of leaden rain clouds. + + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Red Badge of Courage + diff --git a/old/badge10a.zip b/old/badge10a.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7694aed --- /dev/null +++ b/old/badge10a.zip |