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Th Red Baj of Curaj
Crane, Steven, 1871-1900
Electronic Text Centr, University of Virjinia Libry 

Al on-line databases 


About th electronic version 
Th Red Baj of Curaj 
Crane, Steven, 1871-1900 

Creation of machine-readbl version: Judy Boss 

Creation of dijitl imajs: Karlyn Crowley 

Conversion to TEI.2-conformant markup: University of Virjinia Libry Electronic 
Text Centr. 

This version availbl from th University of Virjinia Libry. 
Charlottesville, Va.

http://etext.lib.virjinia.edu/modeng/modeng0.browse.html 
1996 
Note: Th Charls E. Merrill blak and wite reproduction of th originial 1895 
titlepage has been included

 About th print version 
Th Red Baj of Curaj 
Th Red Baj of Curaj: An Episode of th Americn Civl War 
Steven Crane Editr Mathew J. Bruccoli and Josef Katz 
   facimile of th first impression, 1st Edition

Charls E. Merrill 
Columbus, Ohio
1969 
   Charls E. Merrill Standrd Editions

Note: This text of Th Red Baj of Curaj is a facsimle of th first 
impression, first edition, publishd by D. Appleton & Compny, 1895. From a copy 
in th colection of Josef Katz. [Introduction, pp. v-xiii, Omitd]. Retains 
th inconsistnt renderings of contractions as joind or seprate, e.g., "we 
'll" or "we'l." I hav made th foloing chanjes to th text: PAJE PARA. LINE 
ORIJNL CHANJED 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 cud a' cud 'a 139 2 4 not 
began not begun 193 2 16 ilusions to alusions to 
   Prepared for th University of Virjinia Libry Electronic Text Centr.
   Spel-chek and verification made against printd text using Wordperfect 
spel checker.

Publishd: 1895


English

 Revisions to th electronic version 
June, 1996 corrector Karlyn Crowley 
proofd, add header and TEI/SGML encoding, ran spellcheck.


etext@virjinia.edu. Comercial use prohibitd; al usaj govrnd by our 
Conditions of Use: http://etext.lib.virjinia.edu/conditions.html
Final chekng: David Seman

 


Th Red Baj of Curaj 
An Episode of th Americn Civl War 

A Charls E. Merrill Standrd Edition 
Steven Crane 
Introduction by Josef Katz University of South Carolina 
CHARLS E. MERRILL PUBLISHNG COMPNY COLUMBUS, OHIO 
A Bel & Howell Compny 
   



Facsimle of 1895 Titlepage of Th Red Baj of Curaj







TH RED BAJ OF CURAJ. 
Chaptr 1
CHAPTR I.


Paje 1


    TH cold pasd reluctntly from th erth, and th retiring fogs reveald 
an army strechd out on th hils, restng. As th landscape chanjed from brown 
to green, th army awakend, and began to trembl with eagrness at th noise of 
rumors. It cast its ys upon th roads, wich wer groing from long trofs of 
liquid mud to propr thorofares. A rivr, ambr   tintd in th shado of its 
banks, purled at th army's feet; and at nyt, wen th stream had becom of a 
soroful blakness, one cud se across it th red, eyelike gleam of hostl 
campfires set in th lo brows of distnt hils. 
    Once a certn tal soldir developd virtus and went reslutely to wash a 
shirt. He came flyng bak from a brook waving his garmnt bannerlike. He was 
sweld with a tale he had herd from a relyabl frend, ho had herd it 


Paje 2

from a truthful cavalryman, ho had herd it from his trustworthy brothr, one 
of th ordrlis at division hedquartrs. He adoptd th importnt air of a 
herald in red and gold. 
    "We'r goin' t' move t' morrah -- sure," he said pompusly to a group in th 
compny street. "We'r goin' 'way up th rivr, cut across, an' com around in 
behint 'em." 
    To his atentiv audience he drew a loud and elabrat plan of a very 
briliant campain. Wen he had finishd, th blu clothed men scatrd into 
smal arguing groups between th ros of squat brown huts. A negro teamster ho 
had been dancing upon a crakr box with th hilarius encurajmnt of twoscore 
soldirs was desertd. He sat mornfuly down. Smoke driftd lazily from a 
multitude of quaint chimnis. 
    "It's a lie! that's al it is -- a thunderin' lie!" said anothr privat 
loudly. His smooth face was flushd, and his hands wer thrust sulkily into his 
trousers' pokets. He took th matr as an afront to him. "I dont beleve th 
derned old army's evr going to move. We'r set. I'v got redy to move eit 
times in th last two weeks, and we aint moved yet." 
   Th tal soldir felt cald upon to defend th truth of a rumor he himself 
had introduced. 


Paje 3

He and th loud one came near to fytng over it. 
    A corprl began to swer befor th asemblaj. He had just put a costly 
bord flor in his house, he said. During th erly spring he had refraind from 
adng extensivly to th comfrt of his environmnt because he had felt that 
th army myt start on th march at any moment. Of late, howevr, he had been 
impresd that they wer in a sort of eternl camp. 
    Many of th men engajed in a spiritd debate. One outlined in a peculirly 
lucid manr al th plans of th comandng jenrl. He was oposed by men ho 
advocated that ther wer othr plans of campain. They clamored at each othr, 
numbrs making futil bids for th populr atention. Meanwile, th soldir ho 
had fechd th rumor busld about with much importnce. He was continuly 
asaild by questions. 
   "Wat's up, Jim?" 
   "Th' army's goin' t' move." 
   "Ah, wat yeh talkn about? How yeh no it is?" 
   "Wel, yeh kin b'lieve me er not, jest as yeh like. I dont care a hang." 
   Ther was much food for thot in th manr in wich he replyd. He came 
near to convincing 


Paje 4

them by disdaining to produce proofs. They grew exited over it. 
   Ther was a yuthful privat ho lisnd with eagr ears to th words of th 
tal soldir and to th varid coments of his comrads. Aftr receving a fil 
of discussions concernng marchs and ataks, he went to his hut and crawld 
thru an intricat hole that servd it as a dor. He wishd to be alone with 
som new thots that had lately com to him. 
   He lay down on a wide bank that strechd across th end of th room. In th 
othr end, crakr boxs wer made to serv as furnitur. They wer groupd 
about th fireplace. A pictur from an ilustrated weekly was upon th log 
walls, and thre rifles wer paraleld on pegs. Equipmnts hunt on handy 
projections, and som tin dishs lay upon a smal pile of firewood. A foldd 
tent was servng as a roof. Th sunlyt, without, beatng upon it, made it glo 
a lyt yelo shade. A smal windo shot an obliqe square of witer lyt upon 
th clutrd flor. Th smoke from th fire at times neglectd th clay chimny 
and rethed into th room, and this flimsy chimny of clay and stiks made 
endless threts to set ablaze th hole establishmnt. 
   Th yuth was in a litl trance of astonishmnt. So they wer at last going 
to fyt. On 


Paje 5

th moro, perhaps, ther wud be a batl, and he wud be in it. For a time 
he was oblijed to labor to make himself beleve. He cud not accept with 
asurance an omen that he was about to mingl in one of those gret afairs of 
th erth. 
   He had, of corse, dreamd of batls al his life -- of vage and blody 
conflicts that had thrild him with ther sweep and fire. In visions he had 
seen himself in many strugls. He had imajnd peples secure in th shado of 
his eagl yd prowess. But awake he had regardd batls as crimsn blochs on 
th pajes of th past. He had put them as things of th bygon with his thot 
imajs of hevy crowns and hy casls. Ther was a portion of th world's 
histry wich he had regardd as th time of wars, but it, he thot, had been 
long gon over th horizon and had disapeard forevr. 
   From his home his yuthful ys had lookd upon th war in his own cuntry 
with distrust. It must be som sort of a play afair. He had long despaird of 
witnesng a Greeklike strugl. Such wud be no mor, he had said. Men wer 
betr, or mor timid. Seculr and relijus education had effaced th throat 
graplng instinct, or else firm finance held in chek th passions. 
   He had burnd sevrl times to enlist. Tales 


Paje 6

of gret movemnts shook th land. They myt not be distinctly Homeric, but 
ther seemd to be much glory in them. He had red of marchs, sejes, 
conflicts, and he had longd to se it al. His busy mind had drawn for him 
larj picturs extravagnt in color, lurid with brethless deeds. 
   But his mothr had discurajd him. She had afectd to look with som 
contemt upon th quality of his war ardr and patriotism. She cud calmly seat 
herself and with no aparent dificlty giv him many hundreds of reasns wy he 
was of vastly mor importnce on th farm than on th field of batl. She had 
had certn ways of expression that told him that her statemnts on th subject 
came from a deep conviction. Morover, on her side, was his belief that her 
ethicl motiv in th argumnt was impregnbl. 
   At last, howevr, he had made firm rebelion against this yelo lyt thrown 
upon th color of his ambitions. Th newspapers, th gosip of th vilaj, his 
own picturings had arousd him to an uncheckable degree. They wer in truth 
fytng finely down ther. Almost evry day th newspapers printd acounts of 
a decisiv victry. 
   One nyt, as he lay in bed, th winds had carrid to him th clangoring of 
th church bel 


Paje 7

as som enthusiast jerkd th rope franticly to tel th twistd news of a 
gret batl. This voice of th peple rejoicing in th nyt had made him 
shivr in a prolongd ecstasy of exitemnt. Later, he had gon down to his 
mother's room and had spoken thus: "Ma, I'm going to enlist." 
   "Henry, dont u be a fool," his mothr had replyd. She had then covrd 
her face with th quilt. Ther was an end to th matr for that nyt. 
   Nevrthless, th next mornng he had gon to a town that was near his 
mother's farm and had enlistd in a compny that was formng ther. Wen he had 
returnd home his mothr was milkng th brindle cow. Four othrs stood waitng. 
"Ma, I'v enlistd," he had said to her difidntly. Ther was a short silence. 
"Th Lord's wil be don, Henry," she had finaly replyd, and had then 
continud to milk th brindle cow. 
   Wen he had stood in th dorway with his soldier's clothes on his bak, and 
with th lyt of exitemnt and expectncy in his ys almost defeatng th 
glo of regret for th home bonds, he had seen two tears leving ther trails on 
his mother's scard cheeks. 
   Stil, she had disapointd him by sayng 


Paje 8

nothing watevr about returng with his shield or on it. He had privatly 
primed himself for a butiful sene. He had prepared certn sentnces wich he 
thot cud be used with tuchng efect. But her words destroyd his plans. 
She had dogedly peeld potatos and adresd him as folos: "U wach out, 
Henry, an' take good care of yerself in this here fytng busness -- u wach 
out, an' take good care of yerself. Dont go a thinkin' u can lik th hul 
rebel army at th start, because yeh cant. Yer jest one litl felr amongst a 
hul lot of othrs, and yeh've got to keep quiet an' do wat they tel yeh. I 
no how u ar, Henry. 
   "I'v knet yeh eit pair of soks, Henry, and I'v put in al yer best 
shirts, because I want my boy to be jest as warm and comf'able as anybody in th 
army. Wenevr they get holes in 'em, I want yeh to send 'em ryt away bak to 
me, so's I kin dern 'em. 
   "An' allus be careful an' choose yer comp'ny. Ther's lots of bad men in th 
army, Henry. Th army makes 'em wild, and they like nothing betr than th job 
of leadng off a yung felr like u, as aint nevr been away from home much 
and has allus had a mothr, an' a lernng 'em to drink and swer. Keep clear of 
them folks, Henry. I dont want yeh to evr do anything, 


Paje 9

Henry, that yes wud be 'shamed to let me no about. Jest think as if I was a 
watchin' yes. If yes keep that in yer mind allus, I gess yeh'll com out about 
ryt. 
   "Yes must allus remembr yer fathr, too, child, an' remembr he nevr drunk 
a drop of licker in his life, and seldm swor a cross oath. 
   "I dont no wat else to tel yes, Henry, exeptng that yes must nevr do 
no shirking, child, on my acount. If so be a time coms wen yes hav to be 
kilt or do a mean thing, wy, Henry, dont think of anything 'cept wat's ryt, 
because ther's many a womn has to ber up 'ginst sech things these times, and 
th Lord 'll take keer of us al. 
   "Dont forgit about th soks and th shirts, child; and I'v put a cup of 
blakberry jam with yer bundl, because I no yes like it abov al things. 
Good by, Henry. Wach out, and be a good boy." 
   He had, of corse, been impatient undr th ordeal of this speech. It had not 
been quite wat he expectd, and he had born it with an air of iritation. He 
departd feelng vage relief. 
   Stil, wen he had lookd bak from th gate, he had seen his mothr neelng 
among th potato parings. Her brown face, uprased, was staind with tears, and 
her spare form was quivrng. 


Paje 10

He bowd his hed and went on, feelng sudnly ashamed of his purposes. 
   From his home he had gon to th semnry to bid adiu to many scoolmates. 
They had throngd about him with wondr and admration. He had felt th gulf now 
between them and had sweld with calm pride. He and som of his felos ho had 
dond blu wer quite overwelmd with privlejs for al of one aftrnoon, and 
it had been a very delicius thing. They had strutd. 
   A certn lyt haird girl had made vivacius fun at his martial spirit, but 
ther was anothr and darkr girl hom he had gazed at stedfastly, and he 
thot she grew demure and sad at syt of his blu and brass. As he had walkd 
down th path between th ros of oaks, he had turnd his hed and detectd her 
at a windo wachng his departur. As he perceved her, she had imediatly 
begun to stare up thru th hy tre branchs at th sky. He had seen a good 
deal of flurry and haste in her movemnt as she chanjed her atitude. He ofn 
thot of it. 
   On th way to Washngtn his spirit had sord. Th rejmnt was fed and 
caresd at station aftr station until th yuth had beleved that he must be a 
hero. Ther was a lavish expenditur of bred and cold meats, cofee, and 


Paje 11

pikls and chese. As he baskd in th smiles of th girls and was patd and 
complimntd by th old men, he had felt groing within him th strength to do 
myty deeds of arms. 
   Aftr complicated journeyings with many pauses, ther had com months of 
monotnus life in a camp. He had had th belief that real war was a series of 
deth strugls with smal time in between for sleep and meals; but since his 
rejmnt had com to th field th army had don litl but sit stil and try to 
keep warm. 
   He was brot then graduly bak to his old ideas. Greeklike strugls 
wud be no mor. Men wer betr, or mor timid. Seculr and relijus 
education had effaced th throat graplng instinct, or else firm finance held 
in chek th passions. 
   He had grown to regard himself merely as a part of a vast blu demnstration. 
His provnce was to look out, as far as he cud, for his persnl comfrt. For 
recreation he cud twidl his thums and speculate on th thots wich must 
ajitate th minds of th jenrls. Also, he was drild and drild and 
revewd, and drild and drild and revewd. 
   Th only fos he had seen wer som pikets along th rivr bank. They wer a 
sun tand, filosoficl lot, ho somtimes shot reflectivly 


Paje 12

at th blu pikets. Wen reproachd for this aftrwrd, they usuly expresd 
soro, and swor by ther gods that th guns had exploded without ther 
permission. Th yuth, on gard duty one nyt, conversd across th stream with 
one of them. He was a slytly raged man, ho spat skilfuly between his shoes 
and posesd a gret fund of bland and infntl asurance. Th yuth liked him 
persnly. 
   "Yank," th othr had informd him, "yer a ryt dum good felr." This 
sentmnt, floatng to him upon th stil air, had made him temprily regret 
war. 
   Varius vetrans had told him tales. Som talkd of gray, bewhiskered hords 
ho wer advancing with relentless curses and chewng tobaco with unspeakbl 
valor; tremendus bodis of fierce soldiery ho wer sweepng along like th 
Huns. Othrs spoke of tatrd and eternly hungry men ho fired despondnt 
powdrs. "They'l charj thru hell's fire an' brimstone t' git a holt on a 
havrsak, an' sech stomacs aint a lastin' long," he was told. From th 
storis, th yuth imajnd th red, liv bones stikng out thru slits in 
th faded uniforms. 
   Stil, he cud not put a hole faith in veterans' tales, for recruits wer 
ther prey. They talkd much of smoke, fire, and blod, but he 


Paje 13

cud not tel how much myt be lies. They persistntly yeld "Fresh fish!" at 
him, and wer in no wise to be trustd. 
   Howevr, he perceved now that it did not gretly matr wat kind of 
soldirs he was going to fyt, so long as they fot, wich fact no one 
disputed. Ther was a mor serius problm. He lay in his bunk pondrng upon 
it. He tryd to mathmaticly prove to himself that he wud not run from a 
batl. 
   Previusly he had nevr felt oblijed to resl too seriusly with this 
question. In his life he had taken certn things for grantd, nevr chalenjng 
his belief in ultmat success, and bothrng litl about means and roads. But 
here he was confrontd with a thing of moment. It had sudnly apeard to him 
that perhaps in a batl he myt run. He was forced to admit that as far as war 
was concernd he new nothing of himself. 
   A suficient time befor he wud hav alowd th problm to kik its heels 
at th outr portls of his mind, but now he felt compeld to giv serius 
atention to it. 
   A litl panic fear grew in his mind. As his imajnation went forwrd to a 
fyt, he saw hideus posbilitis. He contmplated th lurkng menaces of th 
futur, and faild in an efrt to se himself standng stoutly in th midst of 
them. 


Paje 14

He recald his visions of broken bladed glory, but in th shado of th 
impendng tumult he suspectd them to be imposbl picturs. 
   He sprang from th bunk and began to pace nervusly to and fro. "Good Lord, 
wat's th' matr with me?" he said aloud. 
   He felt that in this crisis his laws of life wer useless. Watevr he had 
lernd of himself was here of no avail. He was an unown quantity. He saw that 
he wud again be oblijed to experimnt as he had in erly yuth. He must 
acumulate infrmation of himself, and meanwile he resolvd to remain close 
upon his gard lest those qualitis of wich he new nothing shud 
everlastingly disgrace him. "Good Lord!" he repeatd in dismay. 
   Aftr a time th tal soldir slid dexterously thru th hole. Th loud 
privat folod. They wer ranglng. 
   "That's al ryt," said th tal soldir as he entrd. He waved his hand 
expressivly. "U can beleve me or not, jest as u like. Al u got to do is 
to sit down and wait as quiet as u can. Then pretty soon u'l find out I was 
ryt." 
   His comrad gruntd stubrnly. For a moment he seemd to be serchng for a 
formidbl reply. Finaly he said: "Wel, u dont no everything in th 
world, do u?" 


Paje 15


   "Didnt say I new everything in th world," retortd th othr sharply. He 
began to sto varius articls snugly into his napsak. 
   Th yuth, pausng in his nervus walk, lookd down at th busy figr. 
"Going to be a batl, sure, is ther, Jim?" he askd. 
   "Of corse ther is," replyd th tal soldir. "Of corse ther is. U jest 
wait 'til to moro, and u'l se one of th bigst batls evr was. U 
jest wait." 
   "Thundr!der!" said th yuth. 
   "O, u'l se fytng this time, my boy, wat'l be regulr out and out 
fytng," add th tal soldir, with th air of a man ho is about to exibit 
a batl for th benefit of his frends. 
   "Huh!" said th loud one from a cornr. 
   "Wel," remarkd th yuth, "like as not this story'll turn out jest like 
them othrs did." 
   "Not much it wont," replyd th tal soldir, exasprated. "Not much it 
wont. Didnt th cavlry al start this mornng?" He glared about him. No one 
denyd his statemnt. "Th cavlry startd this mornng," he continud. "They 
say ther aint hardly any cavlry left in camp. They'r going to Richmnd, or 
som place, wile we fyt al th Johnnies. It's som doj like that. Th 
regiment's got ordrs, too. A felr 


Paje 16

wat seen 'em go to hedquartrs told me a litl wile ago. And they'r rasing 
blazes al over camp -- anybody can se that." 
   "Shuks!" said th loud one. 
   Th yuth remaind silent for a time. At last he spoke to th tal soldir. 
"Jim!" 
   "Wat?" 
   "How do u think th reg'ment 'll do?" 
   "O, they'l fyt al ryt, I gess, aftr they once get into it," said th 
othr with cold jujmnt. He made a fine use of th third persn. "Ther's been 
heaps of fun poked at 'em because they'r new, of corse, and al that; but 
they'l fyt al ryt, I gess." 
   "Think any of th boys 'll run?" persistd th yuth. 
   "O, ther may be a few of 'em run, but ther's them kind in evry rejmnt, 
'specially wen they first gos undr fire," said th othr in a tolerant way. 
"Of corse it myt hapn that th hul kit and boodle myt start and run, if 
som big fytng came first off, and then again they myt stay and fyt like 
fun. But u cant bet on nothing. Of corse they aint nevr been undr fire 
yet, and it aint likely they'l lik th hul rebel army al to oncet th first 
time; but I think they'l fyt betr than som, if worse than othrs. That's 
th way I figger. They cal th 


Paje 17

reg'ment 'fresh fish' and everything; but th boys com of good stok, and most 
of 'em 'll fyt like sin aftr they oncet git shootin'," he add, with a 
myty emfasis on th last four words. 
   "O, u think u no -- " began th loud soldir with scorn. 
   Th othr turnd savajly upon him. They had a rapid altrcation, in wich 
they fasnd upon each othr varius stranje epithets. 
   Th yuth at last intruptd them. "Did u evr think u myt run 
yrself, Jim?" he askd. On concluding th sentnce he lafd as if he had 
ment to aim a joke. Th loud soldir also gigld. 
   Th tal privat waved his hand. "Wel," said he profoundly, "I'v thot it 
myt get too hot for Jim Conklin in som of them scrimmages, and if a hole lot 
of boys startd and run, wy, I spose I'd start and run. And if I once startd 
to run, I'd run like th devl, and no mistake. But if evrybody was a standng 
and a fytng, wy, I'd stand and fyt. Be jiminey, I wud. I'l bet on it." 
   "Huh!" said th loud one. 
   Th yuth of this tale felt gratitude for these words of his comrad. He had 
feard that al of th untryd men posesd a gret and corect confidnce. He 
now was in a mesur reasured. 


Paje 18


Chaptr 2
CHAPTR II.
   TH next mornng th yuth discovrd that his tal comrad had been th fast 
flyng mesnjr of a mistake. Ther was much scofng at th latr by those 
ho had yestrday been firm adherents of his vews, and ther was even a litl 
sneerng by men ho had nevr beleved th rumor. Th tal one fot with a man 
from Chatfield Cornrs and beat him severely. 
   Th yuth felt, howevr, that his problm was in no wise liftd from him. 
Ther was, on th contry, an iritating prolongation. Th tale had created in 
him a gret concern for himself. Now, with th newborn question in his mind, he 
was compeld to sink bak into his old place as part of a blu demnstration. 
   For days he made ceseless calculations, but they wer al wondrously 
unsatisfactry. He found that he cud establish nothing. He finaly concluded 
that th only way to prove himself was to go into th blaze, and then 
figrativly to 


Paje 19

wach his legs to discovr ther merits and falts. He reluctntly admitd that 
he cud not sit stil and with a mentl slate and pencil derive an ansr. To 
gain it, he must hav blaze, blod, and danjer, even as a chemist requires this, 
that, and th othr. So he fretd for an oprtunity. 
   Meanwile he continuly tryd to mesur himself by his comrads. Th tal 
soldir, for one, gave him som asurance. This man's serene unconcern delt him 
a mesur of confidnce, for he had nown him since childhood, and from his 
intmat nolej he did not se how he cud be capabl of anything that was 
beyond him, th yuth. Stil, he thot that his comrad myt be mistaken 
about himself. Or, on th othr hand, he myt be a man heretofor doomd to 
pece and obscurity, but, in reality, made to shine in war. 
   Th yuth wud hav liked to hav discovrd anothr ho suspectd himself. 
A sympathetic comparisn of mentl notes wud hav been a joy to him. 
   He ocasionly tryd to fathm a comrad with seductiv sentnces. He lookd 
about to find men in th propr mood. Al atemts faild to bring forth any 
statemnt wich lookd in any way like a confession to those douts wich he 
privatly aknolejd in himself. 


Paje 20

He was afraid to make an open declration of his concern, because he dredd to 
place som unscrupulus confidant upon th hy plane of th unconfessed from 
wich elevation he cud be derided. 
   In regard to his companions his mind waverd between two opinions, acordng 
to his mood. Somtimes he inclined to beleving them al heros. In fact, he 
usuly admitd in secret th superir developmnt of th hyr qualitis in 
othrs. He cud conceve of men going very insignificantly about th world 
berng a load of curaj unseen, and altho he had nown many of his comrads 
thru boyhood, he began to fear that his jujmnt of them had been blind. 
Then, in othr moments, he floutd these theoris, and asured himself that his 
felos wer al privatly wondrng and quaking. 
   His emotions made him feel stranje in th presnce of men ho talkd 
exitedly of a prospectiv batl as of a drama they wer about to witness, with 
nothing but eagrness and curiosity aparent in ther faces. It was ofn that 
he suspectd them to be liars. 
   He did not pass such thots without severe condmnation of himself. He 
dinned reproachs at times. He was convictd by himself of many shameful crimes 
against th gods of traditions. 


Paje 21


   In his gret anxiety his hart was continuly clamoring at wat he 
considrd th intolrbl sloness of th jenrls. They seemd content to 
perch tranquilly on th rivr bank, and leve him bowd down by th weit of a 
gret problm. He wantd it setld forthwith. He cud not long ber such a 
load, he said. Somtimes his angr at th comandrs reachd an acute staje, and 
he grumbld about th camp like a vetran. 
   One mornng, howevr, he found himself in th ranks of his prepared rejmnt. 
Th men wer wisprng speculations and recountng th old rumors. In th gloom 
befor th brek of th day ther uniforms gloed a deep purpl hu. From across 
th rivr th red ys wer stil peerng. In th eastrn sky ther was a yelo 
pach like a rug laid for th feet of th comng sun; and against it, blak and 
patrn like, loomd th jigantic figr of th colnl on a jigantic horse. 
   From off in th darkns came th tramplng of feet. Th yuth cud 
ocasionly se dark shados that moved like monstrs. Th rejmnt stood at 
rest for wat seemd a long time. Th yuth grew impatient. It was unendurebl 
th way these afairs wer manajd. He wondrd how long they wer to be kept 
waitng. 


Paje 22


   As he lookd al about him and pondrd upon th mystic gloom, he began to 
beleve that at any moment th omnus distnce myt be aflare, and th rolng 
crashs of an engajemnt com to his ears. Staring once at th red ys across 
th rivr, he conceved them to be groing larjr, as th orbs of a ro of 
dragns advancing. He turnd toward th colnl and saw him lift his jigantic 
arm and calmly stroke his mustach. 
   At last he herd from along th road at th foot of th hil th clatr of a 
horse's galopng hoovs. It must be th comng of ordrs. He bent forwrd, 
scarce brething. Th exiting clickety clik, as it grew loudr and loudr, 
seemd to be beatng upon his sol. Presntly a horsman with janglng equipmnt 
drew rein befor th colnl of th rejmnt. Th two held a short, sharp-wordd 
convrsation. Th men in th formost ranks craned ther neks. 
   As th horsman weeld his anml and galopd away he turnd to shout over 
his sholdr, "Dont forget that box of cigars!" Th colnl mumbld in reply. 
Th yuth wondrd wat a box of cigars had to do with war. 
   A moment later th rejmnt went swingng off into th darkns. It was now 
like one of those moving monstrs wending with many feet. 


Paje 23

Th air was hevy, and cold with dew. A mass of wet grass, marchd upon, rusld 
like silk. 
   Ther was an ocasionl flash and glimr of steel from th baks of al 
these huje crawlng reptls. From th road came creakings and grumblings as 
som surly guns wer dragd away. 
   Th men stumbld along stil mutrng speculations. Ther was a subdud 
debate. Once a man fel down, and as he reachd for his rifle a comrad, 
unseing, trod upon his hand. He of th injrd fingrs swor bitrly and 
aloud. A lo, titrng laf went among his felos. 
   Presntly they pasd into a roadway and marchd forwrd with esy strides. A 
dark rejmnt moved befor them, and from behind also came th tinkl of 
equipmnts on th bodis of marchng men. 
   Th rushng yelo of th developng day went on behind ther baks. Wen th 
sunrays at last struk ful and mellowingly upon th erth, th yuth saw that 
th landscape was streakd with two long, thin, blak colums wich disapeard 
on th brow of a hil in front and rearwrd vanishd in a wood. They wer like 
two serpnts crawlng from th cavrn of th nyt. 
   Th rivr was not in vew. Th tal soldir 


Paje 24

burst into prases of wat he thot to be his powrs of perception. 
   Som of th tal one's companions cryd with emfasis that they, too, had 
evolvd th same thing, and they congratulated themselvs upon it. But ther 
wer othrs ho said that th tal one's plan was not th tru one at al. They 
persistd with othr theoris. Ther was a vigrus discussion. 
   Th yuth took no part in them. As he walkd along in careless line he was 
engajed with his own eternl debate. He cud not hindr himself from dwelng 
upon it. He was despondnt and sulen, and threw shiftng glances about him. He 
lookd ahed, ofn expectng to hear from th advance th ratl of firing. 
   But th long serpnts crawld sloly from hil to hil without blustr of 
smoke. A dun colord cloud of dust floatd away to th ryt. Th sky overhed 
was of a fairy blu. 
   Th yuth studid th faces of his companions, evr on th wach to detect 
kindred emotions. He sufrd disapointmnt. Som ardr of th air wich was 
causng th vetran comands to move with gle -- almost with song -- had 
infectd th new rejmnt. Th men began to speak of victry as of a thing they 
new. Also, th tal soldir receved his vindication. 


Paje 25

They wer certnly going to com around in behind th enmy. They expresd 
comisration for that part of th army wich had been left upon th rivr bank, 
felicitating themselvs upon being a part of a blastng host. 
   Th yuth, considrng himself as seprated from th othrs, was sadnd by 
th blithe and merry speechs that went from rank to rank. Th compny wags al 
made ther best endeavors. Th rejmnt trampd to th tune of laftr. 
   Th blatant soldir ofn convulsd hole files by his biting sarcasms aimd 
at th tal one. 
   And it was not long befor al th men seemd to forget ther mission. Hole 
brigades grinnd in unisn, and rejmnts lafd. 
   A rathr fat soldir atemtd to pilfer a horse from a dooryard. He pland 
to load his knap sak upon it. He was escaping with his prize wen a yung girl 
rushd from th house and grabd th animal's mane. Ther folod a rangl. 
Th yung girl, with pink cheeks and shining ys, stood like a dauntless 
statu. 
   Th observnt rejmnt, standng at rest in th roadway, whooped at once, and 
entrd hole soild upon th side of th maidn. Th men became so engrosd in 
this afair that they entirely cesed to remembr ther own larj war. 


Paje 26

They jeerd th piratical privat, and cald atention to varius defects in 
his persnl apearnce; and they wer wildly enthusiastic in suport of th 
yung girl. 
   To her, from som distnce, came bold advice. "Hit him with a stik." 
   Ther wer cros and catcalls showrd upon him wen he retreatd without th 
horse. Th rejmnt rejoiced at his downfal. Loud and vocifrus 
congratulations wer showrd upon th maidn, ho stood pantng and regardng 
th troops with defiance. 
   At nytfal th colum broke into rejmentl peces, and th fragmnts went 
into th fields to camp. Tents sprang up like stranje plants. Camp fires, like 
red, peculir blosms, dotd th nyt. 
   Th yuth kept from intrcorse with his companions as much as circmstnces 
wud alow him. In th evenng he wandrd a few paces into th gloom. From 
this litl distnce th many fires, with th blak forms of men pasng to and 
fro befor th crimsn rays, made weird and satanic efects. 
   He lay down in th grass. Th blades presd tendrly against his cheek. Th 
moon had been lytd and was hung in a treetop. Th liquid stilness of th 
nyt envelopng him 


Paje 27

made him feel vast pity for himself. Ther was a caress in th soft winds; and 
th hole mood of th darkns, he thot, was one of sympathy for himself in 
his distress. 
   He wishd, without reserv, that he was at home again making th endless 
rounds from th house to th barn, from th barn to th fields, from th fields 
to th barn, from th barn to th house. He remembrd he had ofn cursd th 
brindle cow and her mates, and had somtimes flung milkng stools. But, from his 
presnt point of vew, ther was a halo of happiness about each of ther heds, 
and he wud hav sacrificed al th brass butns on th contnnt to hav been 
enabled to return to them. He told himself that he was not formd for a soldir. 
And he mused seriusly upon th radicl difrnces between himself and those 
men ho wer dojng imp  like around th fires. 
   As he mused thus he herd th rusl of grass, and, upon turnng his hed, 
discovrd th loud soldir. He cald out, "O, Wilson!" 
   Th latr aproachd and lookd down. "Wy, helo, Henry; is it u? Wat 
u doing here?" 
   "O, thinkng," said th yuth. 
   Th othr sat down and carefuly lytd his pipe. "U'r getng blu, my 
boy. U'r 


Paje 28

lookng thundrng peekd. Wat th dickens is rong with u?" 
   "O, nothing," said th yuth. 
   Th loud soldir launchd then into th subject of th anticipated fyt. 
"O, we'v got 'em now!" As he spoke his boyish face was rethed in a gleful 
smile, and his voice had an exultnt ring. "We'v got 'em now. At last, by th 
eternl thundrs, we'l lik 'em good!" 
   "If th truth was nown," he add, mor soberly, "they'v likd us about 
evry clip up to now; but this time -- this time -- we'l lik 'em good!" 
   "I thot u was objectng to this march a litl wile ago," said th 
yuth coldly. 
   "O, it wasnt that," explaind th othr. "I dont mind marchng, if ther's 
going to be fytng at th end of it. Wat I hate is this getng moved here 
and moved ther, with no good comng of it, as far as I can se, exeptng sor 
feet and damd short rations." 
   "Wel, Jim Conklin says we'l get a plenty of fytng this time." 
   "He's ryt for once, I gess, tho I cant se how it com. This time 
we'r in for a big batl, and we'v got th best end of it, certn sure. Je 
rod! how we wil thump 'em!" 


Paje 29


   He arose and began to pace to and fro exitedly. Th thril of his enthusiasm 
made him walk with an elastic step. He was sprytly, vigrus, firy in his 
belief in success. He lookd into th futur with clear, proud y, and he swor 
with th air of an old soldir. 
   Th yuth wachd him for a moment in silence. Wen he finaly spoke his 
voice was as bitr as dregs. "O, u'r going to do gret things, I spose!" 
   Th loud soldir blew a thotful cloud of smoke from his pipe. "O, I dont 
no," he remarkd with dignity; "I dont no. I spose I'l do as wel as th 
rest. I'm going to try like thundr." He evidntly complimntd himself upon th 
modesty of this statemnt. 
   "How do u no u wont run wen th time coms?" askd th yuth. 
   "Run?" said th loud one; "run? -- of corse not!" He lafd. 
   "Wel," continud th yuth, "lots of good a 'nough men hav thot they was 
going to do gret things befor th fyt, but wen th time com they 
skedaddled." 
   "O, that's al tru, I spose," replyd th othr; "but I'm not going to 
skedaddle. Th man that bets on my runng wil lose his mony, that's al." He 
nodd confidntly. 


Paje 30


   "O, shuks!" said th yuth. "U aint th bravest man in th world, ar 
u?" 
   "No, I aint," exclaimd th loud soldir indignntly; "and I didnt say I 
was th bravest man in th world, neithr. I said I was going to do my share of 
fytng -- that's wat I said. And I am, too. Ho ar u, anyhow. U talk as 
if u thot u was Napoleon Bonaparte." He glared at th yuth for a moment, 
and then strode away. 
   Th yuth cald in a savaj voice aftr his comrad: "Wel, u neednt git 
mad about it!" But th othr continud on his way and made no reply. 
   He felt alone in space wen his injrd comrad had disapeard. His failur 
to discovr any mite of resemblnce in ther vew points made him mor misrbl 
than befor. No one seemd to be reslng with such a terific persnl 
problm. He was a mentl outcast. 
   He went sloly to his tent and strechd himself on a blanket by th side of 
th snorng tal soldir. In th darkns he saw visions of a thousnd tongued 
fear that wud babl at his bak and cause him to fle, wile othrs wer 
going cooly about ther country's busness. He admitd that he wud not be 
able to cope with this monstr. He felt that evry nerv in his body 


Paje 31

. wud be an ear to hear th voices, wile othr men wud remain stolid and 
def. 
   And as he swetd with th pain of these thots, he cud hear lo, serene 
sentnces. "I'l bid five." "Make it six." "Sevn." "Sevn gos." 
   He stared at th red, shivrng reflection of a fire on th wite wal of his 
tent until, exaustd and il from th monotny of his sufrng, he fel 
asleep.


Paje 32


Chaptr 3
CHAPTR III.
   WEN anothr nyt came th colums, chanjed to purpl streaks, filed across 
two pontoon brijs. A glaring fire wine tintd th watrs of th rivr. Its 
rays, shining upon th moving masses of troops, brot forth here and ther 
sudn gleams of silvr or gold. Upon th othr shor a dark and mysterius 
ranje of hils was curvd against th sky. Th insect voices of th nyt sang 
solemly. 
   Aftr this crosng th yuth asured himself that at any moment they myt 
be sudnly and fearfuly asaltd from th caves of th lowrng woods. He 
kept his ys wachfuly upon th darkns. 
   But his rejmnt went unmolestd to a campng place, and its soldirs slept 
th brave sleep of wearid men. In th mornng they wer routd out with erly 
enrjy, and husld along a naro road that led deep into th forest. 
   It was during this rapid march that th rejmnt 


Paje 33

lost many of th marks of a new comand. 
   Th men had begun to count th miles upon ther fingrs, and they grew tired. 
"Sor feet an' damd short rations, that's al," said th loud soldir. Ther 
was perspration and grumblings. Aftr a time they began to shed ther 
knapsacks. Som tosd them unconcernedly down; othrs hid them carefuly, 
asertng ther plans to return for them at som convenient time. Men extricated 
themselvs from thik shirts. Presntly few carrid anything but ther necesry 
clothing, blankets, haversacks, canteens, and arms and amunition. "U can now 
eat and shoot," said th tal soldir to th yuth. "That's al u want to do." 

   Ther was sudn chanje from th pondrus infntry of theory to th lyt 
and speedy infntry of practis. Th rejmnt, releved of a burdn, receved a 
new impetus. But ther was much loss of valubl knapsacks, and, on th hole, 
very good shirts. 
   But th rejmnt was not yet veteranlike in apearnce. Vetran rejmnts in 
th army wer likely to be very smal aggregations of men. Once, wen th 
comand had first com to th field, som perambulating vetrans, noting th 
length of ther colum, had acostd them thus: 


Paje 34

"Hey, felrs, wat brigade is that?" And wen th men had replyd that they 
formd a rejmnt and not a brigade, th oldr soldirs had lafd, and said, 
"O Gawd!" 
   Also, ther was too gret a simlarity in th hats. Th hats of a rejmnt 
shud proprly represent th histry of hedgear for a period of years. And, 
morover, ther wer no letrs of faded gold speakng from th colors. They 
wer new and butiful, and th color berr habituly oild th pole. 
   Presntly th army again sat down to think. Th odor of th peceful pines 
was in th men's nostrils. Th sound of monotnus ax blos rang thru th 
forest, and th insects, nodng upon ther perchs, croond like old women. Th 
yuth returnd to his theory of a blu demnstration. 
   One gray dawn, howevr, he was kikd in th leg by th tal soldir, and 
then, befor he was entirely awake, he found himself runng down a wood road in 
th midst of men ho wer pantng from th first efects of speed. His canteen 
bangd rythmicly upon his thy, and his havrsak bobd softly. His musket 
bounced a trifle from his sholdr at each stride and made his cap feel 
uncertn upon his hed. 
   He cud hear th men wispr jerky 


Paje 35

sentnces: "Say -- wat's al this -- about?" "Wat th' thundr -- we -- 
skedaddlin' this way fer?" "Billi -- keep off m' feet. Yes run -- like a cow." 
And th loud soldier's shril voice cud be herd: "Wat th' devl they in sich 
a hurry for?" 
   Th yuth thot th damp fog of erly mornng moved from th rush of a 
gret body of troops. From th distnce came a sudn spatr of firing. 
   He was bewildrd. As he ran with his comrads he strenuusly tryd to think, 
but al he new was that if he fel down those comng behind wud tred upon 
him. Al his facltis seemd to be needd to gide him over and past 
obstructions. He felt carrid along by a mob. 
   Th sun spred disclosing rays, and, one by one, rejmnts burst into vew 
like armd men just born of th erth. Th yuth perceved that th time had 
com. He was about to be mesurd. For a moment he felt in th face of his gret 
trial like a babe, and th flesh over his hart seemd very thin. He sezed time 
to look about him calculatingly. 
   But he instntly saw that it wud be imposbl for him to escape from th 
rejmnt. It inclosed him. And ther wer iron laws of tradition and law on four 
sides. He was in a moving box. 


Paje 36


   As he perceved this fact it ocurd to him that he had nevr wishd to com 
to th war. He had not enlistd of his fre wil. He had been dragd by th 
merciless govrnmnt. And now they wer taking him out to be slautrd. 
   Th rejmnt slid down a bank and walod across a litl stream. Th 
mornful curent moved sloly on, and from th watr, shaded blak, som wite 
bubl ys lookd at th men. 
   As they climbd th hil on th farthr side artilry began to boom. Here 
th yuth forgot many things as he felt a sudn impulse of curiosity. He 
scrambld up th bank with a speed that cud not be exeedd by a blodthirsty 
man. 
   He expectd a batl sene. 
   Ther wer som litl fields girted and squezed by a forest. Spred over 
th grass and in among th tre trunks, he cud se nots and waving lines of 
skirmishers ho wer runng hithr and thithr and firing at th landscape. A 
dark batl line lay upon a sunstruck clearng that gleamd oranj color. A flag 
flutrd. 
   Othr rejmnts floundrd up th bank. Th brigade was formd in line of 
batl, and aftr a pause startd sloly thru th woods in th rear of th 
receding skirmishers, ho wer continuly meltng into th sene to apear 
again 


Paje 37

farthr on. They wer always busy as bes, deeply absorbd in ther litl 
combats. 
   Th yuth tryd to observ everything. He did not use care to avoid tres and 
branchs, and his forgotn feet wer constntly nokng against stones or 
getng entangld in briers. He was aware that these batalions with ther 
commotions wer woven red and startlng into th jentl fabric of sofnd 
greens and browns. It lookd to be a rong place for a batl field. 
   Th skirmishers in advance fasnated him. Ther shots into thikets and at 
distnt and promnnt tres spoke to him of trajedis -- hidn, mysterius, 
solem. 
   Once th line encountrd th body of a ded soldir. He lay upon his bak 
staring at th sky. He was dresd in an awkwrd suit of yeloish brown. Th 
yuth cud se that th soles of his shoes had been worn to th thiness of 
riting paper, and from a gret rent in one th ded foot projectd piteusly. 
And it was as if fate had betrayd th soldir. In deth it exposed to his 
enmis that povrty wich in life he had perhaps conceald from his frends. 
   Th ranks opend covrtly to avoid th corps. Th invulnrbl ded man 
forced a way for himself. Th yuth lookd keenly at th ashn face. Th wind 
rased th tawny beard. It moved as 


Paje 38

if a hand wer stroking it. He vagely desired to walk around and around th 
body and stare; th impulse of th livng to try to red in ded ys th ansr 
to th Question. 
   During th march th ardr wich th yuth had aquired wen out of vew of 
th field rapidly faded to nothing. His curiosity was quite esily satisfyd. If 
an intense sene had caut him with its wild swing as he came to th top of th 
bank, he myt hav gon rorng on. This advance upon Natur was too calm. He 
had oprtunity to reflect. He had time in wich to wondr about himself and to 
atemt to probe his sensations. 
   Absurd ideas took hold upon him. He thot that he did not relish th 
landscape. It thretnd him. A coldness swept over his bak, and it is tru 
that his trousrs felt to him that they wer no fit for his legs at al. 
   A house standng placidly in distnt fields had to him an omnus look. Th 
shados of th woods wer formidbl. He was certn that in this vista ther 
lurkd fierce yd hosts. Th swift thot came to him that th jenrls did 
not no wat they wer about. It was al a trap. Sudnly those close forests 
wud brisl with rifle barels. Ironlike brigades wud apear in th rear. 
They wer al going to be 


Paje 39

sacrificed. Th jenrls wer stupids. Th enmy wud presntly swalo th 
hole comand. He glared about him, expectng to se th stelthy aproach of 
his deth. 
   He thot that he must brek from th ranks and harang his comrads. They 
must not al be kild like pigs; and he was sure it wud com to pass unless 
they wer informd of these danjers. Th jenrls wer idiots to send them 
marchng into a regulr pen. Ther was but one pair of ys in th cor. He 
wud step forth and make a speech. Shril and passionat words came to his 
lips. 
   Th line, broken into moving fragmnts by th ground, went calmly on thru 
fields and woods. Th yuth lookd at th men nearst him, and saw, for th most 
part, expressions of deep intrest, as if they wer investigating somthing that 
had fasnated them. One or two stepd with overvaliant airs as if they wer 
alredy plunjd into war. Othrs walkd as upon thin ice. Th gretr part of 
th untestd men apeard quiet and absorbd. They wer going to look at war, 
th red anml -- war, th blod swolen god. And they wer deeply engrosd in 
this march. 
   As he lookd th yuth gripd his outcry at his throat. He saw that even if 
th men wer totrng with fear they wud laf at his warnng. 


Paje 40

They wud jeer him, and, if practicbl, pelt him with misls. Admitng that 
he myt be rong, a frenzid declamation of th kind wud turn him into a 
worm. 
   He asumed, then, th demeanr of one ho nos that he is doomd alone to 
unritn responsbilitis. He lagd, with trajic glances at th sky. 
   He was surprised presntly by th yung leutennt of his compny, ho began 
hartily to beat him with a sord, calng out in a loud and inslnt voice: 
"Com, yung man, get up into ranks ther. No skulking'll do here." He mendd 
his pace with suitbl haste. And he hated th leutennt, ho had no 
apreciation of fine minds. He was a mere brute. 
   Aftr a time th brigade was haltd in th cathedral lyt of a forest. Th 
busy skirmishers wer stil popng. Thru th iles of th wood cud be 
seen th floatng smoke from ther rifles. Somtimes it went up in litl bals, 
wite and compact. 
   During this halt many men in th rejmnt began erectng tiny hils in front 
of them. They used stones, stiks, erth, and anything they thot myt turn a 
bulet. Som bilt comparativly larj ones, wile othrs seemd content with 
litl ones. 


Paje 41


   This procedur causd a discussion among th men. Som wishd to fyt like 
duelists, beleving it to be corect to stand erect and be, from ther feet to 
ther forheds, a mark. They said they scornd th devices of th cautius. But 
th othrs scofd in reply, and pointd to th vetrans on th flanks ho wer 
digng at th ground like terirs. In a short time ther was quite a baricade 
along th rejmentl fronts. Directly, howevr, they wer ordrd to withdraw 
from that place. 
   This astoundd th yuth. He forgot his stewng over th advance movemnt. 
"Wel, then, wat did they march us out here for?" he demandd of th tal 
soldir. Th latr with calm faith began a hevy explnation, altho he had 
been compeld to leve a litl protection of stones and dirt to wich he had 
devoted much care and skil. 
   Wen th rejmnt was alynd in anothr position each man's regard for his 
safety causd anothr line of smal intrenchments. They ate ther noon meal 
behind a third one. They wer moved from this one also. They wer marchd from 
place to place with aparent aimlesness. 
   Th yuth had been taut that a man became anothr thing in a batl. He saw 
his salvation in such a chanje. Hence this waitng 


Paje 42

was an ordeal to him. He was in a fever of impatience. He considrd that ther 
was denoted a lak of purpos on th part of th jenrls. He began to complain 
to th tal soldir. "I cant stand this much longr," he cryd. "I dont se 
wat good it dos to make us wer out our legs for nothin'." He wishd to return 
to camp, noing that this afair was a blu demnstration; or else to go into a 
batl and discovr that he had been a fool in his douts, and was, in truth, a 
man of traditionl curaj. Th strain of presnt circmstnces he felt to be 
intolrbl. 
   Th filosoficl tal soldir mesurd a sanwich of crakr and pork and 
swalod it in a nonchlnt manr. "O, I supose we must go reconnoitering 
around th cuntry jest to keep 'em from getng too close, or to develop 'em, 
or somthing." 
   "Huh!" said th loud soldir. 
   "Wel," cryd th yuth, stil fijetng, "I'd rathr do anything 'most than 
go trampng 'round th cuntry al day doing no good to nobody and jest tiring 
ourselvs out." 
   "So wud I," said th loud soldir. "It aint ryt. I tel u if anybody 
with any sense was a runnin' this army it -- " 
   "O, shut up!" rord th tal privat. "U 


Paje 43

litl fool. U litl damn' cuss. U aint had that ther coat and them pants 
on for six months, and yet u talk as if -- " 
   "Wel, I wanta do som fytng anyway," intruptd th othr. "I didnt 
com here to walk. I cud 'ave walkd to home -- 'round an' 'round th barn, if 
I jest wantd to walk." 
   Th tal one, red faced, swalod anothr sanwich as if taking poisn in 
despair. 
   But graduly, as he chewd, his face became again quiet and contentd. He 
cud not raje in fierce argumnt in th presnce of such sanwichs. During his 
meals he always wor an air of blisful contmplation of th food he had 
swalod. His spirit seemd then to be communing with th viands. 
   He acceptd new environmnt and circmstnce with gret coolness, eatng from 
his havrsak at evry oprtunity. On th march he went along with th stride 
of a huntr, objectng to neithr gait nor distnce. And he had not rased his 
voice wen he had been ordrd away from thre litl protectiv piles of erth 
and stone, each of wich had been an enjneerng feat worthy of being made 
sacred to th name of his granmothr. 
   In th aftrnoon th rejmnt went out over th same ground it had taken in 
th mornng. 


Paje 44

Th landscape then cesed to thretn th yuth. He had been close to it and 
becom familir with it. 
   Wen, howevr, they began to pass into a new rejon, his old fears of 
stupidity and incompetnce reassailed him, but this time he dogedly let them 
babl. He was ocupyd with his problm, and in his despration he concluded 
that th stupidity did not gretly matr. 
   Once he thot he had concluded that it wud be betr to get kild 
directly and end his trubls. Regardng deth thus out of th cornr of his 
y, he conceved it to be nothing but rest, and he was fild with a momentry 
astonishmnt that he shud hav made an extrordnry comotion over th mere 
matr of getng kild. He wud die; he wud go to som place wher he wud 
be undrstood. It was useless to expect apreciation of his profound and fine 
senses from such men as th leutennt. He must look to th grave for 
comprehension. 
   Th skirmish fire incresed to a long chatrng ing sound. With it was 
mingld far-away cheerng. A batry spoke. 
   Directly th yuth wud se th skirmishers runng. They wer pursud by 
th sound of musketry fire. Aftr a time th hot, danjerus 


Paje 45

flashs of th rifles wer visbl. Smoke clouds went sloly and inslntly 
across th fields like observnt fantms. Th din became crescendo, like th 
ror of an oncomng train. 
   A brigade ahed of them and on th ryt went into action with a rendng 
ror. It was as if it had exploded. And theraftr it lay strechd in th 
distnce behind a long gray wal, that one was oblijed to look twice at to make 
sure that it was smoke. 
   Th yuth, forgetng his neat plan of getng kild, gazed spel bound. His 
ys grew wide and busy with th action of th sene. His mouth was a litl 
ways open. 
   Of a sudn he felt a hevy and sad hand laid upon his sholdr. Awakenng 
from his trance of obsrvation he turnd and beheld th loud soldir. 
   "It's my first and last batl, old boy," said th latr, with intense 
gloom. He was quite pale and his girlish lip was tremblng. 
   "Eh?" murmrd th yuth in gret astonishmnt. 
   "It's my first and last batl, old boy," continud th loud soldir. 
"Somthing tels me -- " 
   "Wat?" 
   "I'm a gon coon this first time and -- and I 


Paje 46

w want u to take these here things -- to -- my -- folks." He endd in a 
quaverng sob of pity for himself. He handd th yuth a litl paket don up 
in a yelo envlope. 
   "Wy, wat th devl -- " began th yuth again. 
   But th othr gave him a glance as from th depths of a tomb, and rased his 
limp hand in a profetic manr and turnd away.


Paje 47


Chaptr 4
CHAPTR IV.
   TH brigade was haltd in th frinj of a grove. Th men crouchd among th 
tres and pointd ther restless guns out at th fields. They tryd to look 
beyond th smoke. 
   Out of this haze they cud se runng men. Som shoutd infrmation and 
jesturd as they hurrid. 
   Th men of th new rejmnt wachd and lisnd eagrly, wile ther tongs 
ran on in gosip of th batl. They mouthd rumors that had flown like birds 
out of th unown. 
   "They say Perry has been drivn in with big loss." 
   "Yes, Carrott went t' th' hospitl. He said he was sik. That smart 
leutennt is comandng 'G' Compny. Th' boys say they wont be undr Carrott 
no mor if they al hav t' desert. They allus new he was a -- " 
   "Hannises' batt'ry is took." 
   "It aint eithr. I saw Hannises' batt'ry off on th' left not more'n fifteen 
minuts ago." 


Paje 48


   "Wel -- " 
   "Th' jenrl, he ses he is goin' t' take th' hul cammand of th' 304th wen 
we go inteh action, an' then he ses we'l do sech fightin' as nevr anothr one 
reg'ment don." 
   "They say we'r catchin' it over on th' left. They say th' enmy driv' our 
line inteh a devl of a swamp an' took Hannises' batt'ry." 
   "No sech thing. Hannises' batt'ry was 'long here 'bout a minut ago." 
   "That yung Hasbrouck, he makes a good off'cer. He aint afraid 'a nothin'." 
   "I met one of th' 148th Main boys an' he ses his brigade fit th' hul rebel 
army fer four ours over on th' turnpike road an' kild about five thousnd of 
'em. He ses one mor sech fyt as that an' th' war 'll be over." 
   "Bil wasnt scared eithr. No, sir! It wasnt that. Bil aint a gittin' 
scared esy. He was jest mad, that's wat he was. Wen that felr trod on his 
hand, he up an' sed that he was willin' t' giv his hand t' his cuntry, but he 
be dumbed if he was goin' t' hav evry dum bushwhacker in th' kentry walkin' 
'round on it. Se he went t' th' hospitl disregardless of th' fyt. Thre 
fingrs was crunchd. Th' dern doctr wantd t' amputate 'm, an' Bil, he rased 
a heluva ro, I hear. He's a funny felr." 


Paje 49


   Th din in front sweld to a tremendus corus. Th yuth and his felos 
wer frozen to silence. They cud se a flag that tosd in th smoke angrily. 
Near it wer th blurd and ajitated forms of troops. Ther came a turbulent 
stream of men across th fields. A batry chanjing position at a frantic galop 
scatrd th straglrs ryt and left. 
   A shel screamng like a storm banshee went over th hudld heds of th 
reservs. It landd in th grove, and explodng redly flung th brown erth. 
Ther was a litl showr of pine needls. 
   Bulets began to wisl among th branchs and nip at th tres. Twigs and 
leavs came sailng down. It was as if a thousnd axs, we and invisbl, wer 
being wieldd. Many of th men wer constntly dojng and dukng ther heds. 
   Th leutennt of th youth's compny was shot in th hand. He began to swer 
so wondrously that a nervus laf went along th rejmentl line. Th officer's 
profanity soundd conventionl. It releved th tytnd senses of th new men. 
It was as if he had hit his fingrs with a tak hamr at home. 
   He held th woundd membr carefuly away from his side so that th blod 
wud not drip upon his trousrs. 


Paje 50


   Th captn of th compny, tukng his sord undr his arm, produced a 
hankrchief and began to bind with it th lieutenant's wound. And they disputed 
as to how th bindng shud be don. 
   Th batl flag in th distnce jerkd about madly. It seemd to be 
struglng to fre itself from an agny. Th biloing smoke was fild with 
horizontl flashs. 
   Men runng swiftly emerjd from it. They grew in numbrs until it was seen 
that th hole comand was fleing. Th flag sudnly sank down as if dyng. Its 
motion as it fel was a jestur of despair. 
   Wild yels came from behind th walls of smoke. A skech in gray and red 
disolvd into a moblike body of men ho galopd like wild horses. 
   Th vetran rejmnts on th ryt and left of th 304th imediatly began to 
jeer. With th passionat song of th bulets and th banshee shrieks of shels 
wer mingld loud catcalls and bits of facetius advice concernng places of 
safety. 
   But th new rejmnt was brethless with horr. "Gawd! Saunders's got 
crushd!" wisprd th man at th youth's elbo. They shrank bak and crouchd 
as if compeld to await a flod. 


Paje 51


   Th yuth shot a swift glance along th blu ranks of th rejmnt. Th 
profiles wer motionless, carven; and aftrwrd he remembrd that th color 
serjnt was standng with his legs apart, as if he expectd to be pushd to th 
ground. 
   Th foloing throng went wirlng around th flank. Here and ther wer 
oficers carrid along on th stream like exasprated chips. They wer striking 
about them with ther sords and with ther left fists, punchng evry hed they 
cud reach. They cursd like hyway  men. 
   A mountd oficer displayd th furius angr of a spoild child. He rajed 
with his hed, his arms, and his legs. 
   Anothr, th comandr of th brigade, was galopng about bawlng. His hat 
was gon and his clothes wer ary. He resembld a man ho has com from bed to 
go to a fire. Th hoovs of his horse ofn thretnd th heds of th runng 
men, but they scamprd with singulr fortune. In this rush they wer aparently 
al def and blind. They heedd not th larjst and longst of th oaths that 
wer thrown at them from al directions. 
   Frequently over this tumult cud be herd th grim jokes of th criticl 
vetrans; but th 


Paje 52

retreatng men apparantly wer not even concius of th presnce of an 
audience. 
   Th batl reflection that shon for an instnt in th faces on th mad 
curent made th yuth feel that forceful hands from hevn wud not hav been 
able to hav held him in place if he cud hav got intelijnt control of his 
legs. 
   Ther was an apalng imprint upon these faces. Th strugl in th smoke 
had picturd an exajration of itself on th bleachd cheeks and in th ys 
wild with one desire. 
   Th syt of this stampede exertd a floodlike force that seemd able to drag 
stiks and stones and men from th ground. They of th reservs had to hold on. 
They grew pale and firm, and red and quaking. 
   Th yuth acheved one litl thot in th midst of this caos. Th 
composit monstr wich had causd th othr troops to fle had not then 
apeard. He resolvd to get a vew of it, and then, he thot he myt very 
likely run betr than th best of them.


Paje 53


Chaptr 5
CHAPTR V.
   THER wer moments of waitng. Th yuth thot of th vilaj street at 
home befor th arival of th circus parade on a day in th spring. He 
remembrd how he had stood, a smal, thrillful boy, prepared to folo th 
dinjy lady upon th wite horse, or th band in its faded chariot. He saw th 
yelo road, th lines of expectnt peple, and th sober houses. He 
particulrly remembrd an old felo ho used to sit upon a crakr box in 
front of th stor and fein to despise such exibitions. A thousnd details of 
color and form surjd in his mind. Th old felo upon th crakr box apeard 
in midl promnnce. 
   Som one cryd, "Here they com!" 
   Ther was ruslng and mutrng among th men. They displayd a feverish 
desire to hav evry posbl cartrij redy to ther hands. Th boxs wer 
puld around into varius positions, and ajustd with gret care. It was as if 
sevn hundred new bonets wer being tryd on. 


Paje 54


   Th tal soldir, havng prepared his rifle, produced a red hankrchief of 
som kind. He was engajed in nitng it about his throat with exquisit 
atention to its position, wen th cry was repeatd up and down th line in a 
mufld ror of sound. 
   "Here they com! Here they com!" Gun loks clikd. 
   Across th smoke infestd fields came a brown swarm of runng men ho wer 
givng shril yels. They came on, stoopng and swingng ther rifles at al 
angls. A flag, tiltd forwrd, sped near th front. 
   As he caut syt of them th yuth was momentrily startld by a thot 
that perhaps his gun was not loadd. He stood tryng to rally his faltrng 
intlect so that he myt reclect th moment wen he had loadd, but he cud 
not. 
   A hatless jenrl puld his dripng horse to a stand near th colnl of 
th 304th. He shook his fist in th other's face. "U 've got to hold 'em 
bak!" he shoutd, savajly; "u 've got to hold 'em bak!" 
   In his ajitation th colnl began to stamr. "A al r ryt, Jenrl, al 
ryt, by Gawd! We  we'l do our -- we-we'l d-d-do -- do our best, Jenrl." 
Th jenrl made a passionat jestur 


Paje 55

and galopd away. Th colnl, perchance to releve his feelngs, began to 
scold like a wet parot. Th yuth, turnng swiftly to make sure that th rear 
was unmolestd, saw th comandr regardng his men in a hyly regretful 
manr, as if he regretd abov everything his asociation with them. 
   Th man at th youth's elbo was mumblng, as if to himself: "O, we 're in 
for it now! o, we 're in for it now!" 
   Th captn of th compny had been pacing exitedly to and fro in th rear. 
He coaxd in scoolmistress fashn, as to a congregation of boys with primers. 
His talk was an endless repetition. "Reserv yr fire, boys -- dont shoot til 
I tel u -- save yr fire -- wait til they get close up -- dont be damd 
fools -- " 
   Perspration streamd down th youth's face, wich was soild like that of a 
weepng urchn. He frequently, with a nervus movemnt, wiped his ys with his 
coat sleve. His mouth was stil a litl ways open. 
   He got th one glance at th fo swarmng field in front of him, and 
instntly cesed to debate th question of his pece being loadd. Befor he was 
redy to begin -- befor he had anounced to himself that he was about to fyt 
-- he threw th obedient, wel balanced rifle into 


Paje 56

position and fired a first wild shot. Directly he was workng at his wepn like 
an autmatic afair. 
   He sudnly lost concern for himself, and forgot to look at a menacing fate. 
He became not a man but a membr. He felt that somthing of wich he was a part 
-- a rejmnt, an army, a cause, or a cuntry -- was in a crisis. He was weldd 
into a comn persnality wich was domnated by a singl desire. For som 
moments he cud not fle no mor than a litl fingr can comit a revlution 
from a hand. 
   If he had thot th rejmnt was about to be anihilated perhaps he cud 
hav amputated himself from it. But its noise gave him asurance. Th rejmnt 
was like a firework that, once ignited, proceeds superir to circmstnces until 
its blazing vitality fades. It wezed and bangd with a myty powr. He 
picturd th ground befor it as strewn with th discomfitd. 
   Ther was a conciusness always of th presnce of his comrads about him. 
He felt th sutl batl brothrhood mor potent even than th cause for wich 
they wer fytng. It was a mysterius fraternity born of th smoke and danjer 
of deth. 
   He was at a task. He was like a carpntr 


Paje 57

ho has made many boxs, making stil anothr box, only ther was furius haste 
in his movemnts. He, in his thot, was careerng off in othr places, even as 
th carpntr ho as he works wisls and thinks of his frend or his enmy, 
his home or a saloon. And these joltd dreams wer nevr perfect to him 
aftrwrd, but remaind a mass of blurd shapes. 
   Presntly he began to feel th efects of th war atmosfere -- a blistrng 
swet, a sensation that his ybals wer about to crak like hot stones. A 
burnng ror fild his ears. 
   Foloing this came a red raje. He developd th acute exaspration of a 
pestrd anml, a wel meanng cow worrid by dogs. He had a mad feelng 
against his rifle, wich cud only be used against one life at a time. He 
wishd to rush forwrd and strangl with his fingrs. He craved a powr that 
wud enable him to make a world sweepng jestur and brush al bak. His 
impotency apeard to him, and made his raje into that of a drivn beast. 
   Burid in th smoke of many rifles his angr was directd not so much against 
th men hom he new wer rushng toward him as against th swirlng batl 
fantms wich wer choking him, stufng ther smoke robes down his parchd 
throat. He fot franticly for respit for his 


Paje 58

senses, for air, as a babe being smothrd ataks th dedly blankets. 
   Ther was a blare of heatd raje mingld with a certn expression of 
intentness on al faces. Many of th men wer making lo toned noises with ther 
mouths, and these subdud cheers, snarls, imprecations, prayrs, made a wild, 
barbaric song that went as an undrcurent of sound, stranje and chantlike with 
th resoundng cords of th war march. Th man at th youth's elbo was 
bablng. In it ther was somthing soft and tendr like th monlog of a 
babe. Th tal soldir was swerng in a loud voice. From his lips came a blak 
procession of curius oaths. Of a sudn anothr broke out in a querulus way 
like a man ho has mislaid his hat. "Wel, wy dont they suport us? Wy dont 
they send suports? Do they think -- " 
   Th yuth in his batl sleep herd this as one ho dozes hears. 
   Ther was a singulr absnce of heroic poses. Th men bendng and surjng in 
ther haste and raje wer in evry imposbl atitude. Th steel ramrods 
clanked and clangd with incesnt din as th men poundd them furiusly into 
th hot rifle barels. Th flaps of th cartrij boxs wer al unfasnd, and 
bobd idioticly with each movemnt. Th rifles, once loadd, wer jerkd 


Paje 59

to th sholdr and fired without aparent aim into th smoke or at one of th 
blurd and shiftng forms wich upon th field befor th rejmnt had been 
groing larjr and larjr like pupets undr a magician's hand. 
   Th oficers, at ther intrvls, rearwrd, neglectd to stand in picturesq 
atitudes. They wer bobng to and fro rorng directions and encouragements. 
Th dimensions of ther howls wer extrordnry. They expendd ther lungs with 
prodigl wils. And ofn they nearly stood upon ther heds in ther anxiety to 
observ th enmy on th othr side of th tumblng smoke. 
   Th leutennt of th youth's compny had encountrd a soldir ho had fled 
screamng at th first volly of his comrads. Behind th lines these two wer 
actng a litl isolated sene. Th man was blubrng and staring with 
sheeplike ys at th leutennt, ho had sezed him by th colr and was 
pommeling him. He drove him bak into th ranks with many blos. Th soldir 
went mecanicly, dully, with his anml  like ys upon th oficer. Perhaps 
ther was to him a divinity expresd in th voice of th othr -- stern, hard, 
with no reflection of fear in it. He tryd to reload his gun, but his shaking 
hands preventd. Th leutennt was oblijed to asist him. 
   Th men dropd here and ther like bundls. 


Paje 60

Th captn of th youth's compny had been kild in an erly part of th 
action. His body lay strechd out in th position of a tired man restng, but 
upon his face ther was an astonishd and soroful look, as if he thot som 
frend had don him an il turn. Th bablng man was grazed by a shot that made 
th blod stream widely down his face. He clapd both hands to his hed. "O!" 
he said, and ran. Anothr gruntd sudnly as if he had been struk by a club in 
th stomac. He sat down and gazed rufuly. In his ys ther was mute, 
indefnit reproach. Farthr up th line a man, standng behind a tre, had had 
his ne joint splintrd by a bal. Imediatly he had dropd his rifle and 
gripd th tre with both arms. And ther he remaind, clingng despratly and 
cryng for asistnce that he myt withdraw his hold upon th tre. 
   At last an exultnt yel went along th quivrng line. Th firing dwindld 
from an upror to a last vindictiv popng. As th smoke sloly eddid away, 
th yuth saw that th charj had been repulsd. Th enmy wer scatrd into 
reluctnt groups. He saw a man climb to th top of th fence, stradl th rail, 
and fire a partng shot. Th waves had receded, leving bits of dark de'bris 
upon th ground. 


Paje 61


   Som in th rejmnt began to woop frenzidly. Many wer silent. Aparently 
they wer tryng to contmplate themselvs. 
   Aftr th fever had left his veins, th yuth thot that at last he was 
going to sufocate. He became aware of th foul atmosfere in wich he had been 
struglng. He was grimy and dripng like a laborer in a foundry. He graspd 
his canteen and took a long swalo of th warmd watr. 
   A sentnce with variations went up and down th line. "Wel, we 've helt 'em 
bak. We 've helt 'em bak; derned if we havnt." Th men said it blisfuly, 
leerng at each othr with dirty smiles. 
   Th yuth turnd to look behind him and off to th ryt and off to th left. 
He experienced th joy of a man ho at last finds lesur in wich to look about 
him. 
   Undr foot ther wer a few gastly forms motionless. They lay twistd in 
fantastic contortions. Arms wer bent and heds wer turnd in incredbl ways. 
It seemd that th ded men must hav falen from som gret hyt to get into 
such positions. They lookd to be dumpd out upon th ground from th sky. 
   From a position in th rear of th grove a batry was throing shels over 
it. Th flash of 


Paje 62

th guns startld th yuth at first. He thot they wer aimd directly at 
him. Thru th tres he wachd th blak figrs of th gunrs as they 
workd swiftly and intently. Ther labor seemd a complicated thing. He wondrd 
how they cud remembr its formula in th midst of confusion. 
   Th guns squatd in a ro like savaj chiefs. They argud with abrupt 
violence. It was a grim pow wow. Ther busy servnts ran hithr and thithr. 
   A smal procession of woundd men wer going drearily toward th rear. It was 
a flo of blod from th torn body of th brigade. 
   To th ryt and to th left wer th dark lines of othr troops. Far in 
front he thot he cud se lytr masses protruding in points from th 
forest. They wer sujestiv of unnumbered thousnds. 
   Once he saw a tiny batry go dashng along th line of th horizon. Th tiny 
riders wer beatng th tiny horses. 
   From a sloping hil came th sound of cheerings and clashs. Smoke weld 
sloly thru th leavs. 
   Batris wer speakng with thundrus oratoricl efrt. Here and ther 
wer flags, th red in th stripes domnating. They splashd 


Paje 63

bits of warm color upon th dark lines of troops. 
   Th yuth felt th old thril at th syt of th emblm. They wer like 
butiful birds stranjely undauntd in a storm. 
   As he lisnd to th din from th hilside, to a deep pulsating thundr that 
came from afar to th left, and to th lesr clamors wich came from many 
directions, it ocurd to him that they wer fytng, too, over ther, and 
over ther, and over ther. Heretofor he had suposed that al th batl was 
directly undr his nose. 
   As he gazed around him th yuth felt a flash of astonishmnt at th blu, 
pure sky and th sun gleamings on th tres and fields. It was surprising that 
Natur had gon tranquilly on with her goldn process in th midst of so much 
devilment.


Paje 64


Chaptr 6
CHAPTR VI.
   TH yuth awakend sloly. He came graduly bak to a position from wich he 
cud regard himself. For moments he had been scrutinizing his persn in a dazed 
way as if he had nevr befor seen himself. Then he pikd up his cap from th 
ground. He rigld in his jaket to make a mor comfrtbl fit, and neelng 
replaced his shoe. He thotfuly mopd his reekng featurs. 
   So it was al over at last! Th supreme trial had been pasd. Th red, 
formidbl dificltis of war had been vanquishd. 
   He went into an ecstasy of self satisfaction. He had th most delytful 
sensations of his life. Standng as if apart from himself, he vewd that last 
sene. He perceved that th man ho had fot thus was magnificent. 
   He felt that he was a fine felo. He saw himself even with those ideals 
wich he had considrd as far beyond him. He smiled in deep gratification. 


Paje 65


   Upon his felos he beamd tendrness and good wil. "Je! aint it hot, 
hey?" he said afbly to a man ho was polishng his streamng face with his 
coat sleves. 
   "U bet!" said th othr, grinng sociably. "I nevr seen sech dum 
hotness." He sprawld out luxuriusly on th ground. "Je, yes! An' I hope we 
dont hav no mor fightin' til a week from Monday." 
   Ther wer som handshakings and deep speechs with men hos featurs wer 
familir, but with hom th yuth now felt th bonds of tied harts. He helpd a 
cursng comrad to bind up a wound of th shin. 
   But, of a sudn, crys of amazemnt broke out along th ranks of th new 
rejmnt. "Here they com ag'in! Here they com ag'in!" Th man ho had sprawld 
upon th ground startd up and said, "Gosh!" 
   Th yuth turnd quik ys upon th field. He disernd forms begin to swel 
in masses out of a distnt wood. He again saw th tiltd flag speedng forwrd. 
   Th shels, wich had cesed to trubl th rejmnt for a time, came 
swirlng again, and exploded in th grass or among th leavs of th tres. They 
lookd to be stranje war flowrs burstng into fierce bloom. 


Paje 66


   Th men groand. Th lustr faded from ther ys. Ther smujd countenances 
now expresd a profound dejection. They moved ther stifnd bodis sloly, 
and wachd in sulen mood th frantic aproach of th enmy. Th slaves toilng 
in th templ of this god began to feel rebelion at his harsh tasks. 
   They fretd and complaind each to each. "O, say, this is too much of a 
good thing! Wy cant sombody send us suports?" 
   "We aint nevr goin' to stand this secnd bangng. I didnt com here to 
fyt th hul damn' rebel army." 
   Ther was one ho rased a doleful cry. "I wish Bil Smithers had trod on my 
hand, insteader me treddin' on his'n." Th sor joints of th rejmnt creakd 
as it painfuly floundrd into position to repulse. 
   Th yuth stared. Surely, he thot, this imposbl thing was not about to 
hapn. He waitd as if he expectd th enmy to sudnly stop, apolojize, and 
retire bowng. It was al a mistake. 
   But th firing began somwher on th rejmentl line and ripd along in 
both directions. Th levl sheets of flame developd gret clouds of smoke that 
tumbld and tosd in th mild wind near th ground for a moment, and then 


Paje 67

rold thru th ranks as thru a gate. Th clouds wer tinjd an earthlike 
yelo in th sunrays and in th shado wer a sorry blu. Th flag was 
somtimes eatn and lost in this mass of vapor, but mor ofn it projectd, sun 
 tuchd, resplendnt. 
   Into th youth's ys ther came a look that one can se in th orbs of a 
jaded horse. His nek was quivrng with nervus weakness and th musls of his 
arms felt num and blodless. His hands, too, seemd larj and awkwrd as if he 
was werng invisbl mitns. And ther was a gret uncertnty about his ne 
joints. 
   Th words that comrads had utrd previus to th firing began to recur to 
him. "O, say, this is too much of a good thing! Wat do they take us for -- wy 
dont they send suports? I didnt com here to fyt th hul damd rebel 
army." 
   He began to exajrate th endurance, th skil, and th valor of those ho 
wer comng. Himself reelng from exaustion, he was astonishd beyond mesur 
at such persistency. They must be machines of steel. It was very gloomy 
struglng against such afairs, wound up perhaps to fyt until sundown. 
   He sloly liftd his rifle and cachng a glimps of th thickspread field he 
blazed at a 


Paje 68

cantrng clustr. He stopd then and began to peer as best he cud thru 
th smoke. He caut chanjing vews of th ground covrd with men ho wer al 
runng like pursud imps, and yelng. 
   To th yuth it was an onslaut of redoutbl dragns. He became like th 
man ho lost his legs at th aproach of th red and green monstr. He waitd in 
a sort of a horifyd, lisnng atitude. He seemd to shut his ys and wait 
to be gobld. 
   A man near him ho up to this time had been workng feverishly at his rifle 
sudnly stopd and ran with howls. A lad hos face had born an expression of 
exaltd curaj, th majesty of he ho dares giv his life, was, at an instnt, 
smitn abject. He blanchd like one ho has com to th ej of a clif at 
midnyt and is sudnly made aware. Ther was a revlation. He, too, threw down 
his gun and fled. Ther was no shame in his face. He ran like a rabit. 
   Othrs began to scampr away thru th smoke. Th yuth turnd his hed, 
shaken from his trance by this movemnt as if th rejmnt was leving him 
behind. He saw th few fleetng forms. 
   He yeld then with fryt and swung about. For a moment, in th gret 
clamr, he was like a 


Paje 69

proverbial chikn. He lost th direction of safety. Destruction thretnd him 
from al points. 
   Directly he began to speed toward th rear in gret leaps. His rifle and cap 
wer gon. His unbutnd coat buljd in th wind. Th flap of his cartrij box 
bobd wildly, and his canteen, by its slendr cord, swung out behind. On his 
face was al th horr of those things wich he imajnd. 
   Th leutennt sprang forwrd bawlng. Th yuth saw his featurs rathfuly 
red, and saw him make a dab with his sord. His one thot of th incidnt was 
that th leutennt was a peculir creatur to feel intrestd in such matrs 
upon this ocasion. 
   He ran like a blind man. Two or thre times he fel down. Once he nokd his 
sholdr so hevily against a tre that he went hedlong. 
   Since he had turnd his bak upon th fyt his fears had been wondrously 
magnifyd. Deth about to thrust him between th sholdr blades was far mor 
dredful than deth about to smite him between th ys. Wen he thot of it 
later, he conceved th impression that it is betr to vew th apalng than 
to be merely within hearng. Th noises of th batl wer like stones; he 
beleved himself liabl to be crushd. 


Paje 70


   As he ran he mingld with othrs. He dimly saw men on his ryt and on his 
left, and he herd footsteps behind him. He thot that al th rejmnt was 
fleing, pursud by these omnus crashs. 
   In his flyt th sound of these foloing footsteps gave him his one meagr 
relief. He felt vagely that deth must make a first choice of th men ho wer 
nearst; th initial morsls for th dragns wud be then those ho wer 
foloing him. So he displayd th zeal of an insane sprintr in his purpos to 
keep them in th rear. Ther was a race. 
   As he, leadng, went across a litl field, he found himself in a rejon of 
shels. They hurtld over his hed with long wild screams. As he lisnd he 
imajnd them to hav ros of cruel teeth that grinnd at him. Once one lit 
befor him and th livid lytnng of th explosion effectually bard th way 
in his chosen direction. He groveled on th ground and then springng up went 
careerng off thru som bushs. 
   He experienced a thril of amazemnt wen he came within vew of a batry in 
action. Th men ther seemd to be in conventionl moods, altogethr unaware of 
th impendng anihilation. Th batry was disputing with a distnt 


Paje 71

antagnist and th gunrs wer rapd in admration of ther shootng. They 
wer continuly bendng in coaxng posturs over th guns. They seemd to be 
patng them on th bak and encurajng them with words. Th guns, stolid and 
undauntd, spoke with doged valor. 
   Th precise gunrs wer cooly enthusiastic. They liftd ther ys evry 
chance to th smoke  rethed hilok from wence th hostl batry adresd 
them. Th yuth pitid them as he ran. Methodicl idiots! Machine like fools! 
Th refined joy of plantng shels in th midst of th othr battery's formation 
wud apear a litl thing wen th infntry came swoopng out of th woods. 
   Th face of a yuthful rider, ho was jerkng his frantic horse with an 
abandn of tempr he myt display in a placid barnyard, was impresd deeply 
upon his mind. He new that he lookd upon a man ho wud presntly be ded. 
   Too, he felt a pity for th guns, standng, six good comrads, in a bold ro. 

   He saw a brigade going to th relief of its pestrd felos. He scrambld 
upon a we hil and wachd it sweepng finely, keepng formation in dificlt 
places. Th blu of th line was crustd 


Paje 72

with steel color, and th briliant flags projectd. Oficers wer shoutng. 
   This syt also fild him with wondr. Th brigade was hurrying briskly to 
be gulpd into th infernl mouths of th war god. Wat manr of men wer they, 
anyhow? Ah, it was som wondrus breed! Or else they didnt comprehend -- th 
fools. 
   A furius ordr causd comotion in th artilry lery. An oficer on a 
boundng horse made maniacl motions with his arms. Th teams went swingng up 
from th rear, th guns wer wirld about, and th batry scamprd away. Th 
cann with ther noses poked slantingly at th ground gruntd and grumbld like 
stout men, brave but with objections to hurry. 
   Th yuth went on, modrating his pace since he had left th place of noises. 

   Later he came upon a jenrl of division seatd upon a horse that prikd its 
ears in an intrestd way at th batl. Ther was a gret gleamng of yelo 
and patnt lethr about th sadl and bridle. Th quiet man astride lookd 
mouse colord upon such a splendid charjr. 
   A jinglng staf was galopng hithr and thithr. Somtimes th jenrl was 
suroundd by horsmen and at othr times he was quite 


Paje 73

alone. He lookd to be much harasd. He had th apearnce of a busness man 
hos market is swingng up and down. 
   Th yuth went slinkng around this spot. He went as near as he dared tryng 
to overhear words. Perhaps th jenrl, unable to comprehend caos, myt cal 
upon him for infrmation. And he cud tel him. He new al concernng it. Of a 
surety th force was in a fix, and any fool cud se that if they did not 
retreat wile they had oprtunity -- wy -- 
   He felt that he wud like to thrash th jenrl, or at least aproach and 
tel him in plan words exactly wat he thot him to be. It was crimnl to 
stay calmly in one spot and make no efrt to stay destruction. He loitrd in a 
fever of eagrness for th division comandr to aply to him. 
   As he warily moved about, he herd th jenrl cal out iritbly: "Tompkins, 
go over an' se Taylor, an' tel him not t' be in such an al allfired hurry; 
tel him t' halt his brigade in th' ej of th' woods; tel him t' detach a 
reg'ment -- say I think th' centr 'll brek if we dont help it out som; tel 
him t' hurry up." 
   A slim yuth on a fine chesnut horse caut these swift words from th mouth 
of his superir. He made his horse bound into a galop almost 


Paje 74

from a walk in his haste to go upon his mission. Ther was a cloud of dust. 
   A moment later th yuth saw th jenrl bounce exitedly in his sadl. 
   "Yes, by hevns, they hav!" Th oficer leand forwrd. His face was aflame 
with exitemnt. "Yes, by hevns, they 've held 'im! They 've held 'im!" 
   He began to blithely ror at his staf: "We 'll walop 'im now. We 'll walop 
'im now. We 've got 'em sure." He turnd sudnly upon an aid: "Here -- u -- 
Jones -- quik -- ride aftr Tompkins -- se Taylor -- tel him t' go in -- 
everlastingly -- like blazes -- anything." 
   As anothr oficer sped his horse aftr th first mesnjr, th jenrl 
beamd upon th erth like a sun. In his ys was a desire to chant a paean. He 
kept repeatng, "They 've held 'em, by hevns!" 
   His exitemnt made his horse plunj, and he merrily kikd and swor at it. 
He held a litl carnivl of joy on horsbak. 


Paje 75


Chaptr 7
CHAPTR VII.
   TH yuth crinjd as if discovrd in a crime. By hevns, they had won aftr 
al! Th imbecile line had remaind and becom victrs. He cud hear cheerng. 
   He liftd himself upon his toes and lookd in th direction of th fyt. A 
yelo fog lay waloing on th tretops. From beneath it came th clatr of 
musketry. Horse crys told of an advance. 
   He turnd away amazed and angry. He felt that he had been rongd. 
   He had fled, he told himself, because anihilation aproachd. He had don a 
good part in saving himself, ho was a litl pece of th army. He had 
considrd th time, he said, to be one in wich it was th duty of evry litl 
pece to rescu itself if posbl. Later th oficers cud fit th litl 
peces togethr again, and make a batl front. If non of th litl peces 
wer wise enuf to save themselvs from th flurry of deth at such 


Paje 76

a time, wy, then, wher wud be th army? It was al plan that he had 
proceedd acordng to very corect and comendbl rules. His actions had been 
sagacious things. They had been ful of stratejy. They wer th work of a 
master's legs. 
   Thots of his comrads came to him. Th britl blu line had withstood th 
blos and won. He grew bitr over it. It seemd that th blind ignrnce and 
stupidity of those litl peces had betrayd him. He had been overturnd and 
crushd by ther lak of sense in holdng th position, wen intelijnt 
delibration wud hav convinced them that it was imposbl. He, th 
enlytnd man ho looks afar in th dark, had fled because of his superir 
perceptions and nolej. He felt a gret angr against his comrads. He new 
it cud be proved that they had been fools. 
   He wondrd wat they wud remark wen later he apeard in camp. His mind 
herd howls of derision. Ther density wud not enable them to undrstand his 
sharpr point of vew. 
   He began to pity himself acutely. He was il used. He was trodn beneath th 
feet of an iron injustice. He had proceedd with wisdm and from th most 
ryteus motivs undr 


Paje 77

heaven's blu only to be frustrated by hateful circmstnces. 
   A dul, anml like rebelion against his felos, war in th abstract, and 
fate grew within him. He shambld along with bowd hed, his brain in a tumult 
of agny and despair. Wen he lookd loweringly up, quivrng at each sound, his 
ys had th expression of those of a crimnl ho thinks his gilt and his 
punishmnt gret, and nos that he can find no words. 
   He went from th fields into a thik woods, as if resolvd to bury himself. 
He wishd to get out of hearng of th craklng shots wich wer to him like 
voices. 
   Th ground was clutrd with vines and bushs, and th tres grew close and 
spred out like buqets. He was oblijed to force his way with much noise. Th 
creeprs, cachng against his legs, cryd out harshly as ther sprays wer torn 
from th barks of tres. Th swishng saplngs tryd to make nown his presnce 
to th world. He cud not conciliate th forest. As he made his way, it was 
always calng out protestations. Wen he seprated embraces of tres and vines 
th disturbd foliages waved ther arms and turnd ther face leavs toward him. 
He dredd lest these noisy motions and crys shud 


Paje 78

bring men to look at him. So he went far, seekng dark and intricat places. 
   Aftr a time th sound of musketry grew faint and th cann boomd in th 
distnce. Th sun, sudnly aparent, blazed among th tres. Th insects wer 
making rythmicl noises. They seemd to be grindng ther teeth in unisn. A 
woodpekr stuk his impudent hed around th side of a tre. A bird flew on 
lythartd wing. 
   Off was th rumbl of deth. It seemd now that Natur had no ears. 
   This landscape gave him asurance. A fair field holdng life. It was th 
relijn of pece. It wud die if its timid ys wer compeld to se blod. 
He conceved Natur to be a womn with a deep aversion to trajedy. 
   He threw a pine cone at a jovial squirel, and he ran with chatrng fear. 
Hy in a treetop he stopd, and, poking his hed cautiusly from behind a 
branch, lookd down with an air of trepidation. 
   Th yuth felt triumfnt at this exibition. Ther was th law, he said. 
Natur had givn him a syn. Th squirel, imediatly upon recognizing danjer, 
had taken to his legs without ado. He did not stand stolidly baring his furry 
belly to th misl, and die with an upwrd glance at th sympathetic hevns. 
On th 


Paje 79

contry, he had fled as fast as his legs cud carry him; and he was but an 
ordnry squirel, too -- doutless no filosofr of his race. Th yuth 
wended, feelng that Natur was of his mind. She re enforced his argumnt with 
proofs that livd wher th sun shon. 
   Once he found himself almost into a swamp. He was oblijed to walk upon bog 
tufts and wach his feet to keep from th oily mire. Pausng at one time to look 
about him he saw, out at som blak watr, a smal anml pounce in and emerj 
directly with a gleamng fish. 
   Th yuth went again into th deep thikets. Th brushd branchs made a 
noise that drownd th sounds of cann. He walkd on, going from obscurity into 
promises of a gretr obscurity. 
   At length he reachd a place wher th hy, archng bous made a chapl. He 
softly pushd th green dors aside and entrd. Pine needls wer a jentl 
brown carpet. Ther was a relijus half lyt. 
   Near th threshold he stopd, horr strikn at th syt of a thing. 
   He was being lookd at by a ded man ho was seatd with his bak against a 
columnlike tre. Th corps was dresd in a uniform that once had been blu, 
but was now faded to a melancly shade of green. Th ys, staring at th 


Paje 80

yuth, had chanjed to th dul hu to be seen on th side of a ded fish. Th 
mouth was open. Its red had chanjed to an apalng yelo. Over th gray skin 
of th face ran litl ants. One was trundlng som sort of a bundl along th 
upr lip. 
   Th yuth gave a shriek as he confrontd th thing. He was for moments turnd 
to stone befor it. He remaind staring into th liquid lookng ys. Th ded 
man and th livng man exchanjed a long look. Then th yuth cautiusly put one 
hand behind him and brot it against a tre. Leanng upon this he retreatd, 
step by step, with his face stil toward th thing. He feard that if he turnd 
his bak th body myt spring up and stelthily pursu him. 
   Th branchs, pushng against him, thretnd to thro him over upon it. His 
unguided feet, too, caut aggravatingly in brambls; and with it al he 
receved a sutl sujestion to tuch th corps. As he thot of his hand upon 
it he shudrd profoundly. 
   At last he burst th bonds wich had fasnd him to th spot and fled, 
unheeding th undrbrush. He was pursud by a syt of th blak ants swarmng 
greedily upon th gray face and venturng horibly near to th ys. 
   Aftr a time he pausd, and, brethless and 


Paje 81

pantng, lisnd. He imajnd som stranje voice wud com from th ded 
throat and squawk aftr him in horibl menaces. 
   Th tres about th portl of th chapl moved soughingly in a soft wind. A 
sad silence was upon th litl gardng edifice.


Paje 82


Chaptr 8
CHAPTR VIII.
   TH tres began softly to sing a hym of twilyt. Th sun sank until slantd 
bronz rays struk th forest. Ther was a lul in th noises of insects as if 
they had bowd ther beaks and wer making a devotionl pause. Ther was silence 
save for th chantd corus of th tres. 
   Then, upon this stilness, ther sudnly broke a tremendus clangor of 
sounds. A crimsn ror came from th distnce. 
   Th yuth stopd. He was transfixd by this terific medly of al noises. 
It was as if worlds wer being rended. Ther was th ripng sound of musketry 
and th brekng crash of th artilry. 
   His mind flew in al directions. He conceved th two armis to be at each 
othr panthr fashn. He lisnd for a time. Then he began to run in th 
direction of th batl. He saw that it was an ironicl thing for him to be 
runng thus toward that wich he had been at such 


Paje 83

pains to avoid. But he said, in substnce, to himself that if th erth and th 
moon wer about to clash, many persns wud doutless plan to get upon th 
roofs to witness th colision. 
   As he ran, he became aware that th forest had stopd its music, as if at 
last becomng capabl of hearng th foren sounds. Th tres hushd and stood 
motionless. Everything seemd to be lisnng to th crakl and clatr and 
earshaking thundr. Th corus peald over th stil erth. 
   It sudnly ocurd to th yuth that th fyt in wich he had been was, 
aftr al, but perfunctry popng. In th hearng of this presnt din he was 
doutful if he had seen real batl senes. This upror explaind a celestial 
batl; it was tumblng hords a strugl in th air. 
   Reflectng, he saw a sort of a humor in th point of vew of himself and his 
felos during th late encountr. They had taken themselvs and th enmy very 
seriusly and had imajnd that they wer deciding th war. Individuls must 
hav suposed that they wer cutng th letrs of ther names deep into 
evrlastng tablets of brass, or enshrining ther reputations forevr in th 
harts of ther cuntrymen, wile, as to fact, th afair wud apear in 
printd reports undr a 


Paje 84

meek and imaterial title. But he saw that it was good, else, he said, in batl 
evry one wud surely run save forlorn hopes and ther ilk. 
   He went rapidly on. He wishd to com to th ej of th forest that he myt 
peer out. 
   As he hasend, ther pasd thru his mind picturs of stupendus 
conflicts. His acumulated thot upon such subjects was used to form senes. 
Th noise was as th voice of an eloquent being, describing. 
   Somtimes th brambls formd chains and tryd to hold him bak. Tres, 
confrontng him, strechd out ther arms and forbad him to pass. Aftr its 
previus hostility this new resistnce of th forest fild him with a fine 
bitrness. It seemd that Natur cud not be quite redy to kil him. 
   But he obstnatly took roundabout ways, and presntly he was wher he cud 
se long gray walls of vapor wher lay batl lines. Th voices of cann shook 
him. Th musketry soundd in long iregulr surjs that playd havoc with his 
ears. He stood regardant for a moment. His ys had an awestruck expression. He 
gawked in th direction of th fyt. 
   Presntly he proceedd again on his forwrd way. Th batl was like th 
grindng of an imense and teribl machine to him. Its 


Paje 85

complexitis and powrs, its grim processes, fasnated him. He must go close 
and se it produce corpses. 
   He came to a fence and clambrd over it. On th far side, th ground was 
litrd with clothes and guns. A newspaper, foldd up, lay in th dirt. A ded 
soldir was strechd with his face hidn in his arm. Farthr off ther was a 
group of four or five corpses keepng mornful compny. A hot sun had blazed 
upon th spot. 
   In this place th yuth felt that he was an invader. This forgotn part of 
th batl ground was ownd by th ded men, and he hurrid, in th vage 
aprehension that one of th swolen forms wud rise and tel him to begone. 
   He came finaly to a road from wich he cud se in th distnce dark and 
ajitated bodis of troops, smoke frinjd. In th lane was a blod staind crowd 
streamng to th rear. Th woundd men wer cursng, groanng, and wailng. In 
th air, always, was a myty swel of sound that it seemd cud sway th 
erth. With th curajus words of th artilry and th spiteful sentnces of 
th musketry mingld red cheers. And from this rejon of noises came th stedy 
curent of th maimd. 
   One of th woundd men had a shoeful of 


Paje 86

blod. He hopd like a scoolboy in a game. He was lafng hystericly. 
   One was swerng that he had been shot in th arm thru th comandng 
general's mismanajmnt of th army. One was marchng with an air imitativ of 
som sublime drum major. Upon his featurs was an unholy mixtur of merrimnt 
and agny. As he marchd he sang a bit of dogrl in a hy and quaverng 
voice: 
    "Sing a song 'a vic'try, 
    A pocketful 'a bulets, 
    Five an' twenty ded men 
    Baked in a -- pie." Parts of th procession limpd and stagrd to this 
tune. 
   Anothr had th gray seal of deth alredy upon his face. His lips wer 
curld in hard lines and his teeth wer clinchd. His hands wer blody from 
wher he had presd them upon his wound. He seemd to be awaitng th moment 
wen he shud pich hedlong. He stalkd like th spectr of a soldir, his 
ys burnng with th powr of a stare into th unown. 
   Ther wer som ho proceedd sulenly, ful of angr at ther wounds, and 
redy to turn upon anything as an obscure cause. 
   An oficer was carrid along by two privats. He was pevish. "Dont joggle 
so, Johnson, yeh 


Paje 87

fool," he cryd. "Think m' leg is made of iron? If yeh cant carry me decent, 
put me down an' let som one else do it." 
   He bellod at th totrng crowd ho blokd th quik march of his 
berrs. "Say, make way ther, cant yeh? Make way, dickens take it al." 
   They sulkily partd and went to th roadsides. As he was carrid past they 
made pert remarks to him. Wen he rajed in reply and thretnd them, they told 
him to be damd. 
   Th sholdr of one of th trampng berrs nokd hevily against th 
spectrl soldir ho was staring into th unown. 
   Th yuth joind this crowd and marchd along with it. Th torn bodis 
expresd th awful machinery in wich th men had been entangld. 
   Ordrlis and curirs ocasionly broke thru th throng in th roadway, 
scatrng woundd men ryt and left, galopng on folod by howls. Th 
melancly march was continuly disturbd by th mesnjrs, and somtimes by 
buslng batris that came swingng and thumpng down upon them, th oficers 
shoutng ordrs to clear th way. 
   Ther was a tatrd man, fould with dust, blod and powdr stain from hair 
to shoes, ho 


Paje 88

trujd quietly at th youth's side. He was lisnng with eagrness and much 
humility to th lurid descriptions of a beardd serjnt. His lean featurs wor 
an expression of aw and admration. He was like a lisnr in a cuntry stor 
to wondrus tales told among th sugr barels. He yd th story telr with 
unspeakbl wondr. His mouth was agape in yokel fashn. 
   Th serjnt, taking note of this, gave pause to his elabrat histry wile 
he administrd a sardonic coment. "Be keerful, hony, u 'll be a ketchin' 
flys," he said. 
   Th tatrd man shrank bak abashd. 
   Aftr a time he began to sidle near to th yuth, and in a difrnt way try 
to make him a frend. His voice was jentl as a girl's voice and his ys wer 
pleadng. Th yuth saw with surprise that th soldir had two wounds, one in 
th hed, bound with a blod soakd rag, and th othr in th arm, making that 
membr dangl like a broken bou. 
   Aftr they had walkd togethr for som time th tatrd man mustrd 
suficient curaj to speak. "Was pretty good fyt, wa'n't it?" he timidly 
said. Th yuth, deep in thot, glanced up at th blody and grim figr with 
its lamblike ys. "Wat?" 


Paje 89


   "Was pretty good fyt, wa'n't it? 
   "Yes," said th yuth shortly. He quiknd his pace. 
   But th othr hobld industriusly aftr him. Ther was an air of apolojy in 
his manr, but he evidntly thot that he needd only to talk for a time, and 
th yuth wud perceve that he was a good felo. 
   "Was pretty good fyt, wa'n't it?" he began in a smal voice, and then he 
acheved th fortitude to continu. "Dern me if I evr se felrs fyt so. 
Laws, how they did fyt! I noed th' boys 'd like wen they onct got square at 
it. Th' boys aint had no fair chanct up t' now, but this time they showd wat 
they was. I noed it 'd turn out this way. Yeh cant lik them boys. No, sir! 
They'r fytrs, they be." 
   He brethed a deep breth of humbl admration. He had lookd at th yuth 
for encurajmnt sevrl times. He receved non, but graduly he seemd to 
get absorbd in his subject. 
   "I was talkn 'cross pikets with a boy from Jorji, onct, an' that boy, he 
ses, 'your felrs 'll al run like hel wen they onct hearn a gun,' he ses. 
'mebbe they wil,' I ses, 'but I dont b'lieve non of it,' I ses; 'an' 
b'jiminey,' I ses bak t' 'um, 'mebbe yr felrs 'll al run like hel 


Paje 90

wen they onct hearn a gun,' I ses. He larfed. Wel, they didnt run t' day, did 
they, hey? No, sir! They fit, an' fit, an' fit." 
   His homely face was sufused with a lyt of lov for th army wich was to 
him al things butiful and powrful. 
   Aftr a time he turnd to th yuth. "Wher yeh hit, ol' boy?" he askd in a 
brothrly tone. 
   Th yuth felt instnt panic at this question, altho at first its ful 
import was not born in upon him. 
   "Wat?" he askd. 
   "Wher yeh hit?" repeatd th tatrd man. 
   "Wy," began th yuth, "I -- I -- that is -- wy -- I -- " 
   He turnd away sudnly and slid thru th crowd. His brow was hevily 
flushd, and his fingrs wer pikng nervusly at one of his butns. He bent 
his hed and fasnd his ys studiusly upon th butn as if it wer a litl 
problm. 
   Th tatrd man lookd aftr him in astonishmnt.


Paje 91


Chaptr 9
CHAPTR IX.
   TH yuth fel bak in th procession until th tatrd soldir was not in 
syt. Then he startd to walk on with th othrs. 
   But he was amid wounds. Th mob of men was bleedng. Because of th tatrd 
soldier's question he now felt that his shame cud be vewd. He was 
continuly castng sidelong glances to se if th men wer contmplating th 
letrs of gilt he felt burnd into his brow. 
   At times he regardd th woundd soldirs in an envius way. He conceved 
persns with torn bodis to be peculirly happy. He wishd that he, too, had a 
wound, a red baj of curaj. 
   Th spectrl soldir was at his side like a stalkng reproach. Th man's ys 
wer stil fixd in a stare into th unown. His gray, apalng face had 
atractd atention in th crowd, and men, sloing to his dreary pace, wer 
walkng with him. They wer discusng his plyt, questionng him and givng 
him advice. 


Paje 92

In a doged way he repeld them, synng to them to go on and leve him alone. 
Th shados of his face wer deepnng and his tyt lips seemd holdng in 
chek th moan of gret despair. Ther cud be seen a certn stifness in th 
movemnts of his body, as if he wer taking infnit care not to arouse th 
passion of his wounds. As he went on, he seemd always lookng for a place, like 
one ho gos to choose a grave. 
   Somthing in th jestur of th man as he waved th blody and pitying 
soldirs away made th yuth start as if bitn. He yeld in horr. Totrng 
forwrd he laid a quivrng hand upon th man's arm. As th latr sloly turnd 
his waxlike featurs toward him, th yuth screamd: 
   "Gawd! Jim Conklin!" 
   Th tal soldir made a litl comnplace smile. "Helo, Henry," he said. 
   Th yuth swayd on his legs and glared stranjely. He stutrd and 
stamrd. "O, Jim -- o, Jim -- o, Jim -- " 
   Th tal soldir held out his gory hand. Ther was a curius red and blak 
combnation of new blod and old blod upon it. "Wher yeh been, Henry?" he 
askd. He continud in a monotnus voice, "I thot mebe yeh got keeled 


Paje 93

over. Ther 's been thundr t' pay t' day. I was worryin' about it a good deal." 

   Th yuth stil lamentd. "O, Jim -- o, Jim -- o, Jim -- " 
   "Yeh no," said th tal soldir, "I was out ther." He made a careful 
jestur. "An', Lord, wat a circus! An', b'jiminey, I got shot -- I got shot. 
Yes, b'jiminey, I got shot." He reitrated this fact in a bewildrd way, as if 
he did not no how it came about. 
   Th yuth put forth anxius arms to asist him, but th tal soldir went 
firmly on as if propeld. Since th youth's arival as a gardian for his 
frend, th othr woundd men had cesed to display much intrest. They ocupyd 
themselvs again in dragng ther own trajedis toward th rear. 
   Sudnly, as th two frends marchd on, th tal soldir seemd to be 
overcom by a terr. His face turnd to a semblnce of gray paste. He cluchd 
th youth's arm and lookd al about him, as if dredng to be overherd. Then 
he began to speak in a shaking wispr: 
   "I tel yeh wat I'm 'fraid of, Henry -- I 'll tel yeh wat I 'm 'fraid of. 
I 'm 'fraid I 'll fal down -- an' then yeh no -- them damd artilry wagns 
-- they like as not 'll run over me. That 's wat I 'm 'fraid of -- " 


Paje 94


   Th yuth cryd out to him hystericly: "I 'll take care of yeh, Jim! I'l 
take care of yeh! I swer t' Gawd I wil!" 
   "Sure -- wil yeh, Henry?" th tal soldir beseeched. 
   "Yes -- yes -- I tel yeh -- I'l take care of yeh, Jim!" protestd th 
yuth. He cud not speak acuratly because of th gulpings in his throat. 
   But th tal soldir continud to beg in a loly way. He now hung babelike to 
th youth's arm. His ys rold in th wildness of his terr. "I was allus a 
good frend t' yeh, wa'n't I, Henry? I 've allus been a pretty good felr, 
aint I? An' it aint much t' ask, is it? Jest t' pul me along outr th' road? 
I 'd do it fer u, Wudnt I, Henry?" 
   He pausd in piteus anxiety to await his friend's reply. 
   Th yuth had reachd an anguish wher th sobs scorchd him. He strove to 
express his loylty, but he cud only make fantastic jesturs. 
   Howevr, th tal soldir seemd sudnly to forget al those fears. He 
became again th grim, stalkng spectr of a soldir. He went stonily forwrd. 
Th yuth wishd his frend to lean upon him, but th othr always shook his 
hed and stranjely protestd. "No -- no -- no -- leve me be -- leve me be -- " 



Paje 95


   His look was fixd again upon th unown. He moved with mysterius purpos, 
and al of th youth's ofrs he brushd aside. "No -- no -- leve me be -- 
leve me be -- " 
   Th yuth had to folo. 
   Presntly th latr herd a voice talkng softly near his sholdrs. Turnng 
he saw that it belongd to th tatrd soldir. "Ye 'd betr take 'im outa th' 
road, pardner. Ther 's a batt'ry comin' helitywhoop down th' road an' he 'll 
git runned over. He 's a goner anyhow in about five minuts -- yeh kin se that. 
Ye 'd betr take 'im outa th' road. Wher th' blazes dos he git his stren'th 
from?" 
   "Lord nos!" cryd th yuth. He was shaking his hands helplesly. 
   He ran forwrd presntly and graspd th tal soldir by th arm. "Jim! Jim!" 
he coaxd, "com with me." 
   Th tal soldir weakly tryd to rench himself fre. "Huh," he said 
vacantly. He stared at th yuth for a moment. At last he spoke as if dimly 
comprehendng. "O! Inteh th' fields? O!" 
   He startd blindly thru th grass. 
   Th yuth turnd once to look at th lashng riders and jouncing guns of th 
batry. He was startld from this vew by a shril outcry from th tatrd 
man. 


Paje 96


   "Gawd! He's runnin'!" 
   Turnng his hed swiftly, th yuth saw his frend runng in a stagrng 
and stumblng way toward a litl clump of bushs. His hart seemd to rench 
itself almost fre from his body at this syt. He made a noise of pain. He and 
th tatrd man began a pursuit. Ther was a singulr race. 
   Wen he overtook th tal soldir he began to plead with al th words he 
cud find. "Jim -- Jim -- wat ar u doing -- wat makes u do this way -- 
u 'll hurt yerself." 
   Th same purpos was in th tal soldier's face. He protestd in a duld 
way, keepng his ys fasnd on th mystic place of his intentions. "No -- no 
-- dont tec me -- leve me be -- leve me be -- " 
   Th yuth, agast and fild with wondr at th tal soldir, began 
quaveringly to question him. "Wher yeh goin', Jim? Wat u thinkng about? 
Wher u going? Tel me, wont u, Jim?" 
   Th tal soldir faced about as upon relentless pursurs. In his ys ther 
was a gret apeal. "Leve me be, cant yeh? Leve me be fer a minnit." 
   Th yuth recoild. "Wy, Jim," he said, in a dazed way, "wat's th matr 
with u?" 


Paje 97


   Th tal soldir turnd and, lurchng danjerusly, went on. Th yuth and th 
tatrd soldir folod, sneakng as if wipd, feelng unable to face th 
strikn man if he shud again confront them. They began to hav thots of a 
solem ceremny. Ther was somthing rite like in these movemnts of th doomd 
soldir. And ther was a resemblnce in him to a devotee of a mad relijn, 
blod sukng, musl renchng, bone crushng. They wer awd and afraid. They 
hung bak lest he hav at comand a dredful wepn. 
   At last, they saw him stop and stand motion less. Hasenng up, they 
perceved that his face wor an expression telng that he had at last found th 
place for wich he had strugld. His spare figr was erect; his blody hands 
wer quietly at his side. He was waitng with patience for somthing that he had 
com to meet. He was at th rendezvu. They pausd and stood, expectnt. 
   Ther was a silence. 
   Finaly, th chest of th doomd soldir began to heve with a straind 
motion. It incresed in violence until it was as if an anml was within and was 
kikng and tumblng furiusly to be fre. 
   This spectacl of gradul strangulation made 


Paje 98

th yuth rithe, and once as his frend rold his ys, he saw somthing in 
them that made him sink wailng to th ground. He rased his voice in a last 
supreme cal. 
   "Jim -- Jim -- Jim -- " 
   Th tal soldir opend his lips and spoke. He made a jestur. "Leve me be 
-- dont tec me -- leve me be -- " 
   Ther was anothr silence wile he waitd. 
   Sudnly, his form stifnd and straitnd. Then it was shaken by a 
prolongd agu. He stared into space. To th two wachrs ther was a curius 
and profound dignity in th firm lines of his awful face. 
   He was invaded by a creepng stranjeness that sloly envelopd him. For a 
moment th tremr of his legs causd him to dance a sort of hideus hornpipe. 
His arms beat wildly about his hed in expression of implike enthusiasm. 
   His tal figr strechd itself to its ful hyt. Ther was a slyt 
rendng sound. Then it began to swing forwrd, slo and strait, in th manr 
of a falng tre. A swift musculr contortion made th left sholdr strike th 
ground first. 
   Th body seemd to bounce a litl way from th erth. "God!" said th 
tatrd soldir. 
   Th yuth had wachd, spelbound, this ceremny at th place of meetng. His 
face 


Paje 99

had been twistd into an expression of evry agny he had imajnd for his 
frend. 
   He now sprang to his feet and, going closer, gazed upon th pastelike face. 
Th mouth was open and th teeth showd in a laf. 
   As th flap of th blu jaket fel away from th body, he cud se that th 
side lookd as if it had been chewd by wolvs. 
   Th yuth turnd, with sudn, livid raje, toward th batlfield. He shook 
his fist. He seemd about to delivr a philippic. 
   "Hel -- " 
   Th red sun was pasted in th sky like a wafer.


Paje 100


Chaptr 10
CHAPTR X.
   TH tatrd man stood musing. 
   "Wel, he was reg'lar jim dandy fer nerv, wa'n't he," said he finaly in a 
litl awestruck voice. "A reg'lar jim dandy." He thotfuly poked one of th 
docil hands with his foot. "I wonner wher he got 'is stren'th from? I nevr 
seen a man do like that befor. It was a funny thing. Wel, he was a reg'lar jim 
dandy." 
   Th yuth desired to screech out his grief. He was stabd, but his tong 
lay ded in th tomb of his mouth. He threw himself again upon th ground and 
began to brood. 
   Th tatrd man stood musing. 
   "Look a here, pardner," he said, aftr a time. He regardd th corps as he 
spoke. "He 's up an' gon, aint 'e, an' we myt as wel begin t' look out fer 
ol' numbr one. This here thing is al over. He 's up an' gon, aint 'e? An' he 
's al ryt here. Nobody wont bothr 'im. An' I must say I aint enjoyng any 
gret helth m'self these days." 


Paje 101


   Th yuth, awakend by th tatrd soldier's tone, lookd quikly up. He saw 
that he was swingng uncertnly on his legs and that his face had turnd to a 
shade of blu. 
   "Good Lord!" he cryd, "u aint goin' t' -- not u, too." 
   Th tatrd man waved his hand. "Nary die," he said. "Al I want is som pe 
soup an' a good bed. Som pe soup," he repeatd dreamfully. 
   Th yuth arose from th ground. "I wondr wher he came from. I left him 
over ther." He pointd. "And now I find 'im here. And he was comng from over 
ther, too." He indicated a new direction. They both turnd toward th body as 
if to ask of it a question. 
   "Wel," at length spoke th tatrd man, "ther aint no use in our stayin' 
here an' tryin' t' ask him anything." 
   Th yuth nodd an asent wearily. They both turnd to gaze for a moment at 
th corps. 
   Th yuth murmrd somthing. 
   "Wel, he was a jim dandy, wa'n't 'e?" said th tatrd man as if in 
response. 
   They turnd ther baks upon it and startd away. For a time they stole 
softly, tredng with ther toes. It remaind lafng ther in th grass. 


Paje 102


   "I'm commencin' t' feel pretty bad," said th tatrd man, sudnly brekng 
one of his litl silences. "I'm commencin' t' feel pretty damn' bad." 
   Th yuth groand. "O Lord!" He wondrd if he was to be th torturd witness 
of anothr grim encountr. 
   But his companion waved his hand reasuringly. "O, I'm not goin' t' die yit! 
Ther too much dependin' on me fer me t' die yit. No, sir! Nary die! I cant! 
Ye'd ota se th' swad a' chil'ren I'v got, an' al like that." 
   Th yuth glancing at his companion cud se by th shado of a smile that 
he was making som kind of fun. 
   As they plodd on th tatrd soldir continud to talk. "Besides, if I 
died, I wudnt die th' way that felr did. That was th' funniest thing. I'd 
jest flop down, I wud. I nevr seen a felr die th' way that felr did. 
   "Yeh no Tom Jamison, he lives next dor t' me up home. He's a nice felr, 
he is, an' we was allus good frends. Smart, too. Smart as a steel trap. Wel, 
wen we was a fightin' this atternoon, al of a sudn he begin t' rip up an' 
cuss an' beller at me. 'yer shot, yeh blamed infernl!' -- he swer horibl -- 
he ses t' me. I put up m' hand t' m' hed an' wen I lookd at 


Paje 103

m' fingrs, I seen, sure 'nough, I was shot. I giv a holr an' begin t' run, 
but b'fore I cud git away anothr one hit me in th' arm an' whirl' me clean 
'round. I got skeared wen they was al a shootin' b'hind me an' I run t' beat 
al, but I cotch it pretty bad. I'v an idee I'd a' been fightin' yit, if t'was 
n't fer Tom Jamison." 
   Then he made a calm anouncemnt: "Ther's two of 'em -- litl ones -- but 
they 're beginnin' t' hav fun with me now. I dont b'lieve I kin walk much 
furder." 
   They went sloly on in silence. "Yeh look pretty peek ed yerself," said th 
tatrd man at last. "I bet yeh 've got a worser one than yeh think. Ye'd 
betr take keer of yer hurt. It dont do t' let sech things go. It myt be 
inside mostly, an' them plays thundr. Wher is it located?" But he continud 
his harang without waitng for a reply. "I se 'a felr git hit plum in th' 
hed wen my reg'ment was a standin' at ese onct. An' evrybody yeld out to 
'im: Hurt, Jon? Ar yeh hurt much? 'no," ses he. He lookd kindr surprised, 
an' he went on tellin' 'em how he felt. He sed he didnt feel nothin'. But, by 
dad, th' first thing that felr noed he was ded. Yes, he was ded -- stone 
ded. So, yeh wanta wach out. Yeh myt hav som 


Paje 104

queer kind 'a hurt yerself. Yeh cant nevr tel. Wher is your'n located?" 
   Th yuth had been riglng since th introduction of this topic. He now 
gave a cry of exaspration and made a furius motion with his hand. "O, dont 
bothr me!" he said. He was enrajed against th tatrd man, and cud hav 
strangld him. His companions seemd evr to play intolrbl parts. They wer 
evr upraising th gost of shame on th stik of ther curiosity. He turnd 
toward th tatrd man as one at bay. "Now, dont bothr me," he repeatd with 
desprat menace. 
   "Wel, Lord nos I dont wanta bothr anybody," said th othr. Ther was a 
litl accent of despair in his voice as he replyd, "Lord nos I 've gota 
'nough m' own t' tend to." 
   Th yuth, ho had been holdng a bitr debate with himself and castng 
glances of hatred and contemt at th tatrd man, here spoke in a hard voice. 
"Good by," he said. 
   Th tatrd man lookd at him in gaping amazemnt. "Wy -- wy, pardner, 
wher yeh goin'?" he askd unstedily. Th yuth lookng at him, cud se that 
he, too, like that othr one, was beginng to act dum and anml like. His 
thots seemd to be floundrng about in his hed. "Now -- now -- look -- a -- 
here, u Tom 


Paje 105

Jamison -- now -- I wont hav this -- this here wont do. Wher -- wher yeh 
goin'?" 
   Th yuth pointd vagely. "Over ther," he replyd. 
   "Wel, now look -- a -- here -- now," said th tatrd man, ramblng on in 
idiot fashn. His hed was hangng forwrd and his words wer slurd. "This 
thing wont do, now, Tom Jamison. It wont do. I no yeh, yeh pig hedd devl. 
Yeh wanta go trompin' off with a bad hurt. It aint ryt -- now -- Tom Jamison 
-- it aint. Yeh wanta leve me take keer of yeh, Tom Jamison. It aint -- ryt 
-- it aint -- fer yeh t' go -- trompin' off -- with a bad hurt -- it aint -- 
aint -- aint ryt -- it aint." 
   In reply th yuth climbd a fence and startd away. He cud hear th 
tatrd man bleatng plaintivly. 
   Once he faced about angrily. "Wat?" 
   "Look -- a -- here, now, Tom Jamison -- now -- it aint -- " 
   Th yuth went on. Turnng at a distnce he saw th tatrd man wandrng 
about helplesly in th field. 
   He now thot that he wishd he was ded. He beleved that he envid those 
men hos bodis lay strewn over th grass of th fields and on th falen 
leavs of th forest. 


Paje 106


   Th simpl questions of th tatrd man had been nife thrusts to him. They 
asertd a society that probes pitilessly at secrets until al is aparent. His 
late companion's chance persistency made him feel that he cud not keep his 
crime conceald in his bosm. It was sure to be brot plan by one of those 
aros wich cloud th air and ar constntly prikng, discovrng, proclaimng 
those things wich ar willd to be forevr hidn. He admitd that he cud 
not defend himself against this ajency. It was not within th powr of 
vijlnce.


Paje 107


Chaptr 11
CHAPTR XI.
   HE became aware that th furnace ror of th batl was groing loudr. Gret 
brown clouds had floatd to th stil hyts of air befor him. Th noise, too, 
was aproachng. Th woods filtrd men and th fields became dotd. 
   As he roundd a hilok, he perceved that th roadway was now a cryng mass 
of wagns, teams, and men. From th heving tangl isud exortations, 
comands, imprecations. Fear was sweepng it al along. Th crakng wips bit 
and horses plunjd and tugd. Th wite topd wagns straind and stumbld in 
ther exertions like fat sheep. 
   Th yuth felt comfrtd in a mesur by this syt. They wer al 
retreatng. Perhaps, then, he was not so bad aftr al. He seatd himself and 
wachd th terr strikn wagns. They fled like soft, ungainly anmls. Al 
th roarers and lashers servd to help him to magnify th danjers and horrs of 
th engajemnt that he 


Paje 108

myt try to prove to himself that th thing with wich men cud charj him was 
in truth a symetricl act. Ther was an amount of plesur to him in wachng 
th wild march of this vindication. 
   Presntly th calm hed of a forwrd going colum of infntry apeard in th 
road. It came swiftly on. Avoidng th obstructions gave it th sinuus movemnt 
of a serpnt. Th men at th hed butd mules with ther musket stoks. They 
prodd teamsters indifrnt to al howls. Th men forced ther way thru 
parts of th dense mass by strength. Th blunt hed of th colum pushd. Th 
raving teamsters swor many stranje oaths. 
   Th comands to make way had th ring of a gret importnce in them. Th men 
wer going forwrd to th hart of th din. They wer to confront th eagr rush 
of th enmy. They felt th pride of ther onwrd movemnt wen th remaindr of 
th army seemd tryng to dribl down this road. They tumbld teams about with 
a fine feelng that it was no matr so long as ther colum got to th front in 
time. This importnce made ther faces grave and stern. And th baks of th 
oficers wer very rijid. 
   As th yuth lookd at them th blak weit of his wo returnd to him. He 
felt that he was 


Paje 109

regardng a procession of chosen beings. Th sepration was as gret to him as 
if they had marchd with wepns of flame and banrs of sunlyt. He cud 
nevr be like them. He cud hav wept in his longngs. 
   He serchd about in his mind for an adequat malediction for th indefnit 
cause, th thing upon wich men turn th words of final blame. It -- watevr it 
was -- was responsbl for him, he said. Ther lay th falt. 
   Th haste of th colum to reach th batl seemd to th forlorn yung man 
to be somthing much finer than stout fytng. Heros, he thot, cud find 
excuses in that long sething lane. They cud retire with perfect self respect 
and make excuses to th stars. 
   He wondrd wat those men had eatn that they cud be in such haste to 
force ther way to grim chances of deth. As he wachd his envy grew until he 
thot that he wishd to chanje lives with one of them. He wud hav liked to 
hav used a tremendus force, he said, thro off himself and becom a betr. 
Swift picturs of himself, apart, yet in himself, came to him -- a blu 
desprat figr leadng lurid charjs with one ne forwrd and a broken blade 
hy -- a blu, determnd figr standng befor a crimsn and steel asalt, 
getng calmly kild on a hy 


Paje 110

place befor th ys of al. He thot of th magnificent pathos of his ded 
body. 
   These thots upliftd him. He felt th quivr of war desire. In his ears, 
he herd th ring of victry. He new th frenzy of a rapid succesful charj. 
Th music of th tramplng feet, th sharp voices, th clankng arms of th 
colum near him made him sor on th red wings of war. For a few moments he was 
sublime. 
   He thot that he was about to start for th front. Indeed, he saw a pictur 
of himself, duststained, hagrd, pantng, flyng to th front at th propr 
moment to seze and throtl th dark, leerng wich of calamity. 
   Then th dificltis of th thing began to drag at him. He hesitated, 
balancing awkwrdly on one foot. 
   He had no rifle; he cud not fyt with his hands, said he resentfuly to 
his plan. Wel, rifles cud be had for th pikng. They wer extrordnrily 
profuse. 
   Also, he continud, it wud be a miracl if he found his rejmnt. Wel, he 
cud fyt with any rejmnt. 
   He startd forwrd sloly. He stepd as if he expectd to tred upon som 
explosiv thing. Douts and he wer struglng. 
   He wud truly be a worm if any of his comrads 


Paje 111

shud se him returng thus, th marks of his flyt upon him. Ther was a 
reply that th intent fytrs did not care for wat hapnd rearwrd saving 
that no hostl baynets apeard ther. In th batl blur his face wud, in a 
way be hidn, like th face of a cowled man. 
   But then he said that his tireless fate wud bring forth, wen th strife 
luld for a moment, a man to ask of him an explnation. In imajnation he felt 
th scrutiny of his companions as he painfuly labord thru som lies. 
   Eventuly, his curaj expendd itself upon these objections. Th debates 
draind him of his fire. 
   He was not cast down by this defeat of his plan, for, upon studying th 
afair carefuly, he cud not but admit that th objections wer very 
formidbl. 
   Furthrmor, varius ailmnts had begun to cry out. In ther presnce he 
cud not persist in flyng hy with th wings of war; they rendrd it almost 
imposbl for him to se himself in a heroic lyt. He tumbld hedlong. 
   He discovrd that he had a scorchng thirst. His face was so dry and grimy 
that he thot he cud feel his skin crakl. Each bone of his body had an 
ache in it, and seemngly thretnd 


Paje 112

to brek with each movemnt. His feet wer like two sors. Also, his body was 
calng for food. It was mor powrful than a direct hungr. Ther was a dul, 
weit like feelng in his stomac, and, wen he tryd to walk, his hed swayd 
and he totrd. He cud not se with distinctness. Smal pachs of green mist 
floatd befor his vision. 
   Wile he had been tosd by many emotions, he had not been aware of ailmnts. 
Now they beset him and made clamr. As he was at last compeld to pay atention 
to them, his capacity for self hate was multiplyd. In despair, he declared that 
he was not like those othrs. He now conceded it to be imposbl that he shud 
evr becom a hero. He was a craven loon. Those picturs of glory wer piteus 
things. He groand from his hart and went stagrng off. 
   A certn mothlike quality within him kept him in th vicinity of th batl. 
He had a gret desire to se, and to get news. He wishd to no ho was 
winng. 
   He told himself that, despite his unprecedentd sufrng, he had nevr lost 
his greed for a victry, yet, he said, in a half apolojetic manr to his 
concience, he cud not but no that a defeat for th army this time myt 
mean many favorabl things for him. Th blos of th enmy 


Paje 113

wud splintr rejmnts into fragmnts. Thus, many men of curaj, he 
considrd, wud be oblijed to desert th colors and scurry like chikns. He 
wud apear as one of them. They wud be sulen brothrs in distress, and he 
cud then esily beleve he had not run any farthr or fastr than they. And if 
he himself cud beleve in his virtuus perfection, he conceved that ther 
wud be smal trubl in convincing al othrs. 
   He said, as if in excuse for this hope, that previusly th army had 
encountrd gret defeats and in a few months had shaken off al blod and 
tradition of them, emerjng as bryt and valiant as a new one; thrustng out of 
syt th memry of disastr, and apearng with th valor and confidnce of 
unconquered lejons. Th shrilng voices of th peple at home wud pipe 
dismly for a time, but varius jenrls wer usuly compeld to lisn to 
these ditties. He of corse felt no compunctions for proposing a jenrl as a 
sacrifice. He cud not tel ho th chosen for th barbs myt be, so he cud 
centr no direct sympathy upon him. Th peple wer afar and he did not conceve 
public opinion to be acurat at long ranje. It was quite probbl they wud 
hit th rong man ho, aftr he had recovrd from his amazemnt 


Paje 114

wud perhaps spend th rest of his days in riting replys to th songs of his 
alejd failur. It wud be very unfortunat, no dout, but in this case a 
jenrl was of no consequence to th yuth. 
   In a defeat ther wud be a roundabout vindication of himself. He thot it 
wud prove, in a manr, that he had fled erly because of his superir powrs 
of perception. A serius profet upon predictng a flod shud be th first man 
to climb a tre. This wud demnstrate that he was indeed a seer. 
   A moral vindication was regardd by th yuth as a very importnt thing. 
Without salv, he cud not, he thot, wer th sor baj of his dishonor 
thru life. With his hart continuly asuring him that he was despicbl, he 
cud not exist without making it, thru his actions, aparent to al men. 
   If th army had gon gloriusly on he wud be lost. If th din ment that 
now his army's flags wer tiltd forwrd he was a condemd rech. He wud be 
compeld to doom himself to isolation. If th men wer advancing, ther 
indifrnt feet wer tramplng upon his chances for a succesful life. 
   As these thots went rapidly thru his mind, he turnd upon them and 
tryd to thrust 


Paje 115

them away. He denounced himself as a vilan. He said that he was th most 
unutrbly selfish man in existnce. His mind picturd th soldirs ho wud 
place ther defiant bodis befor th spear of th yelng batl fiend, and as 
he saw ther dripng corpses on an imajnd field, he said that he was ther 
murdrr. 
   Again he thot that he wishd he was ded. He beleved that he envid a 
corps. Thinkng of th slain, he acheved a gret contemt for som of them, as 
if they wer gilty for thus becomng lifeless. They myt hav been kild by 
lucky chances, he said, befor they had had oprtunitis to fle or befor they 
had been realy testd. Yet they wud receve laurels from tradition. He cryd 
out bitrly that ther crowns wer stolen and ther robes of glorius memris 
wer shams. Howevr, he stil said that it was a gret pity he was not as they. 
   A defeat of th army had sujestd itself to him as a means of escape from 
th consequences of his fal. He considrd, now, howevr, that it was useless 
to think of such a posbility. His education had been that success for that 
myty blu machine was certn; that it wud make victris as a contrivance 
turns out butns. He presntly discardd al his speculations in th 


Paje 116

othr direction. He returnd to th creed of soldirs. 
   Wen he perceved again that it was not posbl for th army to be defeatd, 
he tryd to bethink him of a fine tale wich he cud take bak to his rejmnt, 
and with it turn th expectd shafts of derision. 
   But, as he mortly feard these shafts, it became imposbl for him to 
invent a tale he felt he cud trust. He experimntd with many scemes, but 
threw them aside one by one as flimsy. He was quik to se vulnrbl places in 
them al. 
   Furthrmor, he was much afraid that som aro of scorn myt lay him 
mently lo befor he cud rase his protectng tale. 
   He imajnd th hole rejmnt sayng: "Wher's Henry Flemng? He run, didnt 
'e? O, my!" He recald varius persns ho wud be quite sure to leve him no 
pece about it. They wud doutless question him with sneers, and laf at his 
stamrng hesitation. In th next engajemnt they wud try to keep wach of 
him to discovr wen he wud run. 
   Wherevr he went in camp, he wud encountr inslnt and lingeringly cruel 
stares. As he imajnd himself pasng near a crowd of 


Paje 117

comrads, he cud hear som one say, "Ther he gos!" 
   Then, as if th heds wer moved by one musl, al th faces wer turnd 
toward him with wide, derisiv grins. He seemd to hear som one make a humorus 
remark in a lo tone. At it th othrs al croed and cakld. He was a slang 
frase.


Paje 118


Chaptr 12
CHAPTR XII.
   TH colum that had butd stoutly at th obstacls in th roadway was barely 
out of th youth's syt befor he saw dark waves of men com sweepng out of 
th woods and down thru th fields. He new at once that th steel fibers had 
been washd from ther harts. They wer burstng from ther coats and ther 
equipmnts as from entanglmnts. They charjd down upon him like terifyd 
buffaloes. 
   Behind them blu smoke curld and cloudd abov th tretops, and thru th 
thikets he cud somtimes se a distnt pink glare. Th voices of th cann 
wer clamoring in intermnbl corus. 
   Th yuth was horrorstricken. He stared in agny and amazemnt. He forgot 
that he was engajed in combatng th universe. He threw aside his mentl 
pamflets on th filosofy of th retreatd and rules for th gidance of th 
damd. 


Paje 119


   Th fyt was lost. Th dragns wer comng with invincibl strides. Th 
army, helpless in th matd thikets and blindd by th overhangng nyt, was 
going to be swalod. War, th red anml, war, th blod swolen god, wud 
hav bloatd fil. 
   Within him somthing bad to cry out. He had th impulse to make a rallying 
speech, to sing a batl hym, but he cud only get his tong to cal into th 
air: "Wy -- wy -- wat -- wat 's th' matr?" 
   Soon he was in th midst of them. They wer leapng and scamprng al about 
him. Ther blanchd faces shon in th dusk. They seemd, for th most part, to 
be very burly men. Th yuth turnd from one to anothr of them as they galopd 
along. His incoherent questions wer lost. They wer heedless of his apeals. 
They did not seem to se him. 
   They somtimes gabld insanely. One huje man was askng of th sky: "Say, 
wher de plank road? Wher de plank road!" It was as if he had lost a child. He 
wept in his pain and dismay. 
   Presntly, men wer runng hithr and thithr in al ways. Th artilry 
boomng, forwrd, rearwrd, and on th flanks made jumbl of ideas of direction. 
Landmarks had 


Paje 120

vanishd into th gathrd gloom. Th yuth began to imajn that he had got 
into th centr of th tremendus quarel, and he cud perceve no way out of 
it. From th mouths of th fleing men came a thousnd wild questions, but no 
one made ansrs. 
   Th yuth, aftr rushng about and throing interogations at th heedless 
bands of retreatng infntry, finaly cluchd a man by th arm. They swung 
around face to face. 
   "Wy -- wy -- " stamrd th yuth struglng with his balking tong. 
   Th man screamd: "Let go me! Let go me!" His face was livid and his ys 
wer rolng uncontrold. He was heving and pantng. He stil graspd his 
rifle, perhaps havng forgotn to relese his hold upon it. He tugd 
franticly, and th yuth being compeld to lean forwrd was dragd sevrl 
paces. 
   "Let go me! Let go me!" 
   "Wy -- wy -- " stutrd th yuth. 
   "Wel, then!" bawld th man in a lurid raje. He adroitly and fiercely swung 
his rifle. It crushd upon th youth's hed. Th man ran on. 
   Th youth's fingrs had turnd to paste upon th other's arm. Th enrjy was 
smitn from his musls. He saw th flaming wings of lytnng 


Paje 121

flash befor his vision. Ther was a defnng rumbl of thundr within his 
hed. 
   Sudnly his legs seemd to die. He sank rithing to th ground. He tryd to 
arise. In his efrts against th numng pain he was like a man reslng with 
a creatur of th air. 
   Ther was a sinistr strugl. 
   Somtimes he wud acheve a position half erect, batl with th air for a 
moment, and then fal again, grabng at th grass. His face was of a clammy 
palr. Deep groans wer renchd from him. 
   At last, with a twistng movemnt, he got upon his hands and nes, and from 
thence, like a babe tryng to walk, to his feet. Presng his hands to his 
templs he went lurchng over th grass. 
   He fot an intense batl with his body. His duld senses wishd him to 
swoon and he oposed them stubrnly, his mind portrayng unown danjers and 
mutilations if he shud fal upon th field. He went tal soldir fashn. He 
imajnd secluded spots wher he cud fal and be unmolestd. To serch for one 
he strove against th tide of his pain. 
   Once he put his hand to th top of his hed and timidly tuchd th wound. 
Th scrachng pain of th contact made him draw a long breth 


Paje 122

thru his clinchd teeth. His fingrs wer dabld with blod. He regardd 
them with a fixd stare. 
   Around him he cud hear th grumbl of joltd cann as th scurrying horses 
wer lashd toward th front. Once, a yung oficer on a besplashed charjr 
nearly ran him down. He turnd and wachd th mass of guns, men, and horses 
sweepng in a wide curv toward a gap in a fence. Th oficer was making exited 
motions with a gauntleted hand. Th guns folod th teams with an air of 
unwilngness, of being dragd by th heels. 
   Som oficers of th scatrd infntry wer cursng and railng like 
fishwives. Ther scoldng voices cud be herd abov th din. Into th 
unspeakbl jumbl in th roadway rode a squadron of cavlry. Th faded yelo 
of ther facings shon bravely. Ther was a myty altrcation. 
   Th artilry wer asemblng as if for a confrnce. 
   Th blu haze of evenng was upon th field. Th lines of forest wer long 
purpl shados. One cloud lay along th westrn sky partly smothrng th red. 
   As th yuth left th sene behind him, he herd th guns sudnly ror out. 
He imajnd 


Paje 123

them shaking in blak raje. They belchd and howld like brass devls gardng a 
gate. Th soft air was fild with th tremendus remonstrance. With it came th 
shatrng peal of oposing infntry. Turnng to look behind him, he cud se 
sheets of oranj lyt illumine th shadowy distnce. Ther wer sutl and 
sudn lightnings in th far air. At times he thot he cud se heving 
masses of men. 
   He hurrid on in th dusk. Th day had faded until he cud barely 
distinguish place for his feet. Th purpl darkns was fild with men ho 
lecturd and jabbered. Somtimes he cud se them jesticulating against th 
blu and sombr sky. Ther seemd to be a gret ruk of men and munitions spred 
about in th forest and in th fields. 
   Th litl naro roadway now lay lifeless. Ther wer overturnd wagns like 
sun dryd bowlders. Th bed of th formr torent was choked with th bodis of 
horses and splintrd parts of war machines. 
   It had com to pass that his wound paind him but litl. He was afraid to 
move rapidly, howevr, for a dred of disturbng it. He held his hed very stil 
and took many precautions against stumblng. He was fild with anxiety, and his 
face was pinchd and drawn in anticipation of th 


Paje 124

pain of any sudn mistake of his feet in th gloom. 
   His thots, as he walkd, fixd intently upon his hurt. Ther was a cool, 
liquid feelng about it and he imajnd blod moving sloly down undr his hair. 
His hed seemd swolen to a size that made him think his nek to be inadequat. 

   Th new silence of his wound made much worriment. Th litl blistrng 
voices of pain that had cald out from his scalp wer, he thot, defnit in 
ther expression of danjer. By them he beleved that he cud mesur his 
plyt. But wen they remaind omnusly silent he became frytnd and 
imajnd teribl fingrs that cluchd into his brain. 
   Amid it he began to reflect upon varius incidnts and conditions of th 
past. He bethought him of certn meals his mothr had cookd at home, in wich 
those dishs of wich he was particulrly fond had ocupyd promnnt positions. 
He saw th spred table. Th pine walls of th kichn wer gloing in th warm 
lyt from th stove. Too, he remembrd how he and his companions used to go 
from th scoolhouse to th bank of a shaded pool. He saw his clothes in 
disordrly aray upon th grass of th bank. He felt th swash of th fragrant 
watr 


Paje 125

upon his body. Th leavs of th overhangng maple rusld with melody in th 
wind of yuthful sumr. 
   He was overcom presntly by a dragng weariness. His hed hung forwrd and 
his sholdrs wer stoopd as if he wer berng a gret bundl. His feet 
shufld along th ground. 
   He held continuus argumnts as to wethr he shud lie down and sleep at 
som near spot, or force himself on until he reachd a certn haven. He ofn 
tryd to dismiss th question, but his body persistd in rebelion and his 
senses nagd at him like pamprd babis. 
   At last he herd a cheery voice near his sholdr: "Yeh seem t' be in a 
pretty bad way, boy?" 
   Th yuth did not look up, but he asentd with thik tong. "Uh!" 
   Th ownr of th cheery voice took him firmly by th arm. "Wel," he said, 
with a round laf, "I'm goin' yr way. Th' hul gang is goin' yr way. An' I 
gess I kin giv yeh a lift." They began to walk like a drunkn man and his 
frend. 
   As they went along, th man questiond th yuth and asistd him with th 
replys like one manipulating th mind of a child. Somtimes he 


Paje 126

intrjectd anecdotes. "Wat reg'ment do yeh b'long teh? Eh? Wat's that? Th' 
304th N' York? Wy, wat cor is that in? O, it is? Wy, I thot they wasnt 
engajed t' day -- they 're 'way over in th' centr. O, they was, eh? Wel, 
pretty nearly evrybody got ther share 'a fightin' t' day. By dad, I giv 
myself up fer ded any numbr 'a times. Ther was shootin' here an' shootin' 
ther, an' hollerin' here an' hollerin' ther, in th' damn' darkns, until I 
cudnt tel t' save m' sol wich side I was on. Somtimes I thot I was 
sure 'nough from Ohier, an' othr times I cud 'a swor I was from th' bitr 
end of Florida. It was th' most mixd up dern thing I evr se. An' these here 
hul woods is a reg'lar mess. It'l be a miracl if we find our reg'ments t' 
nyt. Pretty soon, tho, we 'll meet a plenty of gards an' provostguards, 
an' one thing an' anothr. Ho! ther they go with an off'cer, I gess. Look at 
his hand a draggin'. He 's got al th' war he wants, I bet. He wont be talkn 
so big about his reputation an' al wen they go t' sawin' off his leg. Poor 
felr! My brothr 's got wiskrs jest like that. How did yeh git 'way over 
here, anyhow? Yr reg'ment is a long way from here, aint it? Wel, I gess we 
can find it. Yeh no ther was a boy kild in my comp'ny t' day that I thot

 Paje 127

th' world an' al of. Jak was a nice felr. By jinjr, it hurt like thundr t' 
se ol' Jak jest git nokd flat. We was a standin' purty pecebl fer a 
spel, 'though ther was men runnin' ev'ry way al 'round us, an' wile we was a 
standin' like that, 'long com a big fat felr. He began t' pek at Jack's 
elbo, an' he ses: 'say, wher 's th' road t' th' rivr?' An' Jak, he nevr 
paid no atention, an' th' felr kept on a peckin' at his elbo an' sayin': 
'say, wher 's th' road t' th' rivr?' Jak was a lookn' ahed al th' time 
tryin' t' se th' Johnnies comin' thru th' woods, an' he nevr paid no 
atention t' this big fat felr fer a long time, but at last he turnd 'round 
an' he ses: 'ah, go t' hel an' find th' road t' th' rivr!' An' jest then a 
shot slapd him bang on th' side th' hed. He was a serjnt, too. Them was his 
last words. Thundr, I wish we was sure 'a findin' our reg'ments t' nyt. It 's 
goin' t' be long huntin'. But I gess we kin do it." 
   In th serch wich folod, th man of th cheery voice seemd to th yuth 
to posess a wand of a majic kind. He thredd th mazes of th tangld forest 
with a stranje fortune. In encountrs with gards and patrols he displayd th 
keeness of a detectiv and th valor of a gamin. Obstacls fel befor him and 
became of 


Paje 128

asistnce. Th yuth, with his chin stil on his brest, stood woodnly by 
wile his companion beat ways and means out of sulen things. 
   Th forest seemd a vast hive of men buzng about in frantic circls, but 
th cheery man conductd th yuth without mistakes, until at last he began to 
chukl with gle and self satisfaction. "Ah, ther yeh ar! Se that fire?" 
   Th yuth nodd stupidly. 
   "Wel, ther 's wher yr reg'ment is. An' now, good by, ol' boy, good luk 
t' yeh." 
   A warm and strong hand claspd th youth's languid fingrs for an instnt, 
and then he herd a cheerful and audacius wislng as th man strode away. As 
he ho had so befrendd him was thus pasng out of his life, it sudnly 
ocurd to th yuth that he had not once seen his face.


Paje 129


Chaptr 13
CHAPTR XIII.
   TH yuth went sloly toward th fire indicated by his departd frend. As he 
reeld, he bethought him of th welcm his comrads wud giv him. He had a 
conviction that he wud soon feel in his sor hart th barbd misls of 
ridicul. He had no strength to invent a tale; he wud be a soft target. 
   He made vage plans to go off into th deepr darkns and hide, but they 
wer al destroyd by th voices of exaustion and pain from his body. His 
ailmnts, clamoring, forced him to seek th place of food and rest, at watevr 
cost. 
   He swung unstedily toward th fire. He cud se th forms of men throing 
blak shados in th red lyt, and as he went nearr it became nown to him in 
som way that th ground was strewn with sleepng men. 
   Of a sudn he confrontd a blak and monstrus figr. A rifle barel caut 
som glintng beams. "Halt! halt!" He was dismayd 


Paje 130

for a moment, but he presntly thot that he recognized th nervus voice. As 
he stood totrng befor th rifle barel, he cald out: "Wy, helo, Wilson, 
u -- u here?" 
   Th rifle was loerd to a position of caution and th loud soldir came 
sloly forwrd. He peerd into th youth's face. "That u, Henry?" 
   "Yes, it's -- it's me." 
   "Wel, wel, ol' boy," said th othr, "by jinjr, I'm glad t' se yeh! I 
giv yeh up fer a goner. I thot yeh was ded sure enuf." Ther was husky 
emotion in his voice. 
   Th yuth found that now he cud barely stand upon his feet. Ther was a 
sudn sinkng of his forces. He thot he must hasen to produce his tale to 
protect him from th misls alredy at th lips of his redoutbl comrads. 
So, stagrng befor th loud soldir, he began: "Yes, yes. I'v -- I'v had an 
awful time. I'v been al over. Way over on th' ryt. Ter'ble fightin' over 
ther. I had an awful time. I got seprated from th' reg'ment. Over on th' 
ryt, I got shot. In th' hed. I nevr se sech fightin'. Awful time. I dont 
se how I cud 'a got seprated from th' reg'ment. I got shot, too." 


Paje 131


   His frend had stepd forwrd quikly. "Wat? Got shot? Wy didnt yeh say 
so first? Poor ol' boy, we must -- hol' on a minnit; wat am I doin'. I'l cal 
Simpson." 
   Anothr figr at that moment loomd in th gloom. They cud se that it was 
th corprl. "Ho yeh talkn to, Wilson?" he demandd. His voice was angr 
toned. "Ho yeh talkn to? Yeh th' derndest sentnl -- wy -- helo, Henry, 
u here? Wy, I thot u was ded four ours ago! Gret Jeruslm, they keep 
turnin' up evry ten minuts or so! We thot we'd lost forty two men by 
strait count, but if they keep on a comin' this way, we'l git th' comp'ny al 
bak by mornn' yit. Wher was yeh?" 
   "Over on th' ryt. I got seprated" -- began th yuth with considrbl 
glibness. 
   But his frend had intruptd hastily. "Yes, an' he got shot in th' hed an' 
he's in a fix, an' we must se t' him ryt away." He restd his rifle in th 
holo of his left arm and his ryt around th youth's sholdr. 
   "Je, it must hurt like thundr!" he said. 
   Th yuth leand hevily upon his frend. "Yes, it hurts -- hurts a good 
deal," he replyd. Ther was a faltrng in his voice. 
   "O," said th corprl. He linkd his arm 


Paje 132

in th youth's and drew him forwrd. "Com on, Henry. I'l take keer 'a yeh." 
   As they went on togethr th loud privat cald out aftr them: "Put 'im t' 
sleep in my blanket, Simpson. An' -- hol' on a minnit -- here's my canteen. It's 
ful 'a cofee. Look at his hed by th' fire an' se how it looks. Maybe it's a 
pretty bad un. Wen I git releved in a cupl 'a minnits, I'l be over an' se 
t' him." 
   Th youth's senses wer so dednd that his friend's voice soundd from afar 
and he cud scarcely feel th pressur of th corporal's arm. He submitd 
passivly to th latter's directng strength. His hed was in th old manr 
hangng forwrd upon his brest. His nes wobld. 
   Th corprl led him into th glare of th fire. "Now, Henry," he said, 
"let's hav look at yer ol' hed." 
   Th yuth sat down obediently and th corprl, layng aside his rifle, began 
to fumbl in th bushy hair of his comrad. He was oblijed to turn th other's 
hed so that th ful flush of th fire lyt wud beam upon it. He pukrd 
his mouth with a criticl air. He drew bak his lips and wisld thru his 
teeth wen his fingrs came in contact with th splashd blod and th rare 
wound. 
   "Ah, here we ar!" he said. He awkwrdly 


Paje 133

made furthr investigations. "Jest as I thot," he add, presntly. "Yeh've 
been grazed by a bal. It's rased a queer lump jest as if som felr had 
lammed yeh on th' hed with a club. It stopd a bleedin' long time ago. Th' 
most about it is that in th' mornn' yeh'll feel that a numbr ten hat wudnt 
fit yeh. An' yr head'll be al het up an' feel as dry as burnt pork. An' yeh 
may git a lot 'a othr sicknesses, too, by mornn'. Yeh cant nevr tel. Stil, 
I dont much think so. It's jest a damn' good belt on th' hed, an' nothin' 
mor. Now, u jest sit here an' dont move, wile I go rout out th' relief. 
Then I'l send Wilson t' take keer 'a yeh." 
   Th corprl went away. Th yuth remaind on th ground like a parcel. He 
stared with a vacant look into th fire. 
   Aftr a time he arousd, for som part, and th things about him began to 
take form. He saw that th ground in th deep shados was clutrd with men, 
sprawlng in evry concevebl postur. Glancing naroly into th mor distnt 
darkns, he caut ocasionl glimpses of visages that loomd palid and 
gostly, lit with a fosfresnt glo. These faces expresd in ther lines 
th deep stupor of th tired soldirs. They made them apear like men drunk with 
wine. This bit of forest myt 


Paje 134

hav apeard to an ethereal wandrr as a sene of th result of som frytful 
debauch. 
   On th othr side of th fire th yuth observd an oficer asleep, seatd 
bolt upryt, with his bak against a tre. Ther was somthing perilus in his 
position. Bajrd by dreams, perhaps, he swayd with litl bounces and starts, 
like an old toddy strikn granfathr in a chimny cornr. Dust and stains wer 
upon his face. His loer jaw hung down as if lakng strength to asume its 
norml position. He was th pictur of an exaustd soldir aftr a feast of 
war. 
   He had evidntly gon to sleep with his sord in his arms. These two had 
slumbrd in an embrace, but th wepn had been alowd in time to fal 
unheedd to th ground. Th brass mountd hilt lay in contact with som parts of 
th fire. 
   Within th gleam of rose and oranj lyt from th burnng stiks wer othr 
soldirs, snorng and heving, or lyng deathlike in slumbr. A few pairs of 
legs wer stuk forth, rijid and strait. Th shoes displayd th mud or dust 
of marchs and bits of roundd trousrs, protruding from th blankets, showd 
rents and tears from hurrid pitchings thru th dense brambls. 


Paje 135


   Th fire crakld musicly. From it sweld lyt smoke. Overhed th 
foliaj moved softly. Th leavs, with ther faces turnd toward th blaze, wer 
colord shiftng hues of silvr, ofn ejd with red. Far off to th ryt, 
thru a windo in th forest cud be seen a handful of stars lyng, like 
glitrng pebls, on th blak levl of th nyt. 
   Ocasionly, in this lo archd hal, a soldir wud arouse and turn his 
body to a new position, th experience of his sleep havng taut him of uneven 
and objectionbl places upon th ground undr him. Or, perhaps, he wud lift 
himself to a sitng postur, blink at th fire for an unintelijnt moment, 
thro a swift glance at his prostrate companion, and then cudl down again with 
a grunt of sleepy content. 
   Th yuth sat in a forlorn heap until his frend th loud yung soldir came, 
swingng two canteens by ther lyt strings. "Wel, now, Henry, ol' boy," said 
th latr, "we'l hav yeh fixd up in jest about a minnit." 
   He had th buslng ways of an amatr nurse. He fusd around th fire and 
stird th stiks to briliant exertions. He made his patient drink larjly 
from th canteen that containd th cofee. It was to th yuth a delicius 
draft. He tiltd his hed afar bak and held th canteen 


Paje 136

long to his lips. Th cool mixtur went caressingly down his blistrd throat. 
Havng finishd, he syd with comfrtbl delyt. 
   Th loud yung soldir wachd his comrad with an air of satisfaction. He 
later produced an extensiv hankrchief from his poket. He foldd it into a 
manr of bandaj and soused watr from th othr canteen upon th midl of it. 
This crude aranjemnt he bound over th youth's hed, tyng th ends in a queer 
not at th bak of th nek. 
   "Ther," he said, moving off and surveyng his deed, "yeh look like th' 
devl, but I bet yeh feel betr." 
   Th yuth contmplated his frend with grateful ys. Upon his aching and 
swelng hed th cold cloth was like a tendr woman's hand. 
   "Yeh dont holr ner say nothin'," remarkd his frend aprovingly. "I no 
I'm a blaksmith at takin' keer 'a sik folks, an' yeh nevr squeakd. Yer a 
good un, Henry. Most 'a men wud a' been in th' hospitl long ago. A shot in 
th' hed aint foolin' busness." 
   Th yuth made no reply, but began to fumbl with th butns of his jaket. 
   "Wel, com, now," continud his frend, "com on. I must put yeh t' bed an' 
se that yeh git a good night's rest." 


Paje 137


   Th othr got carefuly erect, and th loud yung soldir led him among th 
sleepng forms lyng in groups and ros. Presntly he stoopd and pikd up his 
blankets. He spred th rubr one upon th ground and placed th woolen one 
about th youth's sholdrs. 
   "Ther now," he said, "lie down an' git som sleep." 
   Th yuth, with his manr of doglike obedience, got carefuly down like a 
crone stoopng. He strechd out with a murmr of relief and comfrt. Th ground 
felt like th softest couch. 
   But of a sudn he ejaculated: "Hol' on a minnit! Wher u goin' t' sleep?" 
   His frend waved his hand impatiently. "Ryt down ther by yeh." 
   "Wel, but hol' on a minnit," continud th yuth. "Wat yeh goin' t' sleep 
in? I'v got yr -- " 
   Th loud yung soldir snarld: "Shet up an' go on t' sleep. Dont be makin' 
a damn' fool 'a yerself," he said severely. 
   Aftr th reproof th yuth said no mor. An exquisit drowsiness had spred 
thru him. Th warm comfrt of th blanket envelopd him and made a jentl 
langr. His hed fel forwrd on his crooked arm and his weitd lids 


Paje 138

went softly down over his ys. Hearng a splatter of musketry from th 
distnce, he wondrd indifrntly if those men somtimes slept. He gave a long 
sy, snugld down into his blanket, and in a moment was like his comrads.


Paje 139


Chaptr 14
CHAPTR XIV.
   WEN th yuth awoke it seemd to him that he had been asleep for a thousnd 
years, and he felt sure that he opend his ys upon an unexpectd world. Gray 
mists wer sloly shiftng befor th first efrts of th sun rays. An 
impendng splendr cud be seen in th eastrn sky. An icy dew had chilld his 
face, and imediatly upon arousng he curld farthr down into his blanket. He 
stared for a wile at th leavs overhed, moving in a heraldic wind of th day. 

   Th distnce was splintrng and blaring with th noise of fytng. Ther 
was in th sound an expression of a dedly persistency, as if it had not begun 
and was not to cese. 
   About him wer th ros and groups of men that he had dimly seen th previus 
nyt. They wer getng a last draft of sleep befor th awakenng. Th 
gaunt, careworn featurs and dusty figrs wer made plan by this quaint 


Paje 140

lyt at th dawnng, but it dresd th skin of th men in corpselike hues and 
made th tangld lims apear pulseless and ded. Th yuth startd up with a 
litl cry wen his ys first swept over this motionless mass of men, 
thickspread upon th ground, palid, and in stranje posturs. His disordrd 
mind interpretd th hal of th forest as a charnel place. He beleved for an 
instnt that he was in th house of th ded, and he did not dare to move lest 
these corpses start up, squalng and squawkng. In a secnd, howevr, he 
acheved his propr mind. He swor a complicated oath at himself. He saw that 
this sombr pictur was not a fact of th presnt, but a mere profesy. 
   He herd then th noise of a fire craklng briskly in th cold air, and, 
turnng his hed, he saw his frend potrng busily about a smal blaze. A few 
othr figrs moved in th fog, and he herd th hard crakng of ax blos. 
   Sudnly ther was a holo rumbl of drums. A distnt bugle sang faintly. 
Simlr sounds, varying in strength, came from near and far over th forest. Th 
bugles cald to each othr like brazen gamecocks. Th near thundr of th 
rejmentl drums rold. 
   Th body of men in th woods rusld. Ther was a jenrl upliftng of heds. 
A murmrng 


Paje 141

of voices broke upon th air. In it ther was much bass of grumblng oaths. 
Stranje gods wer adresd in condmnation of th erly ours necesry to 
corect war. An officer's peremtry tenr rang out and quiknd th stifnd 
movemnt of th men. Th tangld lims unraveled. Th corps hued faces wer 
hidn behind fists that twistd sloly in th y sokets. 
   Th yuth sat up and gave vent to an enormus yawn. "Thundr!" he remarkd 
petulantly. He rubd his ys, and then putng up his hand felt carefuly of 
th bandaj over his wound. His frend, perceving him to be awake, came from 
th fire. "Wel, Henry, ol' man, how do yeh feel this mornn'?" he demandd. 
   Th yuth yawnd again. Then he pukrd his mouth to a litl pukr. His 
hed, in truth, felt precisely like a melon, and ther was an unplesnt 
sensation at his stomac. 
   "O, Lord, I feel pretty bad," he said. 
   "Thundr!" exclaimd th othr. "I hoped ye'd feel al ryt this mornn'. 
Let's se th' bandaj -- I gess it's slipd." He began to tinkr at th wound 
in rathr a clumsy way until th yuth exploded. 
   "Gosh dern it!" he said in sharp iritation; "u'r th hangdest man I evr 
saw! U 


Paje 142

wer muffs on yr hands. Wy in good thunderation cant u be mor esy? I'd 
rathr u'd stand off an' thro guns at it. Now, go slo, an' dont act as if 
u was nailng down carpet." 
   He glared with inslnt comand at his frend, but th latr ansrd 
soothingly. "Wel, wel, com now, an' git som grub," he said. "Then, maybe, 
yeh'll feel betr." 
   At th fireside th loud yung soldir wachd over his comrade's wants with 
tendrness and care. He was very busy marshaling th litl blak vagabonds of 
tin cups and porng into them th streamng, iron colord mixtur from a smal 
and sooty tin pail. He had som fresh meat, wich he roastd hurridly upon a 
stik. He sat down then and contmplated th youth's apetite with gle. 
   Th yuth took note of a remarkbl chanje in his comrad since those days of 
camp life upon th rivr bank. He seemd no mor to be continuly regardng th 
proportions of his persnl prowess. He was not furius at smal words that 
prikd his conceits. He was no mor a loud yung soldir. Ther was about him 
now a fine relyance. He showd a quiet belief in his purposes and his abilitis. 
And this inwrd confidnce evidntly enabled him to be 


Paje 143

indifrnt to litl words of othr men aimd at him. 
   Th yuth reflectd. He had been used to regardng his comrad as a blatant 
child with an audacity grown from his inexperience, thotless, hedstrong, 
jelus, and fild with a tinsl curaj. A swagrng babe acustmd to strut 
in his own dooryard. Th yuth wondrd wher had been born these new ys; wen 
his comrad had made th gret discovry that ther wer many men ho wud 
refuse to be subjectd by him. Aparently, th othr had now climbd a peak of 
wisdm from wich he cud perceve himself as a very we thing. And th yuth 
saw that evr aftr it wud be esir to liv in his friend's neibrhood. 
   His comrad balanced his ebny cofee cup on his ne. "Wel, Henry," he 
said, "wat d'yeh think th' chances ar? D'yeh think we'l walop 'em?" 
   Th yuth considrd for a moment. "Day b'fore yestrday," he finaly 
replyd, with boldness, "u wud 'a' bet u'd lik th hul kit an' boodle 
al by yrself." 
   His frend lookd a trifle amazed. "Wud I?" he askd. He pondrd. "Wel, 
perhaps I wud," he decided at last. He stared humbly at th fire. 


Paje 144


   Th yuth was quite disconcertd at this surprising reception of his remarks. 
"O, no, u wudnt eithr," he said, hastily tryng to retrace. 
   But th othr made a deprecating jestur. "O, yeh neednt mind, Henry," he 
said. "I beleve I was a pretty big fool in those days." He spoke as aftr a 
laps of years. 
   Ther was a litl pause. 
   "Al th' oficers say we'v got th' rebs in a pretty tyt box," said th 
frend, clearng his throat in a comnplace way. "They al seem t' think we'v 
got 'em jest wher we want 'em." 
   "I dont no about that," th yuth replyd. "Wat I seen over on th' ryt 
makes me think it was th' othr way about. From wher I was, it lookd as if we 
was gettin' a good poundin' yestirday." 
   "D'yeh think so?" inquired th frend. "I thot we handld 'em pretty ruf 
yestir day." 
   "Not a bit," said th yuth. "Wy, lord, man, u didnt se nothing of th 
fyt. Wy!" Then a sudn thot came to him. "O! Jim Conklin's ded." 
   His frend startd. "Wat? Is he? Jim Conklin?" 


Paje 145


   Th yuth spoke sloly. "Yes. He's ded. Shot in th' side." 
   "Yeh dont say so. Jim Conklin. . . . poor cuss!" 
   Al about them wer othr smal fires sur roundd by men with ther litl 
blak utensls. From one of these near came sudn sharp voices in a ro. It 
apeard that two lightfooted soldirs had been tesing a huje, beardd man, 
causng him to spil cofee upon his blu nes. Th man had gon into a raje 
and had sworn comprehensivly. Stung by his languaj, his tormentrs had 
imediatly brisld at him with a gret sho of resentng unjust oaths. 
Posbly ther was going to be a fyt. 
   Th frend arose and went over to them, making pacific motions with his arms. 
"O, here, now, boys, wat's th' use?" he said. "We'l be at th' rebs in less'n 
an our. Wat's th' good fightin' 'mong ourselvs?" 
   One of th lyt footd soldirs turnd upon him red faced and violent. "Yeh 
neednt com around here with yer preachin'. I spose yeh dont aprove 'a 
fightin' since Charly Morgan likd yeh; but I dont se wat busness this 
here is 'a yrs or anybody else." 
   "Wel, it aint," said th frend mildly. "Stil I hate t' se -- " 


Paje 146


   Ther was a tangld argumnt. 
   "Wel, he -- ," said th two, indicating ther oponent with accusative 
forfingrs. 
   Th huje soldir was quite purpl with raje. He pointd at th two soldirs 
with his gret hand, extendd clawlike. "Wel, they -- " 
   But during this argumentativ time th desire to deal blos seemd to pass, 
altho they said much to each othr. Finaly th frend returnd to his old 
seat. In a short wile th thre antagnists cud be seen togethr in an 
amiabl bunch. 
   "Jimmi Rogers ses I'l hav t' fyt him aftr th' batl t' day," anounced 
th frend as he again seatd himself. "He ses he dont alow no interferin' in 
his busness. I hate t' se th' boys fightin' 'mong themselvs." 
   Th yuth lafd. "Yer chanjed a good bit. Yeh aint at al like yeh was. I 
remembr wen u an' that Irish felr -- " He stopd and lafd again. 
   "No, I didnt use t' be that way," said his frend thotfuly. "That's tru 
'nough." 
   "Wel, I didnt mean -- " began th yuth. 
   Th frend made anothr deprecatory jestur. "O, yeh neednt mind, Henry." 
   Ther was anothr litl pause. 
   "Th' reg'ment lost over half th' men 


Paje 147

yestirday," remarkd th frend eventuly. "I thot a corse they was al 
ded, but, laws, they kep' a comin' bak last nyt until it seems, aftr al, 
we didnt lose but a few. They'd been scatrd al over, wanderin' around in 
th' woods, fightin' with othr reg'ments, an' everything. Jest like u don." 
   "So?" said th yuth.


Paje 148


Chaptr 15
CHAPTR XV.
   TH rejmnt was standng at ordr arms at th side of a lane, waitng for 
th comand to march, wen sudnly th yuth remembrd th litl paket 
enwrapped in a faded yelo envlope wich th loud yung soldir with 
lugubrius words had intrusted to him. It made him start. He utrd an 
exclmation and turnd toward his comrad. 
   "Wilson!" 
   "Wat?" 
   His frend, at his side in th ranks, was thotfuly staring down th road. 
From som cause his expression was at that moment very meek. Th yuth, 
regardng him with sidelong glances, felt impeld to chanje his purpos. "O, 
nothing," he said. 
   His frend turnd his hed in som surprise, "Wy, wat was yeh goin' t' 
say?" 
   "O, nothing," repeatd th yuth. 
   He resolvd not to deal th litl blo. It 


Paje 149

was suficient that th fact made him glad. It was not necesry to nok his 
frend on th hed with th misgided paket. 
   He had been posesd of much fear of his frend, for he saw how esily 
questionings cud make holes in his feelngs. Lately, he had asured himself 
that th altrd comrad wud not tantalize him with a persistnt curiosity, 
but he felt certn that during th first period of lesur his frend wud ask 
him to relate his adventurs of th previus day. 
   He now rejoiced in th posession of a smal wepn with wich he cud 
prostrate his comrad at th first syns of a cross examnation. He was mastr. 
It wud now be he ho cud laf and shoot th shafts of derision. 
   Th frend had, in a weak our, spoken with sobs of his own deth. He had 
delivrd a melancly oration previus to his funeral, and had doutless in th 
paket of letrs, presentd varius keepsakes to relativs. But he had not 
died, and thus he had delivrd himself into th hands of th yuth. 
   Th latr felt imensly superir to his frend, but he inclined to 
condesension. He adoptd toward him an air of patronizing good humor. 
   His self pride was now entirely restord. In 


Paje 150

th shade of its flurishng groth he stood with braced and self confidnt 
legs, and since nothing cud now be discovrd he did not shrink from an 
encountr with th ys of jujs, and alowd no thots of his own to keep 
him from an atitude of manfulness. He had performd his mistakes in th dark, 
so he was stil a man. 
   Indeed, wen he remembrd his fortunes of yestrday, and lookd at them from 
a distnce he began to se somthing fine ther. He had license to be pompus 
and veteranlike. 
   His pantng agnis of th past he put out of his syt. 
   In th presnt, he declared to himself that it was only th doomd and th 
damd ho rord with sincerity at circmstnce. Few but they evr did it. A 
man with a ful stomac and th respect of his felos had no busness to scold 
about anything that he myt think to be rong in th ways of th universe, or 
even with th ways of society. Let th unfortunats rail; th othrs may play 
marbls. 
   He did not giv a gret deal of thot to these batls that lay directly 
befor him. It was not esential that he shud plan his ways in regard to them. 
He had been taut that many obligations of a life wer esily avoidd. Th 
lesns of yestrday had been that retribution 


Paje 151

was a laggard and blind. With these facts befor him he did not deem it 
necesry that he shud becom feverish over th posbilitis of th ensuing 
twenty four ours. He cud leve much to chance. Besides, a faith in himself 
had secretly blosmd. Ther was a litl flowr of confidnce groing within 
him. He was now a man of experience. He had been out among th dragns, he said, 
and he asured himself that they wer not so hideus as he had imajnd them. 
Also, they wer inacurat; they did not sting with precision. A stout hart 
ofn defyd, and defyng, escaped. 
   And, furthrmor, how cud they kil him ho was th chosen of gods and 
doomd to gretness? 
   He remembrd how som of th men had run from th batl. As he recald 
ther terrorstruck faces he felt a scorn for them. They had surely been mor 
fleet and mor wild than was abslutely necesry. They wer weak mortls. As 
for himself, he had fled with discretion and dignity. 
   He was arousd from this revri by his frend, ho, havng hichd about 
nervusly and blinkd at th tres for a time, sudnly cofd in an 
introductry way, and spoke. 
   "Flemng!" 


Paje 152


   "Wat?" 
   Th frend put his hand up to his mouth and cofd again. He fijetd in his 
jaket. 
   "Wel," he gulpd, at last, "I gess yeh myt as wel giv me bak them 
letrs." Dark, priklng blod had flushd into his cheeks and brow. 
   "Al ryt, Wilson," said th yuth. He loosnd two butns of his coat, 
thrust in his hand, and brot forth th paket. As he extendd it to his 
frend th latter's face was turnd from him. 
   He had been slo in th act of producing th paket because during it he had 
been tryng to invent a remarkbl coment upon th afair. He cud conjr 
nothing of suficient point. He was compeld to alow his frend to escape 
unmolestd with his paket. And for this he took unto himself considrbl 
credit. It was a jenrus thing. 
   His frend at his side seemd sufrng gret shame. As he contmplated him, 
th yuth felt his hart gro mor strong and stout. He had nevr been compeld 
to blush in such manr for his acts; he was an individul of extrordnry 
virtus. 
   He reflectd, with condesendng pity: "Too bad! Too bad! Th poor devl, it 
makes him feel tuf!" 


Paje 153


   Aftr this incidnt, and as he revewd th batl picturs he had seen, he 
felt quite competnt to return home and make th harts of th peple glo with 
storis of war. He cud se himself in a room of warm tints telng tales to 
lisnrs. He cud exibit laurels. They wer insignificnt; stil, in a 
district wher laurels wer infrequent, they myt shine. 
   He saw his gaping audience picturng him as th centrl figr in blazing 
senes. And he imajnd th constrnation and th ejaculations of his mothr and 
th yung lady at th semnry as they drank his recitals. Ther vage femnn 
formula for beloved ones doing brave deeds on th field of batl without risk 
of life wud be destroyd.


Paje 154


Chaptr 16
CHAPTR XVI.
   A SPUTRNG of musketry was always to be herd. Later, th cann had 
entrd th dispute. In th fog fild air ther voices made a thudng sound. 
Th reverbrations wer continud. This part of th world led a stranje, 
battleful existnce. 
   Th youth's rejmnt was marchd to releve a comand that had lain long in 
som damp trenchs. Th men took positions behind a curvng line of rifle pits 
that had been turnd up, like a larj furo, along th line of woods. Befor 
them was a levl strech, pepled with short, deformd stumps. From th woods 
beyond came th dul popng of th skirmishers and pikets, firing in th fog. 
From th ryt came th noise of a terific fracas. 
   Th men cudld behind th smal embankmnt and sat in esy atitudes 
awaitng ther turn. Many had ther baks to th firing. Th youth's frend lay 
down, burid his face in his 


Paje 155

arms, and almost instntly, it seemd, he was in a deep sleep. 
   Th yuth leand his brest against th brown dirt and peerd over at th 
woods and up and down th line. Curtns of tres intrfered with his ways of 
vision. He cud se th lo line of trenchs but for a short distnce. A few 
idle flags wer perchd on th dirt hils. Behind them wer ros of dark bodis 
with a few heds stikng curiusly over th top. 
   Always th noise of skirmishers came from th woods on th front and left, 
and th din on th ryt had grown to frytful proportions. Th guns wer 
rorng without an instant's pause for breth. It seemd that th cann had 
com from al parts and wer engajed in a stupendus rangl. It became 
imposbl to make a sentnce herd. 
   Th yuth wishd to launch a joke -- a quotation from newspapers. He desired 
to say, "Al quiet on th Rappahannock," but th guns refused to permit even a 
coment upon ther upror. He nevr succesfuly concluded th sentnce. But at 
last th guns stopd, and among th men in th rifle pits rumors again flew, 
like birds, but they wer now for th most part blak creaturs ho flapd 
ther wings drearily near to th ground and refused to rise on any wings of 


Paje 156

hope. Th men's faces grew doleful from th interpretng of omens. Tales of 
hesitation and uncertnty on th part of those hy in place and responsbility 
came to ther ears. Storis of disastr wer born into ther minds with many 
proofs. This din of musketry on th ryt, groing like a relesed jeni of 
sound, expresd and emfasized th army's plyt. 
   Th men wer dishartnd and began to mutr. They made jesturs expressiv 
of th sentnce: "Ah, wat mor can we do?" And it cud always be seen that 
they wer bewildrd by th alejd news and cud not fuly comprehend a 
defeat. 
   Befor th gray mists had been totaly oblitrated by th sun rays, th 
rejmnt was marchng in a spred colum that was retiring carefuly thru th 
woods. Th disordrd, hurrying lines of th enmy cud somtimes be seen down 
thru th groves and litl fields. They wer yelng, shril and exultnt. 
   At this syt th yuth forgot many persnl matrs and became gretly 
enrajed. He exploded in loud sentnces. "B'jiminey, we'r generaled by a lot 'a 
lunkheads." 
   "Mor than one felr has said that t' day," observd a man. 
   His frend, recently arousd, was stil very 


Paje 157

drowsy. He lookd behind him until his mind took in th meanng of th movemnt. 
Then he syd. "O, wel, I spose we got likd," he remarkd sadly. 
   Th yuth had a thot that it wud not be hansm for him to frely 
condem othr men. He made an atemt to restrain himself, but th words upon 
his tong wer too bitr. He presntly began a long and intricat denunciation 
of th comandr of th forces. 
   "Mebe, it wa'n't al his falt -- not al togethr. He did th' best he 
noed. It's our luk t' git likd ofn," said his frend in a weary tone. He 
was trujng along with stoopd sholdrs and shiftng ys like a man ho has 
been caned and kikd. 
   "Wel, dont we fyt like th devl? Dont we do al that men can?" demandd 
th yuth loudly. 
   He was secretly dumfounded at this sentmnt wen it came from his lips. For 
a moment his face lost its valor and he lookd giltily about him. But no one 
questiond his ryt to deal in such words, and presntly he recovrd his air 
of curaj. He went on to repeat a statemnt he had herd going from group to 
group at th camp that mornng. "Th brigadir said he nevr saw a new reg'ment 
fyt th way we 


Paje 158

fot yestirday, didnt he? And we didnt do betr than many anothr reg'ment, 
did we? Wel, then, u cant say it's th' army's falt, can u?" 
   In his reply, th friend's voice was stern. "'A corse not," he said. "No man 
dare say we dont fyt like th' devl. No man wil evr dare say it. Th' boys 
fyt like hel roostrs. But stil -- stil, we dont hav no luk." 
   "Wel, then, if we fyt like th devl an' dont evr wip, it must be th 
general's falt," said th yuth grandly and decisivly. "And I dont se any 
sense in fytng and fytng and fytng, yet always losing thru som 
derned old lunkhead of a jenrl." 
   A sarcastic man ho was trampng at th youth's side, then spoke lazily. 
"Mebe yeh think yeh fit th' hul batl yestirday, Flemng," he remarkd. 
   Th speech pierced th yuth. Inwrdly he was reduced to an abject pulp by 
these chance words. His legs quaked privatly. He cast a frytnd glance at 
th sarcastic man. 
   "Wy, no," he hasend to say in a conciliating voice, "I dont think I 
fot th hole batl yestrday." 
   But th othr seemd inocent of any deepr meanng. Aparently, he had no 
infrmation. 


Paje 159

It was merely his habit. "O!" he replyd in th same tone of calm derision. 
   Th yuth, nevrthless, felt a thret. His mind shrank from going near to 
th danjer, and theraftr he was silent. Th significnce of th sarcastic 
man's words took from him al loud moods that wud make him apear promnnt. 
He became sudnly a modest persn. 
   Ther was lo toned talk among th troops. Th oficers wer impatient and 
snappy, ther countenances cloudd with th tales of misfortune. Th troops, 
siftng thru th forest, wer sulen. In th youth's compny once a man's 
laf rang out. A dozn soldirs turnd ther faces quikly toward him and 
frownd with vage displesur. 
   Th noise of firing doged ther footsteps. Somtimes, it seemd to be drivn 
a litl way, but it always returnd again with incresed inslnce. Th men 
mutrd and cursd, throing blak looks in its direction. 
   In a clear space th troops wer at last haltd. Rejmnts and brigades, 
broken and detachd thru ther encountrs with thikets, grew togethr again 
and lines wer faced toward th pursuing bark of th enemy's infntry. 
   This noise, foloing like th yellings of eagr, metalic hounds, incresed 
to a loud and joyus 


Paje 160

burst, and then, as th sun went serenely up th sky, throing iluminating rays 
into th gloomy thikets, it broke forth into prolongd pealings. Th woods 
began to crakl as if afire. 
   "Woop a dadee," said a man, "here we ar! Evrybody fightin'. Blod an' 
destruction." 
   "I was willin' t' bet they'd atak as soon as th' sun got fairly up," 
savajly asertd th leutennt ho comandd th youth's compny. He jerkd 
without mercy at his litl mustach. He strode to and fro with dark dignity in 
th rear of his men, ho wer lyng down behind watevr protection they had 
colectd. 
   A batry had trundld into position in th rear and was thotfuly 
shelng th distnce. Th rejmnt, unmolestd as yet, awaitd th moment wen 
th gray shados of th woods befor them shud be slashd by th lines of 
flame. Ther was much growlng and swerng. 
   "Good Gawd," th yuth grumbld, "we'r always being chased around like rats! 
It makes me sik. Nobody seems to no wher we go or wy we go. We just get 
fired around from pilr to post and get likd here and get likd ther, and 
nobody nos wat it's don for. It makes a man feel like a damn' kitn in a 
bag. Now, I'd like to no wat th eternl thundrs we was marchd into these 
woods for anyhow, 


Paje 161

unless it was to giv th rebs a regulr pot shot at us. We came in here and got 
our legs al tangld up in these cusd briers, and then we begin to fyt and 
th rebs had an esy time of it. Dont tel me it's just luk! I no betr. 
It's this derned old -- " 
   Th frend seemd jaded, but he intruptd his comrad with a voice of calm 
confidnce. "It'l turn out al ryt in th' end," he said. 
   "O, th devl it wil! U always talk like a dog hangd parsn. Dont tel 
me! I no -- " 
   At this time ther was an interposition by th savaj mindd leutennt, ho 
was oblijed to vent som of his inwrd disatisfaction upon his men. "U boys 
shut ryt up! Ther no need 'a yr wastin' yr breth in long windd 
argumnts about this an' that an' th' othr. U'v been jawin' like a lot 'a 
old hens. Al u'v got t' do is to fyt, an' u'l get plenty 'a that t' do 
in about ten minuts. Less talkn an' mor fightin' is wat's best for u 
boys. I nevr saw sech gablng jackasses." 
   He pausd, redy to pounce upon any man ho myt hav th temerity to reply. 
No words being said, he resumed his dignifyd pacing. 
   "Ther's too much chin music an' too litl fightin' in this war, anyhow," he 
said to them, turnng his hed for a final remark. 


Paje 162


   Th day had grown mor wite, until th sun shed his ful radiance upon th 
throngd forest. A sort of a gust of batl came sweepng toward that part of 
th line wher lay th youth's rejmnt. Th front shiftd a trifle to meet it 
squarely. Ther was a wait. In this part of th field ther pasd sloly th 
intense moments that precede th tempest. 
   A singl rifle flashd in a thiket befor th rejmnt. In an instnt it was 
joind by many othrs. Ther was a myty song of clashs and crashs that went 
sweepng thru th woods. Th guns in th rear, arousd and enrajed by shels 
that had been thrown burlike at them, sudnly involvd themselvs in a hideus 
altrcation with anothr band of guns. Th batl ror setld to a rolng 
thundr, wich was a singl, long explosion. 
   In th rejmnt ther was a peculir kind of hesitation denoted in th 
atitudes of th men. They wer worn, exaustd, havng slept but litl and 
labord much. They rold ther ys toward th advancing batl as they stood 
awaitng th shok. Som shrank and flinchd. They stood as men tied to stakes.


Paje 163


Chaptr 17
CHAPTR XVII.
   THIS advance of th enmy had seemd to th yuth like a ruthless huntng. He 
began to fume with raje and exaspration. He beat his foot upon th ground, and 
scowld with hate at th swirlng smoke that was aproachng like a fantm 
flod. Ther was a madnng quality in this seemng reslution of th fo to 
giv him no rest, to giv him no time to sit down and think. Yestrday he had 
fot and had fled rapidly. Ther had been many adventurs. For to day he felt 
that he had ernd oprtunitis for contmplativ repose. He cud hav enjoyd 
portrayng to uninitiated lisnrs varius senes at wich he had been a 
witness or ably discusng th processes of war with othr proved men. Too it 
was importnt that he shud hav time for fysicl recuperation. He was sor 
and stif from his experiences. He had receved his fil of al exertions, and 
he wishd to rest. 
   But those othr men seemd nevr to gro weary; they wer fytng with ther 
old speed. 


Paje 164

He had a wild hate for th relentless fo. Yestrday, wen he had imajnd th 
universe to be against him, he had hated it, litl gods and big gods; to day he 
hated th army of th fo with th same gret hatred. He was not going to be 
bajrd of his life, like a kitn chased by boys, he said. It was not wel to 
drive men into final cornrs; at those moments they cud al develop teeth and 
claws. 
   He leand and spoke into his friend's ear. He menaced th woods with a 
jestur. "If they keep on chasing us, by Gawd, they'd betr wach out. Cant 
stand too much." 
   Th frend twistd his hed and made a calm reply. "If they keep on a chasin' 
us they'l drive us al inteh th' rivr." 
   Th yuth cryd out savajly at this statemnt. He crouchd behind a litl 
tre, with his ys burnng hatefully and his teeth set in a cur like snarl. Th 
awkwrd bandaj was stil about his hed, and upon it, over his wound, ther was 
a spot of dry blod. His hair was wondrously tousld, and som straglng, 
moving loks hung over th cloth of th bandaj down toward his forhed. His 
jaket and shirt wer open at th throat, and exposed his yung bronzd nek. 
Ther cud be seen spasmodic gulpings at his throat. 


Paje 165


   His fingrs twined nervusly about his rifle. He wishd that it was an enjn 
of anihilating powr. He felt that he and his companions wer being tauntd and 
derided from sincere convictions that they wer poor and puny. His nolej of 
his inability to take venjnce for it made his raje into a dark and stormy 
spectr, that posesd him and made him dream of abomnbl crueltis. Th 
tormentrs wer flys sukng inslntly at his blod, and he thot that he 
wud hav givn his life for a revenj of seing ther faces in pitiful 
plights. 
   Th winds of batl had swept al about th rejmnt, until th one rifle, 
instntly folod by othrs, flashd in its front. A moment later th rejmnt 
rord forth its sudn and valiant retort. A dense wal of smoke setld sloly 
down. It was furiusly slit and slashd by th knifelike fire from th rifles. 
   To th yuth th fytrs resembld anmls tosd for a deth strugl into 
a dark pit. Ther was a sensation that he and his felos, at bay, wer pushng 
bak, always pushng fierce onslauts of creaturs ho wer slipry. Ther 
beams of crimsn seemd to get no purchas upon th bodis of ther fos; th 
latr seemd to evade them with ese, and com thru, between, around, and 
about with unoposed skil. 


Paje 166


   Wen, in a dream, it ocurd to th yuth that his rifle was an impotnt 
stik, he lost sense of everything but his hate, his desire to smash into pulp 
th glitrng smile of victry wich he cud feel upon th faces of his 
enmis. 
   Th blu smoke swalod line curld and rithed like a snake stepd upon. 
It swung its ends to and fro in an agny of fear and raje. 
   Th yuth was not concius that he was erect upon his feet. He did not no 
th direction of th ground. Indeed, once he even lost th habit of balance and 
fel hevily. He was up again imediatly. One thot went thru th caos of 
his brain at th time. He wondrd if he had falen because he had been shot. 
But th suspicion flew away at once. He did not think mor of it. 
   He had taken up a first position behind th litl tre, with a direct 
determnation to hold it against th world. He had not deemd it posbl that 
his army cud that day succeed, and from this he felt th ability to fyt 
harder. But th throng had surjd in al ways, until he lost directions and 
locations, save that he new wher lay th enmy. 
   Th flames bit him, and th hot smoke broild his skin. His rifle barel grew 
so hot that ordnrily he cud not hav born it upon his palms; 


Paje 167

but he kept on stufng cartrijs into it, and poundng them with his clankng, 
bendng ramrod. If he aimd at som chanjing form thru th smoke, he puld 
his trigr with a fierce grunt, as if he wer dealng a blo of th fist with 
al his strength. 
   Wen th enmy seemd falng bak befor him and his felos, he went 
instntly forwrd, like a dog ho, seing his fos lagng, turns and insists 
upon being pursud. And wen he was compeld to retire again, he did it sloly, 
sulenly, taking steps of rathful despair. 
   Once he, in his intent hate, was almost alone, and was firing, wen al those 
near him had cesed. He was so engrosd in his ocupation that he was not aware 
of a lul. 
   He was recald by a horse laf and a sentnce that came to his ears in a 
voice of contemt and amazemnt. "Yeh infernl fool, dont yeh no enuf t' 
quit wen ther aint anything t' shoot at? Good Gawd!" 
   He turnd then and, pausng with his rifle thrown half into position, lookd 
at th blu line of his comrads. During this moment of lesur they seemd al 
to be engajed in staring with astonishmnt at him. They had becom spectators. 
Turnng to th front again he saw, undr th liftd smoke, a desertd ground. 


Paje 168


   He lookd bewildrd for a moment. Then ther apeard upon th glazed 
vacancy of his ys a diamnd point of intelijnce. "O," he said, 
comprehendng. 
   He returnd to his comrads and threw himself upon th ground. He sprawld 
like a man ho had been thrashd. His flesh seemd stranjely on fire, and th 
sounds of th batl continud in his ears. He groped blindly for his canteen. 
   Th leutennt was croing. He seemd drunk with fytng. He cald out to 
th yuth: "By hevns, if I had ten thousnd wild cats like u I cud ter 
th' stomac outa this war in less'n a week!" He pufd out his chest with larj 
dignity as he said it. 
   Som of th men mutrd and lookd at th yuth in aw struk ways. It was 
plan that as he had gon on loadng and firing and cursng without th propr 
intrmission, they had found time to regard him. And they now lookd upon him as 
a war devl. 
   Th frend came stagrng to him. Ther was som fryt and dismay in his 
voice. "Ar yeh al ryt, Flemng? Do yeh feel al ryt? Ther aint nothin' 
th' matr with yeh, Henry, is ther?" 
   "No," said th yuth with dificlty. His throat seemd ful of nobs and 
burs. 
   These incidnts made th yuth pondr. It 


Paje 169

was reveald to him that he had been a barbarian, a beast. He had fot like a 
pagan ho defends his relijn. Regardng it, he saw that it was fine, wild, 
and, in som ways, esy. He had been a tremendus figr, no dout. By this 
strugl he had overcom obstacls wich he had admitd to be mountns. They 
had falen like paper peaks, and he was now wat he cald a hero. And he had 
not been aware of th process. He had slept and, awakenng, found himself a 
nyt. 
   He lay and baskd in th ocasionl stares of his comrads. Ther faces wer 
varid in degrees of blakness from th burnd powdr. Som wer utrly 
smujd. They wer reekng with perspration, and ther breths came hard and 
wezing. And from these soild expanses they peerd at him. 
   "Hot work! Hot work!" cryd th leutennt deliriously. He walkd up and 
down, restless and eagr. Somtimes his voice cud be herd in a wild, 
incomprehensbl laf. 
   Wen he had a particulrly profound thot upon th sience of war he always 
unconciusly adresd himself to th yuth. 
   Ther was som grim rejoicing by th men. "By thundr, I bet this army'll 
nevr se anothr new reg'ment like us!" 


Paje 170

. 
   "U bet!" 
    "A dog, a womn, an' a walnut tre, 
    Th' mor yeh beat 'em, th' betr they be! That's like us." 
   "Lost a piler men, they did. If an' ol' womn swep' up th' woods she'd git a 
dustpanful." 
   "Yes, an' if she'l com around ag'in in 'bout an' our she'l git a pile 
mor." 
   Th forest stil bor its burdn of clamr. From off undr th tres came th 
rolng clatr of th musketry. Each distnt thiket seemd a stranje porcupine 
with quils of flame. A cloud of dark smoke, as from smoldrng ruins, went up 
toward th sun now bryt and gay in th blu, enameled sky.


Paje 171


Chaptr 18
CHAPTR XVIII.
   TH raged line had respit for som minuts, but during its pause th 
strugl in th forest became magnifyd until th tres seemd to quivr from 
th firing and th ground to shake from th rushng of th men. Th voices of 
th cann wer mingld in a long and intermnbl ro. It seemd dificlt to 
liv in such an atmosfere. Th chests of th men straind for a bit of 
freshness, and ther throats craved watr. 
   Ther was one shot thru th body, ho rased a cry of bitr lamntation 
wen came this lul. Perhaps he had been calng out during th fytng also, 
but at that time no one had herd him. But now th men turnd at th woful 
complaints of him upon th ground. 
   "Ho is it? Ho is it?" 
   "It's Jimmi Rogers. Jimmi Rogers." 
   Wen ther ys first encountrd him ther was a sudn halt, as if they 
feard to go near. He was thrashng about in th grass, twistng his 


Paje 172

shudrng body into many stranje posturs. He was screamng loudly. This 
instant's hesitation seemd to fil him with a tremendus, fantastic contemt, 
and he damd them in shriekd sentnces. 
   Th youth's frend had a jeograficl ilusion concernng a stream, and he 
obtaind permission to go for som watr. Imediatly canteens wer showrd 
upon him. "Fil mine, wil yeh?" "Bring me som, too." "And me, too." He 
departd, ladened. Th yuth went with his frend, feelng a desire to thro his 
heatd body onto th stream and, soakng ther, drink quarts. 
   They made a hurrid serch for th suposed stream, but did not find it. "No 
watr here," said th yuth. They turnd without delay and began to retrace 
ther steps. 
   From ther position as they again faced toward th place of th fytng, 
they cud of corse comprehend a gretr amount of th batl than wen ther 
visions had been blurd by th hurlng smoke of th line. They cud se dark 
strechs windng along th land, and on one cleard space ther was a ro of 
guns making gray clouds, wich wer fild with larj flashs of oranj colord 
flame. Over som foliaj they cud se th roof of a house. One windo, gloing 
a deep murdr red, shon squarely 


Paje 173

thru th leavs. From th edifice a tal leanng towr of smoke went far into 
th sky. 
   Lookng over ther own troops, they saw mixd masses sloly getng into 
regulr form. Th sunlyt made twinklng points of th bryt steel. To th 
rear ther was a glimps of a distnt roadway as it curvd over a slope. It was 
crowdd with retreatng infntry. From al th intrwoven forest arose th smoke 
and blustr of th batl. Th air was always ocupyd by a blaring. 
   Near wher they stood shels wer flip flapng and hootng. Ocasionl 
bulets buzd in th air and spanged into tre trunks. Woundd men and othr 
straglrs wer slinkng thru th woods. 
   Lookng down an ile of th grove, th yuth and his companion saw a 
janglng jenrl and his staf almost ride upon a woundd man, ho was crawlng 
on his hands and nes. Th jenrl reind strongly at his charger's opend and 
foamy mouth and gided it with dextrus horsemanship past th man. Th latr 
scrambld in wild and torturng haste. His strength evidntly faild him as he 
reachd a place of safety. One of his arms sudnly weaknd, and he fel, 
sliding over upon his bak. He lay strechd out, brething jently. 


Paje 174


   A moment later th smal, creakng cavlcade was directly in front of th two 
soldirs. Anothr oficer, riding with th skilful abandn of a cowboy, 
galopd his horse to a position directly befor th jenrl. Th two unoticed 
foot soldirs made a litl sho of going on, but they lingrd near in th 
desire to overhear th convrsation. Perhaps, they thot, som gret inr 
historicl things wud be said. 
   Th jenrl, hom th boys new as th comandr of ther division, lookd at 
th othr oficer and spoke cooly, as if he wer criticizing his clothes. "Th' 
enemy's formin' over ther for anothr charj," he said. "It'l be directd 
against Whiterside, an' I fear they'l brek thru ther unless we work like 
thundr t' stop them." 
   Th othr swor at his restiv horse, and then cleard his throat. He made a 
jestur toward his cap. "It'l be hel t' pay stoppin' them," he said shortly. 
   "I presume so," remarkd th jenrl. Then he began to talk rapidly and in a 
loer tone. He frequently ilustrated his words with a pointng fingr. Th two 
infantrymen cud hear nothing until finaly he askd: "Wat troops can u 
spare?" 
   Th oficer ho rode like a cowboy reflectd 


Paje 175

for an instnt. "Wel," he said, "I had to ordr in th' 12th to help th' 76th, 
an' I havnt realy got any. But ther's th' 304th. They fyt like a lot 'a 
mule drivers. I can spare them best of any." 
   Th yuth and his frend exchanjed glances of astonishmnt. 
   Th jenrl spoke sharply. "Get 'em redy, then. I'l wach developmnts from 
here, an' send u word wen t' start them. It'l hapn in five minuts." 
   As th othr oficer tosd his fingrs toward his cap and weelng his 
horse, startd away, th jenrl cald out to him in a sober voice: "I dont 
beleve many of yr mule drivers wil get bak." 
   Th othr shoutd somthing in reply. He smiled. 
   With scared faces, th yuth and his companion hurrid bak to th line. 
   These hapnngs had ocupyd an incredbly short time, yet th yuth felt 
that in them he had been made ajed. New ys wer givn to him. And th most 
startlng thing was to lern sudnly that he was very insignificnt. Th 
oficer spoke of th rejmnt as if he referd to a broom. Som part of th 
woods needd sweepng, perhaps, and he merely indicated a broom in 


Paje 176

a tone proprly indifrnt to its fate. It was war, no dout, but it apeard 
stranje. 
   As th two boys aproachd th line, th leutennt perceved them and 
sweld with rath. "Flemng -- Wilson -- how long dos it take yeh to git 
watr, anyhow -- wher yeh been to." 
   But his oration cesed as he saw ther ys, wich wer larj with gret 
tales. "We'r goin' t' charj -- we'r goin' t' charj!" cryd th youth's 
frend, hasenng with his news. 
   "Charj?" said th leutennt. "Charj? Wel, b'gawd! Now, this is real 
fightin'." Over his soild countnnce ther went a boastful smile. "Charj? 
Wel, b'gawd!" 
   A litl group of soldirs suroundd th two yuths. "Ar we, sure 'nough? 
Wel, I'l be derned! Charj? Wat fer? Wat at? Wilson, u'r lyin'." 
   "I hope to die," said th yuth, pichng his tones to th ke of angry 
remonstrance. "Sure as shootng, I tel u." 
   And his frend spoke in re enforcemnt. "Not by a blame syt, he aint 
lyin'. We herd 'em talkn." 
   They caut syt of two mountd figrs a short distnce from them. One was 
th colnl of th rejmnt and th othr was th oficer ho had receved 
ordrs from th comandr of th 


Paje 177

division. They wer jesticulating at each othr. Th soldir, pointng at them, 
interpretd th sene. 
   One man had a final objection: "How cud yeh hear 'em talkn?" But th men, 
for a larj part, nodd, admitng that previusly th two frends had spoken 
truth. 
   They setld bak into reposeful atitudes with airs of havng acceptd th 
matr. And they mused upon it, with a hundred varietis of expression. It was 
an engrosng thing to think about. Many tytnd ther belts carefuly and 
hichd at ther trousrs. 
   A moment later th oficers began to busl among th men, pushng them into 
a mor compact mass and into a betr alynmnt. They chased those that 
stragld and fumed at a few men ho seemd to sho by ther atitudes that they 
had decided to remain at that spot. They wer like criticl sheprds struglng 
with sheep. 
   Presntly, th rejmnt seemd to draw itself up and heve a deep breth. 
Non of th men's faces wer mirrs of larj thots. Th soldirs wer bendd 
and stoopd like sprinters befor a signl. Many pairs of glintng ys peerd 
from th grimy faces toward th curtns of th deepr woods. They seemd to be 
engajed in deep calculations of time and distnce. 


Paje 178


   They wer suroundd by th noises of th monstrus altrcation between th 
two armis. Th world was fuly intrestd in othr matrs. Aparently, th 
rejmnt had its smal afair to itself. 
   Th yuth, turnng, shot a quik, inquiring glance at his frend. Th latr 
returnd to him th same manr of look. They wer th only ones ho posesd 
an inr nolej. "Mule drivers -- hel t' pay -- dont beleve many wil get 
bak." It was an ironicl secret. Stil, they saw no hesitation in each other's 
faces, and they nodd a mute and unprotesting asent wen a shaggy man near 
them said in a meek voice: "We'l git swalod."


Paje 179


Chaptr 19
CHAPTR XIX.
   TH yuth stared at th land in front of him. Its foliages now seemd to veil 
powrs and horrs. He was unaware of th machinery of ordrs that startd th 
charj, altho from th cornrs of his ys he saw an oficer, ho lookd like 
a boy a horsbak, com galopng, waving his hat. Sudnly he felt a strainng 
and heving among th men. Th line fel sloly forwrd like a toplng wal, 
and, with a convulsiv gasp that was intendd for a cheer, th rejmnt began 
its jurny. Th yuth was pushd and josld for a moment befor he undrstood 
th movemnt at al, but directly he lunjd ahed and began to run. 
   He fixd his y upon a distnt and promnnt clump of tres wher he had 
concluded th enmy wer to be met, and he ran toward it as toward a goal. He 
had beleved thruout that it was a mere question of getng over an 
unplesnt matr as quikly as posbl, and he ran 


Paje 180

despratly, as if pursud for a murdr. His face was drawn hard and tyt with 
th stress of his endeavor. His ys wer fixd in a lurid glare. And with his 
soild and disordrd dress, his red and inflamed featurs surmountd by th 
dinjy rag with its spot of blod, his wildly swingng rifle and bangng 
accouterments, he lookd to be an insane soldir. 
   As th rejmnt swung from its position out into a cleard space th woods 
and thikets befor it awakend. Yelo flames leapd toward it from many 
directions. Th forest made a tremendus objection. 
   Th line lurchd strait for a moment. Then th ryt wing swung forwrd; it 
in turn was surpasd by th left. Aftrwrd th centr careered to th front 
until th rejmnt was a wej shaped mass, but an instnt later th oposition 
of th bushs, tres, and uneven places on th ground split th comand and 
scatrd it into detachd clustrs. 
   Th yuth, lyt footd, was unconciusly in advance. His ys stil kept 
note of th clump of tres. From al places near it th clannish yel of th 
enmy cud be herd. Th litl flames of rifles leapd from it. Th song of 
th bulets was in th air and shels snarld among th tretops. One tumbld 
directly into th midl of a 


Paje 181

hurrying group and exploded in crimsn fury. Ther was an instant's spectacl of 
a man, almost over it, throing up his hands to shield his ys. 
   Othr men, punchd by bulets, fel in grotesq agnis. Th rejmnt left a 
coherent trail of bodis. 
   They had pasd into a clearr atmosfere. Ther was an efect like a 
revlation in th new apearnce of th landscape. Som men workng madly at a 
batry wer plan to them, and th oposing infantry's lines wer defined by 
th gray walls and frinjs of smoke. 
   It seemd to th yuth that he saw everything. Each blade of th green grass 
was bold and clear. He thot that he was aware of evry chanje in th thin, 
transparent vapor that floatd idly in sheets. Th brown or gray trunks of th 
tres showd each rufness of ther surfaces. And th men of th rejmnt, with 
ther startng ys and swetng faces, runng madly, or falng, as if thrown 
hedlong, to queer, heapd up corpses -- al wer comprehendd. His mind took a 
mecanicl but firm impression, so that aftrwrd everything was picturd and 
explaind to him, save wy he himself was ther. 
   But ther was a frenzy made from this furius rush. Th men, pichng forwrd 
insanely, had burst into cheerings, moblike and barbaric, but 


Paje 182

tuned in stranje kes that can arouse th dullard and th stoic. It made a mad 
enthusiasm that, it seemd, wud be incapabl of chekng itself befor granit 
and brass. Ther was th delirium that encountrs despair and deth, and is 
heedless and blind to th ods. It is a tempry but sublime absnce of 
selfishness. And because it was of this ordr was th reasn, perhaps, wy th 
yuth wondrd, aftrwrd, wat reasns he cud hav had for being ther. 
   Presntly th strainng pace ate up th enrjis of th men. As if by 
agreemnt, th leadrs began to slakn ther speed. Th volleys directd 
against them had had a seemng windlike efect. Th rejmnt snortd and blew. 
Among som stolid tres it began to faltr and hesitate. Th men, staring 
intently, began to wait for som of th distnt walls of smoke to move and 
disclose to them th sene. Since much of ther strength and ther breth had 
vanishd, they returnd to caution. They wer becom men again. 
   Th yuth had a vage belief that he had run miles, and he thot, in a way, 
that he was now in som new and unown land. 
   Th moment th rejmnt cesed its advance th protestng splutr of 
musketry became a stedid ror. Long and acurat frinjs of 


Paje 183

smoke spred out. From th top of a smal hil came levl belchings of yelo 
flame that causd an inhuman wislng in th air. 
   Th men, haltd, had oprtunity to se som of ther comrads dropng with 
moans and shrieks. A few lay undr foot, stil or wailng. And now for an 
instnt th men stood, ther rifles slak in ther hands, and wachd th 
rejmnt dwindl. They apeard dazed and stupid. This spectacl seemd to 
paralyze them, overcom them with a fatal fasnation. They stared woodnly at 
th syts, and, lowrng ther ys, lookd from face to face. It was a stranje 
pause, and a stranje silence. 
   Then, abov th sounds of th outside comotion, arose th ror of th 
leutennt. He strode sudnly forth, his infntl featurs blak with raje. 
   "Com on, yeh fools!" he bellod. "Com on! Yeh cant stay here. Yeh must 
com on." He said mor, but much of it cud not be undrstood. 
   He startd rapidly forwrd, with his hed turnd toward th men. "Com on," 
he was shoutng. Th men stared with blank and yokel like ys at him. He was 
oblijed to halt and retrace his steps. He stood then with his bak to th enmy 
and delivrd jigantic curses into 


Paje 184

. th faces of th men. His body vibrated from th weit and force of his 
imprecations. And he cud string oaths with th facility of a maidn ho 
strings beads. 
   Th frend of th yuth arousd. Lurchng sudnly forwrd and dropng to 
his nes, he fired an angry shot at th persistnt woods. This action awakend 
th men. They hudld no mor like sheep. They seemd sudnly to bethink them 
of ther wepns, and at once comenced firing. Belabored by ther oficers, 
they began to move forwrd. Th rejmnt, involvd like a cart involvd in mud 
and mudl, startd unevenly with many jolts and jerks. Th men stopd now 
evry few paces to fire and load, and in this manr moved sloly on from tres 
to tres. 
   Th flaming oposition in ther front grew with ther advance until it seemd 
that al forwrd ways wer bard by th thin leapng tongs, and off to th 
ryt an omnus demnstration cud somtimes be dimly disernd. Th smoke 
lately jenrated was in confusing clouds that made it dificlt for th rejmnt 
to proceed with intelijnce. As he pasd thru each curlng mass th yuth 
wondrd wat wud confront him on th farthr side. 
   Th comand went painfuly forwrd until an 


Paje 185

open space intrposed between them and th lurid lines. Here, crouchng and 
cowrng behind som tres, th men clung with despration, as if thretnd by 
a wave. They lookd wild yd, and as if amazed at this furius disturbnce they 
had stird. In th storm ther was an ironicl expression of ther importnce. 
Th faces of th men, too, showd a lak of a certn feelng of responsbility 
for being ther. It was as if they had been drivn. It was th domnnt anml 
failng to remembr in th supreme moments th forceful causes of varius 
superficial qualitis. Th hole afair seemd incomprehensbl to many of them. 

   As they haltd thus th leutennt again began to bello profanely. 
Regardless of th vindictiv threts of th bulets, he went about coaxng, 
berating, and bedamning. His lips, that wer habituly in a soft and childlike 
curv, wer now rithed into unholy contortions. He swor by al posbl 
deitis. 
   Once he grabd th yuth by th arm. "Com on, yeh lunkhead!" he rord. 
"Com on! We'l al git kild if we stay here. We'v on'y got t' go across that 
lot. An' then" -- th remaindr of his idea disapeard in a blu haze of 
curses. 
   Th yuth strechd forth his arm. "Cross 


Paje 186

. ther?" His mouth was pukrd in dout and aw. 
   "Certnly. Jest 'cross th' lot! We cant stay here," screamd th 
leutennt. He poked his face close to th yuth and waved his bandajd hand. 
"Com on!" Presntly he grapld with him as if for a reslng bout. It was as 
if he pland to drag th yuth by th ear on to th asalt. 
   Th privat felt a sudn unspeakbl indignation against his oficer. He 
renchd fiercely and shook him off. 
   "Com on herself, then," he yeld. Ther was a bitr chalenj in his 
voice. 
   They galopd togethr down th rejmentl front. Th frend scrambld aftr 
them. In front of th colors th thre men began to bawl: "Com on! com on!" 
They danced and gyrated like torturd savajs. 
   Th flag, obedient to these apeals, bendd its glitrng form and swept 
toward them. Th men waverd in indecision for a moment, and then with a long, 
wailful cry th dilapidated rejmnt surjd forwrd and began its new jurny. 
   Over th field went th scurrying mass. It was a handful of men splatrd 
into th faces of th enmy. Toward it instntly sprang th yelo tongs. A 
vast quantity of blu smoke 


Paje 187

hung befor them. A myty bangng made ears valuless. 
   Th yuth ran like a madman to reach th woods befor a bulet cud discovr 
him. He dukd his hed lo, like a footbal playr. In his haste his ys 
almost closed, and th sene was a wild blur. Pulsating saliva stood at th 
cornrs of his mouth. 
   Within him, as he hurld himself forwrd, was born a lov, a despairng 
fondness for this flag wich was near him. It was a creation of buty and 
invulnrbility. It was a godess, radiant, that bendd its form with an 
imperius jestur to him. It was a womn, red and wite, hating and lovng, that 
cald him with th voice of his hopes. Because no harm cud com to it he 
endowd it with powr. He kept near, as if it cud be a saver of lives, and an 
implorng cry went from his mind. 
   In th mad scrambl he was aware that th color serjnt flinchd sudnly, 
as if struk by a blujn. He faltrd, and then became motionless, save for 
his quivrng nes. 
   He made a spring and a cluch at th pole. At th same instnt his frend 
grabd it from th othr side. They jerkd at it, stout and furius, but th 
color serjnt was ded, and th corps wud not relinquish its trust. For a 
moment 


Paje 188

ther was a grim encountr. Th ded man, swingng with bendd bak, seemd to 
be obstnatly tugng, in ludicrus and awful ways, for th posession of th 
flag. 
   It was past in an instnt of time. They renchd th flag furiusly from th 
ded man, and, as they turnd again, th corps swayd forwrd with bowd hed. 
One arm swung hy, and th curvd hand fel with hevy protest on th friend's 
unheeding sholdr.


Paje 189


Chaptr 20
CHAPTR XX.
   WEN th two yuths turnd with th flag they saw that much of th rejmnt 
had crumbld away, and th dejectd remnnt was comng sloly bak. Th men, 
havng hurld themselvs in projectl fashn, had presntly expendd ther 
forces. They sloly retreatd, with ther faces stil toward th splutrng 
woods, and ther hot rifles stil replyng to th din. Sevrl oficers wer 
givng ordrs, ther voices keed to screams. 
   "Wher in hel yeh goin'?" th leutennt was askng in a sarcastic howl. And 
a red beardd oficer, hos voice of tripl brass cud plainly be herd, was 
comandng: "Shoot into 'em! Shoot into 'em, Gawd dam ther sols!" Ther was a 
mele'e of screeches, in wich th men wer ordrd to do conflictng and 
imposbl things. 
   Th yuth and his frend had a smal scufl over th flag. "Giv it t' me!" 
"No, let me keep it!" Each felt satisfyd with th other's posession of it, but 
each felt bound to declare, by 


Paje 190

an ofr to carry th emblm, his wilngness to furthr risk himself. Th yuth 
rufly pushd his frend away. 
   Th rejmnt fel bak to th stolid tres. Ther it haltd for a moment to 
blaze at som dark forms that had begun to steal upon its trak. Presntly it 
resumed its march again, curvng among th tre trunks. By th time th depleted 
rejmnt had again reachd th first open space they wer receving a fast and 
merciless fire. Ther seemd to be mobs al about them. 
   Th gretr part of th men, discurajd, ther spirits worn by th turmoil, 
actd as if stund. They acceptd th peltng of th bulets with bowd and 
weary heds. It was of no purpos to strive against walls. It was of no use to 
batr themselvs against granit. And from this conciusness that they had 
atemtd to conqr an unconquerable thing ther seemd to arise a feelng that 
they had been betrayd. They glowrd with bent brows, but danjerusly, upon 
som of th oficers, mor particulrly upon th red beardd one with th voice 
of tripl brass. 
   Howevr, th rear of th rejmnt was frinjd with men, ho continud to 
shoot iritbly at th advancing fos. They seemd resolvd to make evry 
trubl. Th yuthful leutennt was perhaps 


Paje 191

th last man in th disordrd mass. His forgotn bak was toward th enmy. He 
had been shot in th arm. It hung strait and rijid. Ocasionly he wud 
cese to remembr it, and be about to emfasize an oath with a sweepng jestur. 
Th multiplyd pain causd him to swer with incredbl powr. 
   Th yuth went along with slipng, uncertn feet. He kept wachful ys 
rearwrd. A scowl of mortification and raje was upon his face. He had thot of 
a fine revenj upon th oficer ho had referd to him and his felos as mule 
drivers. But he saw that it cud not com to pass. His dreams had colapsd 
wen th mule drivers, dwindlng rapidly, had waverd and hesitated on th 
litl clearng, and then had recoild. And now th retreat of th mule drivers 
was a march of shame to him. 
   A dagr pointd gaze from without his blaknd face was held toward th 
enmy, but his gretr hatred was rivetd upon th man, ho, not noing him, 
had cald him a mule driver. 
   Wen he new that he and his comrads had faild to do anything in succesful 
ways that myt bring th litl pangs of a kind of remorse upon th oficer, 
th yuth alowd th raje of th bafld to posess him. This cold oficer upon 
a monumnt, ho dropd epithets unconcernedly 


Paje 192

down, wud be finer as a ded man, he thot. So grevus did he think it that 
he cud nevr posess th secret ryt to taunt truly in ansr. 
   He had picturd red letrs of curius revenj. "We ar mule drivers, ar 
we?" And now he was compeld to thro them away. 
   He presntly rapd his hart in th cloak of his pride and kept th flag 
erect. He harangd his felos, pushng against ther chests with his fre 
hand. To those he new wel he made frantic apeals, beseechng them by name. 
Between him and th leutennt, scoldng and near to losing his mind with raje, 
ther was felt a sutl feloship and equality. They suportd each othr in 
al manr of horse, howlng protests. 
   But th rejmnt was a machine run down. Th two men babld at a forceless 
thing. Th soldirs ho had hart to go sloly wer continuly shaken in ther 
resolvs by a nolej that comrads wer slipng with speed bak to th 
lines. It was dificlt to think of reputation wen othrs wer thinkng of 
skins. Woundd men wer left cryng on this blak jurny. 
   Th smoke frinjs and flames blustrd always. Th yuth, peerng once 
thru a sudn rift in a cloud, saw a brown mass of troops, 


Paje 193

intrwoven and magnifyd until they apeard to be thousnds. A fierce hued flag 
flashd befor his vision. 
   Imediatly, as if th upliftng of th smoke had been prearanjed, th 
discovrd troops burst into a raspng yel, and a hundred flames jetd toward 
th retreatng band. A rolng gray cloud again intrposed as th rejmnt 
dogedly replyd. Th yuth had to depend again upon his misused ears, wich 
wer tremblng and buzng from th mele'e of musketry and yels. 
   Th way seemd eternl. In th cloudd haze men became panicstricken with th 
thot that th rejmnt had lost its path, and was proceedng in a perilus 
direction. Once th men ho hedd th wild procession turnd and came pushng 
bak against ther comrads, screamng that they wer being fired upon from 
points wich they had considrd to be toward ther own lines. At this cry a 
hystericl fear and dismay beset th troops. A soldir, ho heretofor had been 
ambitius to make th rejmnt into a wise litl band that wud proceed calmly 
amid th huje apearng dificltis, sudnly sank down and burid his face in 
his arms with an air of bowng to a doom. From anothr a shril lamntation rang 
out fild with profane alusions to a jenrl. 


Paje 194

Men ran hithr and thithr, seekng with ther ys roads of escape. With serene 
regularity, as if controld by a scedul, bulets buffed into men. 
   Th yuth walkd stolidly into th midst of th mob, and with his flag in his 
hands took a stand as if he expectd an atemt to push him to th ground. He 
unconciusly asumed th atitude of th color berr in th fyt of th 
preceding day. He pasd over his brow a hand that trembld. His breth did not 
com frely. He was choking during this smal wait for th crisis. 
   His frend came to him. "Wel, Henry, I gess this is good by -- Jon." 
   "O, shut up, u damd fool!" replyd th yuth, and he wud not look at 
th othr. 
   Th oficers labord like politicians to beat th mass into a propr circl 
to face th menaces. Th ground was uneven and torn. Th men curld into 
depressions and fitd themselvs snugly behind watevr wud frustrate a 
bulet. 
   Th yuth noted with vage surprise that th leutennt was standng mutely 
with his legs far apart and his sord held in th manr of a cane. Th yuth 
wondrd wat had hapnd to his vocal orgns that he no mor cursd. 


Paje 195


   Ther was somthing curius in this litl intent pause of th leutennt. He 
was like a babe wich, havng wept its fil, rases its ys and fixs upon a 
distnt toy. He was engrosd in this contmplation, and th soft undr lip 
quivrd from self wisprd words. 
   Som lazy and ignrnt smoke curld sloly. Th men, hiding from th bulets, 
waitd anxiusly for it to lift and disclose th plyt of th rejmnt. 
   Th silent ranks wer sudnly thrild by th eagr voice of th yuthful 
leutennt bawlng out: "Here they com! Ryt onto us, b'gawd!" His furthr 
words wer lost in a ror of wiked thundr from th men's rifles. 
   Th youth's ys had instntly turnd in th direction indicated by th 
awakend and ajitated leutennt, and he had seen th haze of trechry 
disclosing a body of soldirs of th enmy. They wer so near that he cud se 
ther featurs. Ther was a recognition as he lookd at th typs of faces. Also 
he perceved with dim amazemnt that ther uniforms wer rathr gay in efect, 
being lyt gray, accentd with a briliant hued facing. Too, th clothes seemd 
new. 
   These troops had aparently been going forwrd with caution, ther rifles 
held in rediness, wen th yuthful leutennt had discovrd 


Paje 196

them and ther movemnt had been intruptd by th volly from th blu 
rejmnt. From th moment's glimps, it was derived that they had been unaware 
of th proximity of ther dark suitd fos or had mistaken th direction. Almost 
instntly they wer shut utrly from th youth's syt by th smoke from th 
enrjetic rifles of his companions. He straind his vision to lern th 
acomplishmnt of th volly, but th smoke hung befor him. 
   Th two bodis of troops exchanjed blos in th manr of a pair of boxrs. 
Th fast angry firings went bak and forth. Th men in blu wer intent with th 
despair of ther circmstnces and they sezed upon th revenj to be had at 
close ranje. Ther thundr sweld loud and valiant. Ther curvng front 
brisld with flashs and th place resoundd with th clangor of ther ramrods. 
Th yuth dukd and dojd for a time and acheved a few unsatisfactry vews 
of th enmy. Ther apeard to be many of them and they wer replyng swiftly. 
They seemd moving toward th blu rejmnt, step by step. He seatd himself 
gloomily on th ground with his flag between his nes. 
   As he noted th vicius, wolflike tempr of his comrads he had a sweet 
thot that if th enmy was about to swalo th rejmentl 


Paje 197

broom as a larj prisnr, it cud at least hav th conslation of going down 
with brisls forwrd. 
   But th blos of th antagnist began to gro mor weak. Fewr bulets ripd 
th air, and finaly, wen th men slaknd to lern of th fyt, they cud 
se only dark, floatng smoke. Th rejmnt lay stil and gazed. Presntly som 
chance wim came to th pestrng blur, and it began to coil hevily away. Th 
men saw a ground vacant of fytrs. It wud hav been an emty staje if it 
wer not for a few corpses that lay thrown and twistd into fantastic shapes 
upon th sward. 
   At syt of this tablau, many of th men in blu sprang from behind ther 
covrs and made an ungainly dance of joy. Ther ys burnd and a horse cheer 
of elation broke from ther dry lips. 
   It had begun to seem to them that events wer tryng to prove that they wer 
impotnt. These litl batls had evidntly endeavored to demnstrate that th 
men cud not fyt wel. Wen on th verj of submission to these opinions, th 
smal duel had showd them that th proportions wer not imposbl, and by it 
they had revenged themselvs upon ther misgivngs and upon th fo. 


Paje 198


   Th impetus of enthusiasm was thers again. They gazed about them with looks 
of upliftd pride, feelng new trust in th grim, always confidnt wepns in 
ther hands. And they wer men.


Paje 199


Chaptr 21
CHAPTR XXI.
   PRESNTLY they new that no firing thretnd them. Al ways seemd once mor 
opend to them. Th dusty blu lines of ther frends wer disclosed a short 
distnce away. In th distnce ther wer many colosl noises, but in al this 
part of th field ther was a sudn stilness. 
   They perceved that they wer fre. Th depleted band drew a long breth of 
relief and gathrd itself into a bunch to complete its trip. 
   In this last length of jurny th men began to sho stranje emotions. They 
hurrid with nervus fear. Som ho had been dark and unfaltering in th 
grimmest moments now cud not conceal an anxiety that made them frantic. It was 
perhaps that they dredd to be kild in insignificnt ways aftr th times for 
propr militry deths had pasd. Or, perhaps, they thot it wud be too 
ironicl to get kild at 


Paje 200

th portls of safety. With bakwrd looks of pertrbation, they hasend. 
   As they aproachd ther own lines ther was som sarcasm exibitd on th 
part of a gaunt and bronzd rejmnt that lay restng in th shade of tres. 
Questions wer waftd to them. 
   "Wher th' hel yeh been?" 
   "Wat yeh comin' bak fer?" 
   "Wy didnt yeh stay ther?" 
   "Was it warm out ther, sonny?" 
   "Goin' home now, boys?" 
   One shoutd in tauntng mimicry: "O, mothr, com quik an' look at th' 
sojers!" 
   Ther was no reply from th brused and batrd rejmnt, save that one man 
made brodcast chalenjs to fist fyts and th red beardd oficer walkd 
rathr near and glared in gret swashbuckler styl at a tal captn in th 
othr rejmnt. But th leutennt supresd th man ho wishd to fist fyt, 
and th tal captn, flushng at th litl fanfare of th red beardd one, was 
oblijed to look intently at som tres. 
   Th youth's tendr flesh was deeply stung by these remarks. From undr his 
cresed brows he glowrd with hate at th mockers. He meditated upon a few 
revenges. Stil, many in th rejmnt hung ther heds in crimnl fashn, 


Paje 201

so that it came to pass that th men trujd with sudn heviness, as if they 
bor upon ther bendd sholdrs th cofn of ther onr. And th yuthful 
leutennt, reclectng himself, began to mutr softly in blak curses. 
   They turnd wen they arived at ther old position to regard th ground over 
wich they had charjd. 
   Th yuth in this contmplation was smitn with a larj astonishmnt. He 
discovrd that th distnces, as compared with th briliant measurings of his 
mind, wer trivial and ridiculus. Th stolid tres, wher much had taken place, 
seemd incredbly near. Th time, too, now that he reflectd, he saw to hav 
been short. He wondrd at th numbr of emotions and events that had been 
crowdd into such litl spaces. Elfn thots must hav exajrated and 
enlarjd everything, he said. 
   It seemd, then, that ther was bitr justice in th speechs of th gaunt 
and bronzd vetrans. He veild a glance of disdain at his felos ho strewed 
th ground, choking with dust, red from perspration, misty yd, disheveled. 
   They wer gulpng at ther canteens, fierce to ring evry mite of watr from 
them, and they polishd at ther swolen and watry featurs with coat sleves 
and bunchs of grass. 


Paje 202


   Howevr, to th yuth ther was a considrbl joy in musing upon his 
performnces during th charj. He had had very litl time previusly in wich 
to apreciate himself, so that ther was now much satisfaction in quietly 
thinkng of his actions. He recald bits of color that in th flurry had 
stampd themselvs unawares upon his engajed senses. 
   As th rejmnt lay heving from its hot exertions th oficer ho had named 
them as mule drivers came galopng along th line. He had lost his cap. His 
tousld hair streamd wildly, and his face was dark with vexation and rath. His 
tempr was displayd with mor clearness by th way in wich he manajd his 
horse. He jerkd and renchd savajly at his bridle, stopng th hard 
brething anml with a furius pul near th colnl of th rejmnt. He 
imediatly exploded in reproachs wich came unbidn to th ears of th men. 
They wer sudnly alert, being always curius about blak words between 
oficers. 
   "O, thundr, Macchesnay, wat an awful bul u made of this thing!" began 
th oficer. He atemtd lo tones, but his indignation causd certn of th 
men to lern th sense of his words. "Wat an awful mess u made! Good Lord, 
man, u stopd about a hundred 


Paje 203

feet this side of a very pretty success! If yr men had gon a hundred feet 
farthr u wud hav made a gret charj, but as it is -- wat a lot of mud 
digrs u'v got anyway!" 
   Th men, lisnng with bated breth, now turnd ther curius ys upon th 
colnl. They had a ragamuffin intrest in this afair. 
   Th colnl was seen to straitn his form and put one hand forth in 
oratoricl fashn. He wor an injrd air; it was as if a deacn had been 
acused of stealng. Th men wer wiggling in an ecstasy of exitemnt. 
   But of a sudn th colonel's manr chanjed from that of a deacn to that of 
a Frenchman. He shrugd his sholdrs. "O, wel, jenrl, we went as far as we 
cud," he said calmly. 
   "As far as u cud? Did u, b'gawd?" snortd th othr. "Wel, that wasnt 
very far, was it?" he add, with a glance of cold contemt into th other's 
ys. "Not very far, I think. U wer intendd to make a diversion in favor of 
Whiterside. How wel u succeedd yr own ears can now tel u." He weeld 
his horse and rode stifly away. 
   Th colnl, bidn to hear th jarng noises of an engajemnt in th woods 
to th left, broke out in vage damnations. 


Paje 204


   Th leutennt, ho had lisnd with an air of impotnt raje to th 
intrvew, spoke sudnly in firm and undauntd tones. "I dont care wat a man 
is -- wethr he is a jenrl or wat -- if he says th' boys didnt put up a 
good fyt out ther he's a damd fool." 
   "Leutennt," began th colnl, severely, "this is my own afair, and I'l 
trubl u -- " 
   Th leutennt made an obedient jestur. "Al ryt, colnl, al ryt," he 
said. He sat down with an air of being content with himself. 
   Th news that th rejmnt had been reproachd went along th line. For a 
time th men wer bewildrd by it. "Good thundr!" they ejaculated, staring at 
th vanishng form of th jenrl. They conceved it to be a huje mistake. 
   Presntly, howevr, they began to beleve that in truth ther efrts had 
been cald lyt. Th yuth cud se this conviction wei upon th entire 
rejmnt until th men wer like cufd and cursd anmls, but withal 
rebelius. 
   Th frend, with a grevence in his y, went to th yuth. "I wondr wat he 
dos want," he said. "He must think we went out ther an' playd marbls! I 
nevr se sech a man!" 


Paje 205


   Th yuth developd a tranquil filosofy for these moments of iritation. 
"O, wel," he rejoind, "he probbly didnt se nothing of it at al and got 
mad as blazes, and concluded we wer a lot of sheep, just because we didnt do 
wat he wantd don. It's a pity old Granpa Henderson got kild yestirday -- 
he'd hav nown that we did our best and fot good. It's just our awful luk, 
that's wat." 
   "I shud say so," replyd th frend. He seemd to be deeply woundd at an 
injustice. "I shud say we did hav awful luk! Ther's no fun in fightin' fer 
peple wen everything yeh do -- no matr wat -- aint don ryt. I hav a 
notion t' stay behind next time an' let 'em take ther ol' charj an' go t' th' 
devl with it." 
   Th yuth spoke soothingly to his comrad. "Wel, we both did good. I'd like 
to se th fool wat'd say we both didnt do as good as we cud!" 
   "Of corse we did," declared th frend stoutly. "An' I'd brek th' feller's 
nek if he was as big as a church. But we'r al ryt, anyhow, for I herd one 
felr say that we two fit th' best in th' reg'ment, an' they had a gret 
argumnt 'bout it. Anothr felr, 'a corse, he had t' up an' say it was a lie 
-- he seen al wat was goin' 


Paje 206

on an' he nevr seen us from th' beginnin' t' th' end. An' a lot mor struk in 
an' ses it wasnt a lie -- we did fyt like thundr, an' they giv us quite a 
send off. But this is wat I cant stand -- these everlastin' ol' soldirs, 
titterin' an' laughin', an' then that jenrl, he's crazy." 
   Th yuth exclaimd with sudn exaspration: "He's a lunkhead! He makes me 
mad. I wish he'd com along next time. We'd sho 'im wat -- " 
   He cesed because sevrl men had com hurrying up. Ther faces expresd a 
bringng of gret news. 
   "O Flem, yeh jest ota herd!" cryd one, eagrly. 
   "Herd wat?" said th yuth. 
   "Yeh jest ota herd!" repeatd th othr, and he aranjed himself to tel 
his tidings. Th othrs made an exited circl. "Wel, sir, th' colnl met yr 
leutennt ryt by us -- it was damdst thing I evr herd -- an' he ses: 
'ahem! ahem!' he ses. 'mr. Hasbrouck!' he ses, 'by th' way, ho was that lad 
wat carrid th' flag?' he ses. Ther, Flemin', wat d' yeh think 'a that? 'who 
was th' lad wat carrid th' flag?' he ses, an' th' leutennt, he speaks up 
ryt away: 'that's Flemin', an' he's a jimhickey,' he ses, ryt away. Wat? I 
say he did. 'A 


Paje 207

jimhickey,' he ses -- those 'r his words. He did, too. I say he did. If u kin 
tel this story betr than I kin, go ahed an' tel it. Wel, then, keep yer 
mouth shet. Th' leutennt, he ses: 'he's a jimhickey,' an' th' colnl, he ses: 
'ahem! ahem! he is, indeed, a very good man t' hav, ahem! He kep' th' flag 'way 
t' th' front. I saw 'im. He's a good un,' ses th' colnl. 'you bet,' ses th' 
leutennt, 'he an' a felr named Wilson was at th' hed 'a th' charj, an' 
howlin' like Indians al th' time,' he ses. 'head 'a th' charj al th' time,' 
he ses. 'A felr named Wilson,' he ses. Ther, Wilson, m'boy, put that in a 
letr an' send it hum t' yer mothr, hay? 'A felr named Wilson,' he ses. An' 
th' colnl, he ses: 'were they, indeed? Ahem! ahem! My sakes!' he ses. 'at th' 
hed 'a th' reg'ment?' he ses. 'they wer,' ses th' leutennt. 'my sakes!' ses 
th' colnl. He ses: 'well, wel, wel,' he ses, 'those two babis?' 'they 
wer,' ses th' leutennt. 'well, wel,' ses th' colnl, 'they deserv t' be 
major jenrls,' he ses. 'they deserv t' be major jenrls.' 
   Th yuth and his frend had said: "Huh!" "Yer lyin', Thompson." "O, go t' 
blazes!" "He nevr sed it." "O, wat a lie!" "Huh!" But despite these yuthful 
scoffings and embarasmnts, they new that ther faces wer deeply 


Paje 208

flushng from thrils of plesur. They exchanjed a secret glance of joy and 
congratulation. 
   They speedily forgot many things. Th past held no picturs of err and 
disapointmnt. They wer very happy, and ther harts sweld with grateful 
afection for th colnl and th yuthful leutennt.


Paje 209


Chaptr 22
CHAPTR XXII.
   WEN th woods again began to por forth th dark hued masses of th enmy 
th yuth felt serene self confidnce. He smiled briefly wen he saw men doj 
and duk at th long screechings of shels that wer thrown in jiant handfuls 
over them. He stood, erect and tranquil, wachng th atak begin against a 
part of th line that made a blu curv along th side of an ajacent hil. His 
vision being unmolestd by smoke from th rifles of his companions, he had 
oprtunitis to se parts of th hard fyt. It was a relief to perceve at 
last from wence came som of these noises wich had been rord into his ears. 
   Off a short way he saw two rejmnts fytng a litl seprate batl with 
two othr rejmnts. It was in a cleard space, werng a set apart look. They 
wer blazing as if upon a wajer, givng and taking tremendus blos. Th firings 
wer incredbly fierce and rapid. 


Paje 210

These intent rejmnts aparently wer oblivius of al larjr purposes of war, 
and wer slugging each othr as if at a machd game. 
   In anothr direction he saw a magnificent brigade going with th evidnt 
intention of driving th enmy from a wood. They pasd in out of syt and 
presntly ther was a most aw inspiring raket in th wood. Th noise was 
unspeakbl. Havng stird this prodijus upror, and, aparently, findng it 
too prodijus, th brigade, aftr a litl time, came marchng airily out again 
with its fine formation in nowise disturbd. Ther wer no traces of speed in 
its movemnts. Th brigade was jaunty and seemd to point a proud thum at th 
yelng wood. 
   On a slope to th left ther was a long ro of guns, gruf and madnd, 
denouncing th enmy, ho, down thru th woods, wer formng for anothr 
atak in th pitiless monotny of conflicts. Th round red discharjs from th 
guns made a crimsn flare and a hy, thik smoke. Ocasionl glimpses cud be 
caut of groups of th toilng artillerymen. In th rear of this ro of guns 
stood a house, calm and wite, amid burstng shels. A congregation of horses, 
tied to a long railng, wer tugng frenzidly at ther bridles. Men wer 
runng hithr and thithr. 


Paje 211


   Th detachd batl between th four rejmnts lastd for som time. Ther 
chanced to be no intrference, and they setld ther dispute by themselvs. 
They struk savajly and powrfuly at each othr for a period of minuts, and 
then th lytr hued rejmnts faltrd and drew bak, leving th dark blu 
lines shoutng. Th yuth cud se th two flags shaking with laftr amid th 
smoke remnnts. 
   Presntly ther was a stilness, pregnnt with meanng. Th blu lines 
shiftd and chanjed a trifle and stared expectntly at th silent woods and 
fields befor them. Th hush was solem and churchlike, save for a distnt 
batry that, evidntly unable to remain quiet, sent a faint rolng thundr 
over th ground. It iritated, like th noises of unimpresd boys. Th men 
imajnd that it wud prevent ther perchd ears from hearng th first words 
of th new batl. 
   Of a sudn th guns on th slope rord out a messaj of warnng. A 
splutrng sound had begun in th woods. It sweld with amazing speed to a 
profound clamr that involvd th erth in noises. Th splitng crashs swept 
along th lines until an intermnbl ror was developd. To those in th midst 
of it it became a din fitd to th universe. It was th wirng 


Paje 212

and thumpng of jigantic machinery, complications among th smalr stars. Th 
youth's ears wer fild up. They wer incapabl of hearng mor. 
   On an incline over wich a road wound he saw wild and desprat rushs of men 
perpetuly bakwrd and forwrd in riotus surjs. These parts of th oposing 
armis wer two long waves that pichd upon each othr madly at dictated 
points. To and fro they sweld. Somtimes, one side by its yels and cheers 
wud proclaim decisiv blos, but a moment later th othr side wud be al 
yels and cheers. Once th yuth saw a spray of lyt forms go in houndlike 
leaps toward th waving blu lines. Ther was much howlng, and presntly it 
went away with a vast mouthful of prisnrs. Again, he saw a blu wave dash with 
such thundrus force against a gray obstruction that it seemd to clear th 
erth of it and leve nothing but trampld sod. And always in ther swift and 
dedly rushs to and fro th men screamd and yeld like maniacs. 
   Particulr peces of fence or secure positions behind colections of tres 
wer wrangled over, as gold thrones or perl bedsteds. Ther wer desprat 
lunges at these chosen spots seemngly evry instnt, and most of them wer 
bandid like 


Paje 213

lyt toys between th contendng forces. Th yuth cud not tel from th 
batl flags flyng like crimsn foam in many directions wich color of cloth 
was winng. 
   His emaciated rejmnt busld forth with undiminishd fierceness wen its 
time came. Wen asaltd again by bulets, th men burst out in a barbaric cry 
of raje and pain. They bent ther heds in aims of intent hatred behind th 
projectd hamrs of ther guns. Ther ramrods clangd loud with fury as ther 
eagr arms poundd th cartrijs into th rifle barels. Th front of th 
rejmnt was a smokewall penetrated by th flashng points of yelo and red. 
   Waloing in th fyt, they wer in an astonishngly short time resmudged. 
They surpasd in stain and dirt al ther previus apearnces. Moving to and 
fro with straind exertion, jabrng th wile, they wer, with ther swayng 
bodis, blak faces, and gloing ys, like stranje and ugly frends jigng 
hevily in th smoke. 
   Th leutennt, returng from a tour aftr a bandaj, produced from a hidn 
receptacl of his mind new and portentus oaths suitd to th emerjncy. Strings 
of expletives he swung lashlike over th baks of his men, and it was 


Paje 214

evidnt that his previus efrts had in nowise impaird his resorces. 
   Th yuth, stil th berr of th colors, did not feel his idleness. He was 
deeply absorbd as a spectator. Th crash and swing of th gret drama made him 
lean forwrd, intent yd, his face workng in smal contortions. Somtimes he 
prattled, words comng unconciusly from him in grotesq exclmations. He did 
not no that he brethed; that th flag hung silently over him, so absorbd was 
he. 
   A formidbl line of th enmy came within danjerus ranje. They cud be 
seen plainly -- tal, gaunt men with exited faces runng with long strides 
toward a wandrng fence. 
   At syt of this danjer th men sudnly cesed ther cursng monotone. Ther 
was an instnt of straind silence befor they threw up ther rifles and fired a 
plumping volly at th fos. Ther had been no ordr givn; th men, upon 
recognizing th menace, had imediatly let drive ther flok of bulets without 
waitng for word of comand. 
   But th enmy wer quik to gain th protection of th wandrng line of 
fence. They slid down behind it with remarkbl celerity, and from this position 
they began briskly to slice up th blu men. 
   These latr braced ther enrjis for a gret 


Paje 215

strugl. Ofn, wite clinchd teeth shon from th dusky faces. Many heds 
surjd to and fro, floatng upon a pale se of smoke. Those behind th fence 
frequently shoutd and yelped in taunts and gibelike crys, but th rejmnt 
maintaind a stresd silence. Perhaps, at this new asalt th men recald th 
fact that they had been named mud digrs, and it made ther situation thrice 
bitr. They wer brethlesly intent upon keepng th ground and thrustng away 
th rejoicing body of th enmy. They fot swiftly and with a despairng 
savageness denoted in ther expressions. 
   Th yuth had resolvd not to buj watevr shud hapn. Som aros of 
scorn that had burid themselvs in his hart had jenrated stranje and 
unspeakbl hatred. It was clear to him that his final and abslute revenj was 
to be acheved by his ded body lyng, torn and gluttering, upon th field. This 
was to be a poignnt retaliation upon th oficer ho had said "mule drivers," 
and later "mud digrs," for in al th wild graspings of his mind for a unit 
responsbl for his sufrngs and commotions he always sezed upon th man ho 
had dubd him rongly. And it was his idea, vagely formulated, that his corps 
wud be for those ys a gret and salt reproach. 


Paje 216


   Th rejmnt bled extravagntly. Gruntng bundls of blu began to drop. Th 
ordrly serjnt of th youth's compny was shot thru th cheeks. Its 
suports being injrd, his jaw hung afar down, disclosing in th wide cavrn of 
his mouth a pulsng mass of blod and teeth. And with it al he made atemts to 
cry out. In his endeavor ther was a dredful ernestness, as if he conceved 
that one gret shriek wud make him wel. 
   Th yuth saw him presntly go rearwrd. His strength seemd in nowise 
impaird. He ran swiftly, castng wild glances for succor. 
   Othrs fel down about th feet of ther companions. Som of th woundd 
crawld out and away, but many lay stil, ther bodis twistd into imposbl 
shapes. 
   Th yuth lookd once for his frend. He saw a vehemnt yung man, powdr 
smeard and frowzled, hom he new to be him. Th leutennt, also, was 
unscathed in his position at th rear. He had continud to curse, but it was now 
with th air of a man ho was using his last box of oaths. 
   For th fire of th rejmnt had begun to wane and drip. Th robust voice, 
that had com stranjely from th thin ranks, was groing rapidly weak.


Paje 217


Chaptr 23
CHAPTR XXIII.
   TH colnl came runng along bak of th line. Ther wer othr oficers 
foloing him. "We must charge'm!" they shoutd. "We must charge'm!" they cryd 
with resentful voices, as if anticipating a rebelion against this plan by th 
men. 
   Th yuth, upon hearng th shouts, began to study th distnce between him 
and th enmy. He made vage calculations. He saw that to be firm soldirs they 
must go forwrd. It wud be deth to stay in th presnt place, and with al 
th circmstnces to go bakwrd wud exalt too many othrs. Ther hope was to 
push th galng fos away from th fence. 
   He expectd that his companions, weary and stifnd, wud hav to be drivn 
to this asalt, but as he turnd toward them he perceved with a certn 
surprise that they wer givng quik and unqualifyd expressions of asent. 
Ther was an omnus, clangng overtur to th charj 


Paje 218

wen th shafts of th baynets ratld upon th rifle barels. At th yeld 
words of comand th soldirs sprang forwrd in eagr leaps. Ther was new and 
unexpectd force in th movemnt of th rejmnt. A nolej of its faded and 
jaded condition made th charj apear like a paroxysm, a display of th 
strength that coms befor a final feeblness. Th men scamprd in insane fever 
of haste, racing as if to acheve a sudn success befor an exilrating fluid 
shud leve them. It was a blind and despairng rush by th colection of men 
in dusty and tatrd blu, over a green sward and undr a safire sky, toward 
a fence, dimly outlined in smoke, from behind wich splutrd th fierce rifles 
of enmis. 
   Th yuth kept th bryt colors to th front. He was waving his fre arm in 
furius circls, th wile shriekng mad cals and apeals, urjng on those that 
did not need to be urjd, for it seemd that th mob of blu men hurlng 
themselvs on th danjerus group of rifles wer again grown sudnly wild with 
an enthusiasm of unselfishness. From th many firings startng toward them, it 
lookd as if they wud merely succeed in making a gret sprinklng of corpses 
on th grass between ther formr position and th fence. But they wer in a 
state of frenzy, 


Paje 219

perhaps because of forgotn vanitis, and it made an exibition of sublime 
reklesness. Ther was no obvius questionng, nor figurings, nor diagrams. 
Ther was, aparently, no considrd loopholes. It apeard that th swift wings 
of ther desires wud hav shatrd against th iron gates of th imposbl. 
   He himself felt th daring spirit of a savaj relijn mad. He was capabl of 
profound sacrifices, a tremendus deth. He had no time for dissections, but he 
new that he thot of th bulets only as things that cud prevent him from 
reachng th place of his endeavor. Ther wer sutl flashings of joy within 
him that thus shud be his mind. 
   He straind al his strength. His ysyt was shaken and dazld by th 
tension of thot and musl. He did not se anything exeptng th mist of 
smoke gashd by th litl nives of fire, but he new that in it lay th ajed 
fence of a vanishd farmr protectng th snugld bodis of th gray men. 
   As he ran a thot of th shok of contact gleamd in his mind. He expectd 
a gret concussion wen th two bodis of troops crashd togethr. This became a 
part of his wild batl madness. He cud feel th onwrd swing of th rejmnt 
about him and he conceved of a 


Paje 220

thundrus, crushng blo that wud prostrate th resistnce and spred 
constrnation and amazemnt for miles. Th flyng rejmnt was going to hav a 
catapultian efect. This dream made him run fastr among his comrads, ho wer 
givng vent to horse and frantic cheers. 
   But presntly he cud se that many of th men in gray did not intend to 
abide th blo. Th smoke, rolng, disclosed men ho ran, ther faces stil 
turnd. These grew to a crowd, ho retired stubrnly. Individuls weeld 
frequently to send a bulet at th blu wave. 
   But at one part of th line ther was a grim and obdurat group that made no 
movemnt. They wer setld firmly down behind posts and rails. A flag, rufld 
and fierce, waved over them and ther rifles dinned fiercely. 
   Th blu wirl of men got very near, until it seemd that in truth ther 
wud be a close and frytful scufl. Ther was an expresd disdain in th 
oposition of th litl group, that chanjed th meanng of th cheers of th 
men in blu. They became yels of rath, directd, persnl. Th crys of th 
two partis wer now in sound an interchange of scathing insults. 
   They in blu showd ther teeth; ther ys shon al wite. They launchd 
themselvs as at 


Paje 221

th throats of those ho stood resistng. Th space between dwindld to an 
insignificnt distnce. 
   Th yuth had centrd th gaze of his sol upon that othr flag. Its 
posession wud be hy pride. It wud express blody minglings, near blos. 
He had a jigantic hatred for those ho made gret dificltis and 
complications. They causd it to be as a craved tresur of mytholojy, hung amid 
tasks and contrivances of danjer. 
   He plunjd like a mad horse at it. He was resolvd it shud not escape if 
wild blos and darings of blos cud seze it. His own emblm, quivrng and 
aflare, was wingng toward th othr. It seemd ther wud shortly be an 
encountr of stranje beaks and claws, as of eagls. 
   Th swirlng body of blu men came to a sudn halt at close and disastrus 
ranje and rord a swift volly. Th group in gray was split and broken by this 
fire, but its ridld body stil fot. Th men in blu yeld again and rushd 
in upon it. 
   Th yuth, in his leapings, saw, as thru a mist, a pictur of four or five 
men strechd upon th ground or rithing upon ther nes with bowd heds as 
if they had been strikn by bolts 


Paje 222

from th sky. Totrng among them was th rival color berr, hom th yuth 
saw had been bitn vitaly by th bulets of th last formidbl volly. He 
perceved this man fytng a last strugl, th strugl of one hos legs ar 
graspd by demons. It was a gastly batl. Over his face was th bleach of 
deth, but set upon it was th dark and hard lines of desprat purpos. With 
this teribl grin of reslution he hugd his precius flag to him and was 
stumblng and stagrng in his desyn to go th way that led to safety for it. 
   But his wounds always made it seem that his feet wer retardd, held, and he 
fot a grim fyt, as with invisbl ghouls fasnd greedily upon his lims. 
Those in advance of th scamprng blu men, howlng cheers, leapd at th 
fence. Th despair of th lost was in his ys as he glanced bak at them. 
   Th youth's frend went over th obstruction in a tumblng heap and sprang at 
th flag as a panthr at prey. He puld at it and, renchng it fre, swung up 
its red brilliancy with a mad cry of exltation even as th color berr, 
gaspng, lurchd over in a final throe and, stifnng convulsivly, turnd his 
ded face to th ground. Ther was much blod upon th grass blades. 


Paje 223


   At th place of success ther began mor wild clamorings of cheers. Th men 
jesticulated and bellod in an ecstasy. Wen they spoke it was as if they 
considrd ther lisnr to be a mile away. Wat hats and caps wer left to 
them they ofn slung hy in th air. 
   At one part of th line four men had been swoopd upon, and they now sat as 
prisnrs. Som blu men wer about them in an eagr and curius circl. Th 
soldirs had trapd stranje birds, and ther was an examnation. A flurry of 
fast questions was in th air. 
   One of th prisnrs was nursng a superficial wound in th foot. He cudld 
it, baby wise, but he lookd up from it ofn to curse with an astonishng utr 
abandn strait at th noses of his captrs. He consynd them to red rejons; 
he cald upon th pestilential rath of stranje gods. And with it al he was 
singulrly fre from recognition of th finer points of th conduct of prisnrs 
of war. It was as if a clumsy clod had trod upon his toe and he conceved it to 
be his privlej, his duty, to use deep, resentful oaths. 
   Anothr, ho was a boy in years, took his plyt with gret calmness and 
aparent good natur. He conversd with th men in blu, studying ther faces 
with his bryt and keen 


Paje 224

ys. They spoke of batls and conditions. Ther was an acute intrest in al 
ther faces during this exchanje of vew points. It seemd a gret satisfaction 
to hear voices from wher al had been darkns and speculation. 
   Th third captiv sat with a morose countnnce. He preservd a stoicl and 
cold atitude. To al advances he made one reply without variation, "Ah, go t' 
hel!" 
   Th last of th four was always silent and, for th most part, kept his face 
turnd in unmolestd directions. From th vews th yuth receved he seemd to 
be in a state of abslute dejection. Shame was upon him, and with it profound 
regret that he was, perhaps, no mor to be countd in th ranks of his felos. 
Th yuth cud detect no expression that wud alow him to beleve that th 
othr was givng a thot to his narod futur, th picturd dunjns, 
perhaps, and starvations and brutalities, liabl to th imajnation. Al to be 
seen was shame for captivity and regret for th ryt to antagnize. 
   Aftr th men had celebrated suficiently they setld down behind th old 
rail fence, on th oposit side to th one from wich ther fos had been 
drivn. A few shot perfunctrily at distnt marks. 


Paje 225


   Ther was som long grass. Th yuth nesld in it and restd, making a 
convenient rail suport th flag. His frend, jubilant and glorifyd, holdng 
his tresur with vanity, came to him ther. They sat side by side and 
congratulated each othr.


Paje 226


Chaptr 24
CHAPTR XXIV.
   TH roarings that had strechd in a long line of sound across th face of 
th forest began to gro intrmitnt and weakr. Th stentorian speechs of th 
artilry continud in som distnt encountr, but th crashs of th musketry 
had almost cesed. Th yuth and his frend of a sudn lookd up, feelng a 
dednd form of distress at th waning of these noises, wich had becom a part 
of life. They cud se chanjes going on among th troops. Ther wer marchings 
this way and that way. A batry weeld lesurly. On th crest of a smal hil 
was th thik gleam of many departng muskets. 
   Th yuth arose. "Wel, wat now, I wondr?" he said. By his tone he seemd 
to be preparing to resent som new monstrosity in th way of dins and smashs. 
He shaded his ys with his grimy hand and gazed over th field. 
   His frend also arose and stared. "I bet 


Paje 227

we'r goin' t' git along out of this an' bak over th' rivr," said he. 
   "Wel, I swan!" said th yuth. 
   They waitd, wachng. Within a litl wile th rejmnt receved ordrs to 
retrace its way. Th men got up gruntng from th grass, regretng th soft 
repose. They jerkd ther stifnd legs, and strechd ther arms over ther 
heds. One man swor as he rubd his ys. They al groand "O Lord!" They had 
as many objections to this chanje as they wud hav had to a proposal for a new 
batl. 
   They trampld sloly bak over th field across wich they had run in a mad 
scampr. 
   Th rejmnt marchd until it had joind its felos. Th reformd brigade, 
in colum, aimd thru a wood at th road. Directly they wer in a mass of 
dust covrd troops, and wer trujng along in a way paralel to th enemy's 
lines as these had been defined by th previus turmoil. 
   They pasd within vew of a stolid wite house, and saw in front of it 
groups of ther comrads lyng in wait behind a neat breastwork. A ro of guns 
wer boomng at a distnt enmy. Shels thrown in reply wer rasing clouds of 
dust and splintrs. Horsmen dashd along th line of intrenchments. 


Paje 228


   At this point of its march th division curvd away from th field and went 
windng off in th direction of th rivr. Wen th significnce of this 
movemnt had impresd itself upon th yuth he turnd his hed and lookd over 
his sholdr toward th trampld and de'bris strewed ground. He brethed a 
breth of new satisfaction. He finaly nujd his frend. "Wel, it's al over," 
he said to him. 
   His frend gazed bakwrd. "B'gawd, it is," he asentd. They mused. 
   For a time th yuth was oblijed to reflect in a puzld and uncertn way. 
His mind was undrgoing a sutl chanje. It took moments for it to cast off its 
battleful ways and resume its acustmd corse of thot. Graduly his brain 
emerjd from th clogd clouds, and at last he was enabled to mor closely 
comprehend himself and circmstnce. 
   He undrstood then that th existnce of shot and countr shot was in th 
past. He had dwelt in a land of stranje, squalng uphevals and had com forth. 
He had been wher ther was red of blod and blak of passion, and he was 
escaped. His first thots wer givn to rejoicings at this fact. 
   Later he began to study his deeds, his failurs, and his achevemnts. Thus, 
fresh from 


Paje 229

senes wher many of his usul machines of reflection had been idle, from wher 
he had proceedd sheeplike, he strugld to marshl al his acts. 
   At last they marchd befor him clearly. From this presnt vew point he was 
enabled to look upon them in spectator fashn and to criticize them with som 
corectness, for his new condition had alredy defeatd certn sympathis. 
   Regardng his procession of memry he felt gleful and unregretting, for in 
it his public deeds wer paraded in gret and shining promnnce. Those 
performnces wich had been witnesd by his felos marchd now in wide purpl 
and gold, havng varius deflections. They went gayly with music. It was 
plesur to wach these things. He spent delytful minuts vewng th gildd 
imajs of memry. 
   He saw that he was good. He recald with a thril of joy th respectful 
coments of his felos upon his conduct. 
   Nevrthless, th gost of his flyt from th first engajemnt apeard to 
him and danced. Ther wer smal shoutngs in his brain about these matrs. For 
a moment he blushd, and th lyt of his sol flikrd with shame. 


Paje 230


   A spectr of reproach came to him. Ther loomd th dogging memry of th 
tatrd soldir -- he ho, gored by bulets and faint for blod, had fretd 
concernng an imajnd wound in anothr; he ho had loand his last of strength 
and intlect for th tal soldir; he ho, blind with weariness and pain, had 
been desertd in th field. 
   For an instnt a reched chil of swet was upon him at th thot that he 
myt be detectd in th thing. As he stood persistntly befor his vision, he 
gave vent to a cry of sharp iritation and agny. 
   His frend turnd. "Wat's th matr, Henry?" he demandd. Th youth's reply 
was an outburst of crimsn oaths. 
   As he marchd along th litl branch hung roadway among his prattling 
companions this vision of cruelty broodd over him. It clung near him always and 
darknd his vew of these deeds in purpl and gold. Wichevr way his thots 
turnd they wer folod by th sombr fantm of th desertion in th fields. 
He lookd stelthily at his companions, feelng sure that they must disern in 
his face evidnces of this pursuit. But they wer plodng in raged aray, 
discusng with quik tongs th acomplishmnts of th late batl. 


Paje 231


   "O, if a man shud com up an' ask me, I'd say we got a dum good lickin'." 
   "Lickin' -- in yer y! We aint likd, sonny. We'r goin' down here aways, 
swing aroun', an' com in behint 'em." 
   "O, hush, with yr comin' in behint 'em. I'v seen al 'a that I wanta. 
Dont tel me about comin' in behint -- " 
   "Bil Smithers, he ses he'd rathr been in ten hundred batls than been in 
that heluva hospitl. He ses they got shootin' in th' nighttime, an' shels 
dropd plum among 'em in th' hospitl. He ses sech hollerin' he nevr se." 
   "Hasbrouck? He's th' best off'cer in this here reg'ment. He's a wale." 
   "Didnt I tel yeh we'd com aroun' in behint 'em? Didnt I tel yeh so? We 
-- " 
   "O, shet yeh mouth!" 
   For a time this pursuing reclection of th tatrd man took al elation 
from th youth's veins. He saw his vivid err, and he was afraid that it wud 
stand befor him al his life. He took no share in th chatr of his comrads, 
nor did he look at them or no them, save wen he felt sudn suspicion that 
they wer seing his thots and scrutinizing each detail of th sene with th 
tatrd soldir. 
   Yet graduly he mustrd force to put th sin 


Paje 232

at a distnce. And at last his ys seemd to open to som new ways. He found 
that he cud look bak upon th brass and bombast of his erlir gospls and 
se them truly. He was gleful wen he discovrd that he now despised them. 
   With this conviction came a stor of asurance. He felt a quiet manhood, 
nonassertive but of sturdy and strong blod. He new that he wud no mor quail 
befor his gides wherevr they shud point. He had been to tuch th gret 
deth, and found that, aftr al, it was but th gret deth. He was a man. 
   So it came to pass that as he trujd from th place of blod and rath his 
sol chanjed. He came from hot plowshares to prospects of clover tranquilly, and 
it was as if hot plowshares wer not. Scars faded as flowrs. 
   It raind. Th procession of weary soldirs became a bedragld train, 
despondnt and mutrng, marchng with churnng efrt in a trof of liquid 
brown mud undr a lo, reched sky. Yet th yuth smiled, for he saw that th 
world was a world for him, tho many discovrd it to be made of oaths and 
walkng stiks. He had rid himself of th red sikness of batl. Th sultry 
nytmare was in th past. He had been an anml blistrd and swetng in 


Paje 233

th heat and pain of war. He turnd now with a lover's thirst to imajs of 
tranquil skys, fresh medos, cool brooks -- an existnce of soft and eternl 
pece. 
   Over th rivr a goldn ray of sun came thru th hosts of ledn rain 
clouds.


TH END.