Stephen Crane
The Red Badge of Courage
An Episode of the American Civil War
Chapter I
The cold passed reluctantly from the earth and the retiring fogs revealed an
army stretched out on the hills resting
As the landscape changed from brown to green the army awakened and began to
tremble with eagerness at the noise of rumors It cast its eyes upon the roads
which were growing from long troughs of liquid mud to proper thoroughfares A
river ambertinted in the shadow of its banks purled at the armys feet and at
night when the stream had become of a sorrowful blackness one could see across
the red eyelike gleam of hostile campfires set in the low brows of distant
hills
Once a certain tall soldier developed virtues and went resolutely to wash a
shirt He came flying back from a brook waving his garment bannerlike He was
swelled with a tale he had heard from a reliable friend who had heard it from a
truthful cavalryman who had heard it from his trustworthy brother one of the
orderlies at division headquarters He adopted the important air of a herald in
red and gold
»Were goin t move tmorrah sure« he said pompously to a group in the
company street »Were goin way up th river cut across an come around in
behint em«
To his attentive audience he drew a loud and elaborate plan of a very
brilliant campaign When he had finished the blueclothed men scattered into
small arguing groups between the rows of squat brown huts A negro teamster who
had been dancing upon a crackerbox with the hilarious encouragement of
twoscore soldiers was deserted He sat mournfully down Smoke drifted lazily
from a multitude of quaint chimneys
»Its a lie thats all it is A thunderin lie« said another private
loudly His smooth face was flushed and his hands were thrust sulkily into his
trousers pockets He took the matter as an affront to him »I dont believe th
derned ol armys ever goin t move Were sot Ive got ready t move eight
times in th last two weeks an we aint moved yit«
The tall soldier felt called upon to defend the truth of a rumor he himself
had introduced He and the loud one came near to fighting over it
A corporal began to swear before the assemblage He had just put a costly
boardfloor in his house he said During the early spring he had refrained from
adding extensively to the comfort of his environment because he had felt that
the army might start on the march at any moment Of late however he had been
impressed that they were in a sort of eternal camp
Many of the men engaged in a spirited debate One outlined in a peculiarly
lucid manner all the plans of the commanding general He was opposed by men who
advocated that there were other plans of campaign They clamored at each other
numbers making futile bids for the popular attention Meanwhile the soldier who
had fetched the rumor bustled about with much importance He was continually
assailed by questions
»Whats up Jim«
»Th armys goin t move«
»Ah what yeh talkin about How yeh know it is«
»Well yeh kin blieve me er not jest as yeh like I dont care a hang«
There was much food for thought in the manner in which he replied He came
near to convincing them by disdaining to produce proofs They grew much excited
over it
There was a youthful private who listened with eager ears to the words of
the tall soldier and to the varied comments of his comrades After receiving a
fill of discussions concerning marches and attacks he went to his hut and
crawled through an intricate hole that served it as a door He wished to be
alone with some new thoughts that had lately come to him
He lay down on a wide bunk that stretched across the end of the room In the
other end crackerboxes were made to serve as furniture They were grouped
about the fireplace A picture from an illustrated weekly was upon the log wall
and three rifles were paralleled on pegs Equipments hung on handy projections
and some tin dishes lay upon a small pile of firewood A folded tent was
serving as a roof The sunlight without beating upon it made it glow a light
yellow shade A small window shot an oblique square of whiter light upon the
cluttered floor The smoke from the fire at times neglected the claychimney and
wreathed into the room And too this flimsy chimney of clay and sticks made
endless threats to set ablaze the whole establishment
The youth was in a little trance of astonishment So they were at last going
to fight On the morrow perhaps there would be a battle and he would be in it
For a time he was obliged to labor to make himself believe He could not accept
with assurance an omen that he was about to mingle in one of those great affairs
of the earth
He had of course dreamed of battles all of his life of vague and bloody
conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire In visions he had
seen himself in many struggles He had imagined peoples secure in the shadow of
his eagleeyed prowess But awake he had regarded battles as crimson blotches on
the pages of the past He had put them as things of the bygone with his
thoughtimages of heavy crowns and high castles There was a portion of the
worlds history which he had regarded as the time of wars but it he thought
had been long gone over the horizon and had disappeared forever
From his home his youthful eyes had looked upon the war in his own country
with distrust It must be some sort of a play affair He had long despaired of
witnessing a Greeklike struggle Such would be no more he had said Men were
better or more timid Secular and religious education had effaced the
throatgrappling instinct or else firm finance held in check the passions
He had burned several times to enlist Tales of great movements shook the
land They might not be distinctly Homeric but there seemed to be much glory in
them He had read of marches sieges conflicts and he had longed to see it
all His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures extravagant in color lurid
with breathless deeds
But his mother had discouraged him She had affected to look with some
contempt upon the quality of his warardor and patriotism She could calmly seat
herself and with no apparent difficulty give him many hundreds of reasons why he
was of vastly more importance on the farm than on the field of battle She had
had certain ways of expression that told that her statements on the subject came
from a deep conviction Besides on her side was his belief that her ethical
motive in the argument was impregnable
At last however he had made firm rebellion against this yellow light
thrown upon the color of his ambitions The newspapers the gossip of the
village his own picturings had aroused him to an uncheckable degree They were
in truth fighting finely down there Almost every day the newspapers printed
accounts of a decisive victory
One night as he lay in bed the winds had carried to him the clangoring of
the churchbell as some enthusiast jerked the rope frantically to tell the
twisted news of a great battle This voice of the people rejoicing in the
night had made him shiver in a prolonged ecstasy of excitement Later he had
gone down to his mothers room and had spoken thus »Ma Im going to enlist«
»Henry dont you be a fool« his mother had replied She had then covered
her face with the quilt There was an end to the matter for that night
Nevertheless the next morning he had gone to a town that was near his
mothers farm and had enlisted in a company that was forming there When he had
returned home his mother was milking the brindlecow Four others stood
waiting
»Ma Ive enlisted« he had said to her diffidently
There was a short silence »The Lords will be done Henry« she had finally
replied and had then continued to milk the brindlecow
When he had stood in the doorway with his soldiers clothes on his back and
with the light of excitement and expectancy in his eyes almost defeating the
glow of regret for the home bonds he had seen two tears leaving their trails on
his mothers scarred cheeks
Still she had disappointed him by saying nothing whatever about returning
with his shield or on it He had privately primed himself for a beautiful scene
He had prepared certain sentences which he thought could be used with touching
effect But her words destroyed his plans She had doggedly peeled potatoes and
addressed him as follows »You watch out Henry an take good care of yerself
in this here fighting business you watch out an take good care of yerself
Dont go athinkin you can lick the hull rebel army at the start because yeh
cant Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot of others and yehve got to
keep quiet an do what they tell yeh I know how you are Henry
Ive knet yeh eight pair of socks Henry and Ive put in all yer best
shirts because I want my boy to be jest as warm and comfable as anybody in the
army Whenever they git holes in em I want yeh to send em rightaway back to
me sos I kin dern em
An allus be careful an choose yer compny Theres lots of bad men in the
army Henry The army makes em wild and they like nothing better than the job
of leading off a young feller like you as aint never been away from home much
and has allus had a mother and alearning im to drink and swear Keep clear
of them folks Henry I dont want yeh to ever do anything Henry that yeh
would be shamed to let me know about Jest think as if I was awatchin yeh If
yeh keep that in yer mind allus I guess yehll come out about right
Yeh must allus remember yer father too child an remember he never drunk
a drop of licker in his life and seldom swore a cross oath
I dont know what else to tell yeh Henry excepting that yeh must never do
no shirking child on my account If so be a time comes when yeh have to be
kilt or do a mean thing why Henry dont think of anything cept whats right
because theres many a woman has to bear up ginst sech things these times and
the Lordll take care of us all
Dont fergit about the socks and the shirts child and Ive put a cup of
blackberry jam with yer bundle because I know yeh like it above all things
Goodbye Henry Watch out and be a good boy«
He had of course been impatient under the ordeal of this speech It had not
been quite what he expected and he had borne it with an air of irritation He
departed feeling vague relief
Still when he had looked back from the gate he had seen his mother
kneeling among the potatoparings Her brown face upraised was stained with
tears and her spare form was quivering He bowed his head and went on feeling
suddenly ashamed of his purposes
From his home he had gone to the seminary to bid adieu to many schoolmates
They had thronged about him with wonder and admiration He had felt the gulf now
between them and had swelled with calm pride He and some of his fellows who had
donned blue were quite overwhelmed with privileges for all of one afternoon and
it had been a very delicious thing They had strutted
A certain lighthaired girl had made vivacious fun at his martialspirit but
there was another and darker girl whom he had gazed at steadfastly and he
thought she grew demure and sad at sight of his blue and brass As he had walked
down the path between the rows of oaks he had turned his head and detected her
at a window watching his departure As he perceived her she had immediately
begun to stare up through the high tree branches at the sky He had seen a good
deal of flurry and haste in her movement as she changed her attitude He often
thought of it
On the way to Washington his spirit had soared The regiment was fed and
caressed at station after station until the youth had believed that he must be a
hero There was a lavish expenditure of bread and cold meats coffee and
pickles and cheese As he basked in the smiles of the girls and was patted and
complimented by the old men he had felt growing within him the strength to do
mighty deeds of arms
After complicated journeyings with many pauses there had come months of
monotonous life in a camp He had had the belief that real war was a series of
deathstruggles with small time in between for sleep and meals but since his
regiment had come to the field the army had done little but sit still and try
to keep warm
He was brought then gradually back to his old ideas Greeklike struggles
would be no more Men were better or more timid Secular and religious
education had effaced the throatgrappling instinct or else firm finance held in
check the passions
He had grown to regard himself merely as a part of a vast blue
demonstration His province was to look out as far as he could for his
personal comfort For recreation he could twiddle his thumbs and speculate on
the thoughts which must agitate the minds of the generals Also he was drilled
and drilled and reviewed and drilled and drilled and reviewed
The only foes he had seen were some pickets along the river bank They were
a suntanned philosophical lot who sometimes shot reflectively at the blue
pickets When reproached for this afterwards they usually expressed sorrow and
swore by their gods that the guns had exploded without their permission The
youth on guard duty one night conversed across the stream with one of them He
was a slightly ragged man who spat skilfully between his shoes and possessed a
great fund of bland and infantile assurance The youth liked him personally
»Yank« the other had informed him »yer a right dum good feller« This
sentiment floating to him upon the still air had made him temporarily regret
war
Various veterans had told him tales Some talked of grey bewhiskered hordes
who were advancing with relentless curses and chewing tobacco with unspeakable
valor tremendous bodies of fierce soldiery who were sweeping along like the
Huns Others spoke of tattered and eternallyhungry men who fired despondent
powder »Theyll charge through hellsfire an brimstone t git a holt on a
haversack an sech stomachs aint alastin long« he was told From the
stories the youth imagined the red live bones sticking out through slits in
the faded uniforms
Still he could not put a whole faith in veterans tales for recruits were
their prey They talked much of smoke fire and blood but he could not tell how
much might be lies They persistently yelled »Fresh fish« at him and were in no
wise to be trusted
However he perceived now that it did not greatly matter what kind of
soldiers he was going to fight so long as they fought which fact no one
disputed There was a more serious problem He lay in his bunk pondering upon
it He tried to mathematically prove to himself that he would not run from a
battle
Previously he had never felt obliged to wrestle too seriously with this
question In his life he had taken certain things for granted never
challenging his belief in ultimate success and bothering little about means and
roads But here he was confronted with a thing of moment It had suddenly
appeared to him that perhaps in a battle he might run He was forced to admit
that as far as war was concerned he knew nothing of himself
A sufficient time before he would have allowed the problem to kick its
heels at the outer portals of his mind but now he felt compelled to give
serious attention to it
A little panicfear grew in his mind As his imagination went forward to a
fight he saw hideous possibilities He contemplated the lurking menaces of the
future and failed in an effort to see himself standing stoutly in the midst of
them He recalled his visions of brokenbladed glory but in the shadow of the
impending tumult he suspected them to be impossible pictures
He sprang from the bunk and began to pace nervously to and fro »Good Lord
whats the matter with me« he said aloud
He felt that in this crisis his laws of life were useless Whatever he had
learned of himself was here of no avail He was an unknown quantity He saw that
he would again be obliged to experiment as he had in early youth He must
accumulate information of himself and meanwhile he resolved to remain close
upon his guard lest those qualities of which he knew nothing should
everlastingly disgrace him »Good Lord« he repeated in dismay
After a time the tall soldier slid dexterously through the hole The loud
private followed They were wrangling
»Thats all right« said the tall soldier as he entered He waved his hand
expressively »Yeh kin blieve me er not jest as yeh like All yeh got t do
is t sit down an wait as quiet as yeh kin Then pretty soon yehll find out I
was right«
His comrade grunted stubbornly For a moment he seemed to be searching for a
formidable reply Finally he said »Well yeh dont know everythin in th
world do yeh«
»Didnt say I knew everythin in th world« retorted the other sharply He
began to stow various articles snugly into his knapsack
The youth pausing in his nervous walk looked down at the busy figure
»Going to be a battle sure is there Jim« he asked
»Of course there is« replied the tall soldier »Of course there is Yeh
jest wait til tmorrah an yehll see one of th bigges battles ever was Yeh
jest wait«
»Thunder« said the youth
»Oh yehll see fightin this time m boy whatll be reglar outanout
fightin« added the tall soldier with the air of a man who is about to exhibit
a battle for the benefit of his friends
»Huh« said the loud one from a corner
»Well« remarked the youth »like as not this storyll turn out just like
them others did«
»Not much it wont« replied the tall soldier exasperated »Not much it
wont Didnt th cavalry all start this mornin« He glared about him No one
denied his statement »Th cavalry started this mornin« he continued »They
say there aint hardly any cavalry left in camp Theyre goin t Richmond or
some place while we fight all th Johnnies Its some dodge like that Th
regments got orders too A feller what seen em go t headquarters told me a
little while ago An theyre raisin blazes all over camp anybody kin see
that«
»Shucks« said the loud one
The youth remained silent for a time At last he spoke to the tall soldier
»Jim«
»What«
»How do you think the regimentll do«
»Oh theyll fight all right I guess after they onct git inteh it« said
the other with cold judgment He made a fine use of the third person »Theres
been heaps a fun poked at em bcause theyre new a course an all that but
theyll fight all right I guess«
»Think any of the boysll run« persisted the youth
»Oh there may be a few of em run but theres them kind in every regment
specially when they first goes under fire« said the other in a tolerant way
»A course it might happen that th hull kitanboodle might start an run if
some big fightin come firstoff an then agin they might stay an fight like
fun But yeh cant bet on nothin A course they aint never been under fire
yit an it aint likely theyll lick th hull rebel army alltonct th first
time but I think theyll fight better than some if worser than others Thats
th way I figger They call th regment Fresh fish an everythin but th
boys come a good stock an most a emll fight like sin
aftertheyonctgitshootin« he added with a mighty emphasis on the four last
words
»Oh you think you know « began the loud soldier with scorn
The other turned savagely upon him They had a rapid altercation in which
they fastened upon each other various strange epithets
The youth at last interrupted them »Did you ever think you might run
yourself Jim« he asked On concluding the sentence he laughed as if he had
meant to aim a joke The loud soldier also giggled
The tall private waved his hand »Well« said he profoundly »Ive thought
it might git too hot fer Jim Conklin in some a them scrimmages an if a hull
lot a boys started an run why I spose Id start an run An if I onct
started t run Id run like th devil an no mistake But if everybody was
astandin an afightin why Id stand an fight Bjiminy I would Ill bet
on it«
»Huh« said the loud one
The youth of this tale felt gratitude for these words of his comrade He had
feared that all of the untried men possessed a great and correct confidence He
now was in a measure reassured
Chapter II
The next morning the youth discovered that his tall comrade had been the
fastflying messenger of a mistake There was much scoffing at the latter by
those who had yesterday been firm adherents of his views and there was even a
little sneering by men who had never believed the rumor The tall one fought
with a man from Chatfield Corners and beat him severely
The youth felt however that his problem was in no wise lifted from him
There was on the contrary an irritating prolongation The tale had created in
him a great concern for himself Now with the newborn question in his mind he
was compelled to sink back into his old place as part of a blue demonstration
For days he made ceaseless calculations but they were all wondrously
unsatisfactory He found that he could establish nothing He finally concluded
that the only way to prove himself was to go into the blaze and then
figuratively to watch his legs to discover their merits and faults He
reluctantly admitted that he could not sit still and with a mental slate and
pencil derive an answer To gain it he must have blaze blood and danger even
as a chemist requires this that and the other So he fretted for an
opportunity
Meanwhile he continually tried to measure himself by his comrades The tall
soldier for one gave him some assurance This mans serene unconcern dealt him
a measure of confidence for he had known him since childhood and from his
intimate knowledge he did not see how he could be capable of anything that was
beyond him the youth Still he thought that his comrade might be mistaken
about himself Or on the other hand he might be a man heretofore doomed to
peace and obscurity but in reality made to shine in war
The youth would have liked to have discovered another who suspected himself
A sympathetic comparison of mental notes would have been a joy to him
He occasionally tried to fathom a comrade with seductive sentences He
looked about to find men in the proper moods All attempts failed to bring forth
any statement which looked in any way like a confession to those doubts which
he privately acknowledged in himself He was afraid to make an open declaration
of his concern because he dreaded to place some unscrupulous confidant upon the
high plane of the unconfessed from which elevation he could be derided
In regard to his companions his mind wavered between two opinions
according to his mood Sometimes he inclined to believing them all heroes In
fact he usually admitted in secret the superior developement of the higher
qualities in others He could conceive of men going very insignificantly about
the world bearing a load of courage unseen and although he had known many of
his comrades through boyhood he began to fear that his judgment of them had
been blind Then in other moments he flouted these theories and assured
himself that his fellows were all privately wondering and quaking
His emotions made him feel strange in the presence of men who talked
excitedly of a prospective battle as of a drama they were about to witness with
nothing but eagerness and curiosity apparent in their faces It was often that
he suspected them to be liars
He did not pass such thoughts without severe condemnation of himself He
dinned reproaches at times He was convicted by himself of many shameful crimes
against the gods of tradition
In his great anxiety his heart was continually clamoring at what he
considered to be the intolerable slowness of the generals They seemed content
to perch tranquilly on the riverbank and leave him bowed down by the weight of
a great problem He wanted it settled forthwith He could not long bear such a
load he said Sometimes his anger at the commanders reached an acute stage and
he grumbled about the camp like a veteran
One morning however he found himself in the ranks of his prepared
regiment The men were whispering speculations and recounting the old rumors In
the gloom before the break of the day their uniforms glowed a deep purple hue
From across the river the red eyes were still peering In the eastern sky there
was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun And against
it black and patternlike loomed the gigantic figure of the colonel on a
gigantic horse
From off in the darkness came the trampling of feet The youth could
occasionally see dark shadows that moved like monsters The regiment stood at
rest for what seemed a long time The youth grew impatient It was unendurable
the way these affairs were managed He wondered how long they were to be kept
waiting
As he looked all about him and pondered upon the mystic gloom he began to
believe that at any moment the ominous distance might be aflare and the rolling
crashes of an engagement come to his ears Staring once at the red eyes across
the river he conceived them to be growing larger as the orbs of a row of
dragons advancing He turned toward the colonel and saw him lift his gigantic
arm and calmly stroke his moustache
At last he heard from along the road at the foot of the hill the clatter of
a horses galloping hoofs It must be the coming of orders He bended forward
scarce breathing The exciting clicketyclick as it grew louder and louder
seemed to be beating upon his soul Presently a horseman with jangling
equipment drew rein before the colonel of the regiment The two held a short
sharpworded conversation The men in the foremost ranks craned their necks
As the horseman wheeled his animal and galloped away he turned to shout
over his shoulder »Dont forget that box of cigars« The colonel mumbled in
reply The youth wondered what a box of cigars had to do with war
A moment later the regiment went swinging off into the darkness It was now
like one of those moving monsters wending with many feet The air was heavy and
cold with dew A mass of wet grass marched upon rustled like silk
There was an occasional flash and glimmer of steel from the backs of all
these huge crawling reptiles From the road came creakings and grumblings as
some surly guns were dragged away
The men stumbled along still muttering speculations There was a subdued
debate Once a man fell down and as he reached for his rifle a comrade
unseeing trod upon his hand He of the injured fingers swore bitterly and
aloud A low tittering laugh went among his fellows
Presently they passed into a roadway and marched forward with easy
strides A dark regiment moved before them and from behind also came the
tinkle of equipments on the bodies of marching men
The rushing yellow of the developing day went on behind their backs When
the sunrays at last struck full and mellowingly upon the earth the youth saw
that the landscape was streaked with two long thin black columns which
disappeared on the brow of a hill in front and rearward vanished in a wood They
were like two serpents crawling from the cavern of the night
The river was not in view The tall soldier burst into praises of what he
thought to be his powers of perception »I told yeh so didnt I«
»Huh« said the loud soldier
Some of the tall ones companions cried with emphasis that they too had
evolved the same thing and they congratulated themselves upon it But there were
others who said that the tall ones plan was not the true one at all They
persisted with other theories There was a vigorous discussion
The youth took no part in them As he walked along in careless line he was
engaged with his own eternal debate He could not hinder himself from dwelling
upon it He was despondent and sullen and threw shifting glances about him He
looked ahead often expecting to hear from the advance the rattle of firing
But the long serpents crawled slowly from hill to hill without bluster of
smoke A duncolored cloud of dust floated away to the right The sky overhead
was of a fairy blue
The youth studied the faces of his companions ever on the watch to detect
kindred emotions He suffered disappointment Some ardor of the air which was
causing the veteran commands to move with glee almost with song had infected
the new regiment The men began to speak of victory as of a thing they knew
Also the tall soldier received his vindication They were certainly going to
come around in behind the enemy They expressed commiseration for that part of
the army which had been left upon the riverbank felicitating themselves upon
being a part of a blasting host
The youth considering himself as separated from the others was saddened by
the blithe and merry speeches that went from rank to rank The company wags all
made their best endeavors The regiment tramped to the tune of laughter
The loud soldier often convulsed whole files by his biting sarcasms aimed at
the tall one
And it was not long before all the men seemed to forget their mission Whole
brigades grinned in unison and regiments laughed
A rather fat soldier attempted to pilfer a horse from a dooryard He
planned to load his knapsack upon it He was escaping with his prize when a
young girl rushed from the house and grabbed the animals mane There followed a
wrangle The young girl with pink cheeks and shining eyes stood like a
dauntless statue
The observant regiment standing at rest in the roadway whooped at once
and entered wholesouled upon the side of the maiden The men became so
engrossed in this affair that they entirely ceased to remember their own large
war They jeered the piratical private and called attention to various defects
in his personal appearance And they were wildly enthusiastic in support of the
young girl
To her from some distance came bold advice »Hit him with a stick«
There were crows and catcalls showered upon him when he retreated without
the horse The regiment rejoiced at his downfall Loud and vociferous
congratulations were showered upon the maiden who stood panting and regarding
the troops with defiance
At nightfall the column broke into regimental pieces and the fragments
went into the fields to camp Tents sprang up like strange plants Campfires
like red peculiar blossoms dotted the night
The youth kept from intercourse with his companions as much as circumstances
would allow him In the evening he wandered a few paces into the gloom From
this little distance the many fires with the black forms of men passing to and
fro before the crimson rays made weird and satanic effects
He lay down in the grass The blades pressed tenderly against his cheek The
moon had been lighted and was hung in a treetop The liquid stillness of the
night enveloping him made him feel vast pity for himself There was a caress
in the soft winds And the whole mood of the darkness he thought was one of
sympathy for himself in his distress
He wished without reserve that he was at home again making the endless
rounds from the house to the barn from the barn to the fields from the fields
to the barn from the barn to the house He remembered he had often cursed the
brindlecow and her mates and had sometimes flung milkingstools But from his
present point of view there was a halo of happiness about each of their heads
and he would have sacrificed all the brass buttons on the continent to have been
enabled to return to them He told himself that he was not formed for a soldier
And he mused seriously upon the radical differences between himself and those
men who were dodging implike around the fires
As he mused thus he heard the rustle of grass and upon turning his head
discovered the loud soldier He called out »Oh Wilson«
The latter approached and looked down »Why hello Henry is it you What
yeh doin here«
»Oh thinking« said the youth
The other sat down and carefully lighted his pipe »Yehre gittin blue m
boy Yehre lookin thunderin peeked What th dickens is wrong with yeh«
»Oh nothing« said the youth
The loud soldier launched then into the subject of the anticipated fight
»Oh weve got em now« As he spoke his boyish face was wreathed in a gleeful
smile and his voice had an exultant ring »Weve got em now At last by th
eternal thunders well lick em good
If th truth was known« he added more soberly »theyve licked us about
every clip up t now but this time this time well lick em good«
»I thought you was objecting to this march a little while ago« said the
youth coldly
»Oh it wasnt that« explained the other »I dont mind marchin if theres
goin t be fightin at th end of it What I hate is this gittin moved here
an moved there with no good comin of it as far as I kin see exceptin sore
feet an damn short rations«
»Well Jim Conklin says well get aplenty of fighting this time«
»Hes right fer once I guess though I cant see how it come This time
were in fer a big battle an weve got th best end of it certainsure
Geerod how we will thump em«
He arose and began to pace to and fro excitedly The thrill of his
enthusiasm made him walk with an elastic step He was sprightly vigorous fiery
in his belief in success He looked into the future with clear proud eye And
he swore with the air of an old soldier
The youth watched him for a moment in silence When he finally spoke his
voice was as bitter as dregs »Oh youre going to do great things I suppose«
The loud soldier blew a thoughtful cloud of smoke from his pipe »Oh I
dont know« he remarked with dignity »I dont know I spose Ill do as well
as th rest Im goin t try like thunder« He evidently complimented himself
upon the modesty of this statement
»How do you know you wont run when the time comes« asked the youth
»Run« said the loud one »Run Of course not« He laughed
»Well« continued the youth »lots of gooda men have thought they was
going to do great things before the fight but when the time come they
skedaddled«
»Oh thats all true I spose« replied the other »but Im not goin t
skedaddle Th man that bets on my runnin will lose his money thats all« He
nodded confidently
»Oh shucks« said the youth »You aint the bravest man in the world are
you«
»No I aint« exclaimed the loud soldier indignantly »An I didnt say I
was th bravest man in th world neither I said I was goin t do my share of
fightin thats what I said An I am too Who are yeh anyhow Yeh talk as
if yeh thought yeh was Napolyon Bonypart« He glared at the youth for a moment
and then strode away
The youth called in a savage voice after his comrade »Well you neednt get
mad about it« But the other continued on his way and made no reply
He felt alone in space when his injured comrade had disappeared His failure
to discover any mite of resemblance in their viewpoints made him more miserable
than before No one seemed to be wrestling with such a terrific personal
problem He was a mental outcast
He went slowly to his tent and stretched himself on a blanket by the side of
the snoring tall soldier In the darkness he saw visions of a thousandtongued
fear that would babble at his back and cause him to flee while others were going
coolly about their countrys business He admitted that he would not be able to
cope with this monster He felt that every nerve in his body would be an ear to
hear the voices while other men could remain stolid and deaf
And as he sweated with the pain of these thoughts he could hear low serene
sentences »Ill bid five« »Make it six« »Seven« »Seven goes«
He stared at the red shivering reflection of a fire on the white wall of
his tent until exhausted and ill from the monotony of his suffering he fell
asleep
Chapter III
When another night came the columns changed to purple streaks filed across two
pontoon bridges A glaring fire winetinted the waters of the river Its rays
shining upon the moving masses of troops brought forth here and there sudden
gleams of silver or gold Upon the other shore a dark and mysterious range of
hills was curved against the sky The insectvoices of the night sang solemnly
After this crossing the youth assured himself that at any moment they might
be suddenly and fearfully assaulted from the caves of the lowering woods He
kept his eyes watchfully upon the darkness
But his regiment went unmolested to a campingplace and its soldiers slept
the brave sleep of wearied men In the morning they were routed out with early
energy and hustled along a narrow road that led deep into the forest
It was during this rapid march that the regiment lost many of the marks of a
new command
The men had begun to count the miles upon their fingers And they grew
tired »Sore feet an damned short rations thats all« said the loud soldier
There was perspiration and grumbling After a time they began to shed their
knapsacks Some tossed them unconcernedly down others hid them carefully
asserting their plans to return for them at some convenient time Men extricated
themselves from thick shirts Presently few carried anything but their
necessary clothing blankets haversacks canteens and arms and ammunition
»Yeh kin now eat drink sleep an shoot« said the tall soldier to the youth
»Thats all yeh need What d yeh want t do carry a hotel«
There was sudden change from the ponderous infantry of theory to the light
and speedy infantry of practice The regiment relieved of a burden received a
new impetus But there was much loss of valuable knapsacks and on the whole
very good shirts
But the regiment was not yet veteranlike in appearance Veteran regiments
in this army were likely to be very small aggregations of men Once when the
command had first come to the field some perambulating veterans noting the
length of their column had accosted them thus »Hey fellers what brigade is
that« And when the men had replied that they formed a regiment and not a
brigade the older soldiers had laughed and said »Oh Gawd«
Also there was too great a similarity in the hats The hats of a regiment
should properly represent the history of headgear for a period of years
And moreover there were no letters of faded gold speaking from the colors
They were new and beautiful and the colorbearer habitually oiled the pole
Presently the army again sat down to think The odor of the peaceful pines
was in the mens nostrils The sound of monotonous axeblows rang through the
forest and the insects nodding upon their perches crooned like old women The
youth returned to his theory of a blue demonstration
One grey dawn however he was kicked in the leg by the tall soldier and
then before he was entirely awake he found himself running down a woodroad in
the midst of men who were panting from the first effects of speed His canteen
banged rhythmically upon his thigh and his haversack bobbed softly His musket
bounced a trifle from his shoulder at each stride and made his cap feel
uncertain upon his head
He could hear the men whisper jerky sentences »Say whats all this
about« »What th thunder we skedaddlin this way fer« »Billie keep off
m feet Yeh run like a cow« And the loud soldiers shrill voice could be
heard »What th devil they in sech a hurry fer«
The youth thought the damp fog of early morning moved from the rush of a
great body of troops From the distance came a sudden spatter of firing
He was bewildered As he ran with his comrades he strenuously tried to
think but all he knew was that if he fell down those coming behind would tread
upon him All his faculties seemed to be needed to guide him over and past
obstructions He felt carried along by a mob
The sun spread disclosing rays and one by one regiments burst into view
like armed men just born of the earth The youth perceived that the time had
come He was about to be measured For a moment he felt in the face of his great
trial like a babe And the flesh over his heart seemed very thin He seized
time to look about him calculatingly
But he instantly saw that it would be impossible for him to escape from the
regiment It enclosed him And there were iron laws of tradition and law on four
sides He was in a moving box
As he perceived this fact it occurred to him that he had never wished to
come to the war He had not enlisted of his free will He had been dragged by
the merciless government And now they were taking him out to be slaughtered
The regiment slid down a bank and wallowed across a little stream The
mournful current moved slowly on and from the water shaded black some white
bubbleeyes looked at the men
As they climbed the hill on the further side artillery began to boom Here
the youth forgot many things as he felt a sudden impulse of curiosity He
scrambled up the bank with a speed that could not be exceeded by a bloodthirsty
man
He expected a battlescene
There were some little fields girted and squeezed by a forest Spread over
the grass and in among the treetrunks he could see knots and waving lines of
skirmishers who were running hither and thither and firing at the landscape A
dark battleline lay upon a sunstruck clearing that gleamed orangecolor A
flag fluttered
Other regiments floundered up the bank The brigade was formed in line of
battle and after a pause started slowly through the woods in the rear of the
receding skirmishers who were continually melting into the scene to appear again
further on They were always busy as bees deeply absorbed in their little
combats
The youth tried to observe everything He did not use care to avoid trees
and branches and his forgotten feet were constantly knocking against stones or
getting entangled in briars He was aware that these battalions with their
commotions were woven red and startling into the gentle fabric of softened
greens and browns It looked to be a wrong place for a battlefield
The skirmishers in advance fascinated him Their shots into thickets and at
distant and prominent trees spoke to him of tragedies hidden mysterious
solemn
Once the line encountered the body of a dead soldier He lay upon his back
staring at the sky He was dressed in an awkward suit of yellowish brown The
youth could see that the soles of his shoes had been worn to the thinness of
writingpaper and from a great rent in one the dead foot projected piteously
And it was as if fate had betrayed the soldier In death it exposed to his
enemies that poverty which in life he had perhaps concealed from his friends
The ranks opened covertly to avoid the corpse The invulnerable dead man
forced a way for himself The youth looked keenly at the ashen face The wind
raised the tawny beard It moved as if a hand were stroking it He vaguely
desired to walk around and around the body and stare the impulse of the living
to try to read in dead eyes the answer to the Question
During this march the ardor which the youth had acquired when out of view
of the field rapidly faded to nothing His curiosity was quite easily satisfied
If an intense scene had caught him with its wild swing as he came to the top of
the bank he might have gone roaring on This advance upon nature was too calm
He had opportunity to reflect He had time in which to wonder about himself and
to attempt to probe his sensations
Absurd ideas took hold upon him He thought that he did not relish the
landscape It threatened him A coldness swept over his back and it is true that
his trousers felt to him that they were no fit for his legs at all
A house standing placidly in distant fields had to him an ominous look
The shadows of the woods were formidable He was certain that in this vista
there lurked fierceeyed hosts The swift thought came to him that the generals
did not know what they were about It was all a trap Suddenly those close
forests would bristle with riflebarrels Ironlike brigades would appear in the
rear They were all going to be sacrificed The generals were stupids The enemy
would presently swallow the whole command He glared about him expecting to see
the stealthy approach of his death
He thought that he must break from the ranks and harangue his comrades They
must not all be killed like pigs And he was sure it would come to pass unless
they were informed of these dangers The generals were idiots to send them
marching into a regular pen There was but one pair of eyes in the corps He
would step forth and make a speech Shrill and passionate words came to his
lips
The line broken into moving fragments by the ground went calmly on through
fields and woods The youth looked at the men nearest him and saw for the most
part expressions of deep interest as if they were investigating something that
had fascinated them One or two stepped with overvaliant airs as if they were
already plunged into war Others walked as upon thin ice The greater part of
the untested men appeared quiet and absorbed They were going to look at war
the red animal war the bloodswollen god And they were deeply engrossed in
this march
As he looked the youth gripped his outcry at his throat He saw that even
if the men were tottering with fear they would laugh at his warning They would
jeer him and if practicable pelt him with missiles Admitting that he might be
wrong a frenzied declamation of the kind would turn him into a worm
He assumed then the demeanor of one who knows that he is doomed alone to
unwritten responsibilities He lagged with tragic glances at the sky
He was surprised presently by the young lieutenant of his company who
began heartily to beat him with a sword calling out in a loud and insolent
voice »Come young man get up into ranks there No skulkingll do here« He
mended his pace with suitable haste And he hated the lieutenant who had no
appreciation of fine minds He was a mere brute
After a time the brigade was halted in the cathedrallight of a forest The
busy skirmishers were still popping Through the aisles of the wood could be
seen the floating smoke from their rifles Sometimes it went up in little balls
white and compact
During this halt many men in the regiment began erecting tiny hills in
front of them They used stones sticks earth and anything they thought might
turn a bullet Some built comparatively large ones while others seemed content
with little ones
This procedure caused a discussion among the men Some wished to fight like
duellists believing it to be correct to stand erect and be from their feet to
their foreheads a mark They said they scorned the devices of the cautious
But the others scoffed in reply and pointed to the veterans on the flanks who
were digging at the ground like terriers In a short time there was quite a
barricade along the regimental front Directly however they were ordered to
withdraw from that place
This astounded the youth He forgot his stewing over the advance movement
»Well then what did they march us out here for« he demanded of the tall
soldier The latter with calm faith began a heavy explanation although he had
been compelled to leave a little protection of stones and dirt to which he had
devoted much care and skill
When the regiment was aligned in another position each mans regard for his
safety caused another line of small intrenchments They ate their noon meal
behind a third one They were moved from this one also They were marched from
place to place with apparent aimlessness
The youth had been taught that a man became another thing in a battle He
saw his salvation in such a change Hence this waiting was an ordeal to him He
was in a fever of impatience He considered that there was denoted a lack of
purpose on the part of the generals He began to complain to the tall soldier
»I cant stand this much longer« he cried »I dont see what good it does to
make us wear out our legs for nothing« He wished to return to camp knowing
that this affair was a blue demonstration or else to go into a battle and
discover that he had been a fool in his doubts and was in truth a man of
traditional courage The strain of present circumstances he felt to be
intolerable
The philosophical tall soldier measured a sandwich of cracker and pork and
swallowed it in a nonchalant manner »Oh I spose we must go reconnoiterin
around th kentry jest t keep em from gittin too clost or t develope em
or somethin«
»Huh« said the loud soldier
»Well« cried the youth still fidgeting »Id rather do anything most than
go tramping round the country all day doing no good to nobody and just tiring
ourselves out«
»So would I« said the loud soldier »It aint right I tell yeh if anybody
with any sense was arunnin this army it «
»Oh shut up« roared the tall private »Yeh little fool Yeh little
damncuss Yeh aint had that there coat an them pants on fer six months yit
an yit yeh talk as if «
»Well I wanta do some fightin anyway« interrupted the other »I didnt
come here t walk I could a walked t home round an round th barn if I
jest wanted t walk«
The tall one redfaced swallowed another sandwich as if taking poison in
despair
But gradually as he chewed his face became again quiet and contented He
could not rage in fierce argument in the presence of such sandwiches During his
meals he always wore an air of blissful contemplation of the food he had
swallowed His spirit seemed then to be communing with the viands
He accepted new environment and circumstance with great coolness eating
from his haversack at every opportunity On the march he went along with the
stride of a hunter objecting to neither gait nor distance And he had not
raised his voice when he had been ordered away from three little protective
piles of earth and stone each of which had been an engineering feat worthy of
being made sacred to the name of his grandmother
In the afternoon the regiment went out over the same ground it had taken in
the morning The landscape then ceased to threaten the youth He had been close
to it and become familiar with it
When however they began to pass into a new region his old fears of
stupidity and incompetence reassailed him but this time he doggedly let them
babble He was occupied with his problem and in his desperation he concluded
that the stupidity did not greatly matter
Once he thought he had concluded that it would be better to get killed
directly and end his troubles Regarding death thus out of the corner of his
eye he conceived it to be nothing but rest and he was filled with a momentary
astonishment that he should have made an extraordinary commotion over the mere
matter of getting killed He would die he would go to some place where he would
be understood It was useless to expect appreciation of his profound and fine
senses from such men as the lieutenant He must look to the grave for
comprehension
The skirmishfire increased to a long clattering sound With it was mingled
faraway cheering A battery spoke
Directly the youth could see the skirmishers running They were pursued by
the sound of musketry fire After a time the hot dangerous flashes of the
rifles were visible Smokeclouds went slowly and insolently across the fields
like observant phantoms The din became crescendo like the roar of an oncoming
train
A brigade ahead of them and on the right went into action with a rending
roar It was as if it had exploded And thereafter it lay stretched in the
distance behind a long grey wall that one was obliged to look twice at to make
sure that it was smoke
The youth forgetting his neat plan of getting killed gazed spellbound
His eyes grew wide and busy with the action of the scene His mouth was a little
ways open
Of a sudden he felt a heavy and sad hand laid upon his shoulder Awakening
from his trance of observation he turned and beheld the loud soldier
»Its m first an last battle ol boy« said the latter with intense
gloom He was quite pale and his girlish lip was trembling
»Eh« murmured the youth in great astonishment
»Its m first an last battle ol boy« continued the loud soldier
»Somethin tells me «
»What«
»Im a gone coon this first time an an I wwant yeh t take these here
things t my folks« He ended in a quavering sob of pity for himself He
handed the youth a little packet done up in a yellow envelope
»Why what the devil « began the youth again
But the other gave him a glance as from the depths of a tomb and raised his
limp hand in a prophetic manner and turned away
Chapter IV
The brigade was halted in the fringe of a grove The men crouched among the
trees and pointed their restless guns out at the fields They tried to look
beyond the smoke
Out of this haze they could see running men Some shouted information and
gestured as they hurried
The men of the new regiment watched and listened eagerly while their tongues
ran on in gossip of the battle They mouthed rumors that had flown like birds
out of the unknown
»They say Perry has been driven in with big loss«
»Yes Carrott went t th hospital He said he was sick That smart
lieutenant is commanding G Company Th boys say they wont be under Carrott no
more if they all have t desert They allus knew he was a «
»Hannises battry is took«
»It aint either I saw Hannises battry off on th left not moren fifteen
minutes ago«
»Well «
»Th general he ses he is goin t take th hull command of th 304th when
we go inteh action an then he ses well do sech fightin as never another one
regment done«
»They say were catchin it over on th left They say th enemy driv our
line inteh a devil of a swamp an took Hannises battry«
»No sech thing Hannises battry was long here bout a minute ago«
»That young Hasbrouck he makes a good offcer He aint afraid a nothin«
»I met one of th 148th Maine boys an he ses his brigade fit th hull rebel
army fer four hours over on th turnpikeroad an killed about five thousand of
em He ses one more sech fight as that an th warll be over«
»Bill wasnt scared either No sir It wasnt that Bill aint agittin
scared easy He was jest mad thats what he was When that feller trod on his
hand he up an sed that he was willin t give his hand t his country but he
be dumbed if he was goin t have every dumb bushwhacker in th kentry walkin
round on it So he went t th hospital disregardless of th fight Three
fingers was crunched Th dern doctor wanted t amputatem an Bill he raised a
heluva row I hear Hes a funny feller«
The din in front swelled to a tremendous chorus The youth and his fellows
were frozen to silence They could see a flag that tossed in the smoke angrily
Near it were the blurred and agitated forms of troops There came a turbulent
stream of men across the fields A battery changing position at a frantic gallop
scattered the stragglers right and left
A shell screaming like a stormbanshee went over the huddled heads of the
reserves It landed in the grove and exploding redly flung the brown earth
There was a little shower of pineneedles
Bullets began to whistle among the branches and nip at the trees Twigs and
leaves came sailing down It was as if a thousand axes wee and invisible were
being wielded Many of the men were constantly dodging and ducking their heads
The lieutenant of the youths company was shot in the hand He began to
swear so wondrously that a nervous laugh went along the regimental line The
officers profanity sounded conventional It relieved the tightened senses of
the new men It was as if he had hit his fingers with a tackhammer at home
He held the wounded member carefully away from his side so that the blood
would not drip upon his trousers
The captain of the company tucking his sword under his arm produced a
handkerchief and began to bind with it the lieutenants wound And they disputed
as to how the binding should be done
The battleflag in the distance jerked about madly It seemed to be
struggling to free itself from an agony The billowing smoke was filled with
horizontal flashes
Men running swiftly emerged from it They grew in numbers until it was
seen that the whole command was fleeing The flag suddenly sank down as if
dying Its motion as it fell was a gesture of despair
Wild yells came from behind the walls of smoke A sketch in grey and red
dissolved into a moblike body of men who galloped like wildhorses
The veteran regiments on the right and left of the 304th immediately began
to jeer With the passionate song of the bullets and the banshee shrieks of
shells were mingled loud catcalls and bits of facetious advice concerning
places of safety
But the new regiment was breathless with horror »Gawd Saunderss got
crushed« whispered the man at the youths elbow They shrank back and crouched
as if compelled to await a flood
The youth shot a swift glance along the blue ranks of the regiment The
profiles were motionless carven And afterward he remembered that the color
sergeant was standing with his legs apart as if he expected to be pushed to the
ground
The bellowing throng went whirling around the flank Here and there were
officers carried along on the stream like exasperated chips They were striking
about them with their swords and with their left fists punching every head
they could reach They cursed like highwaymen
A mounted officer displayed the furious anger of a spoiled child He raged
with his head his arms and his legs
Another the commander of the brigade was galloping about bawling His hat
was gone and his clothes were awry He resembled a man who has come from bed to
go to a fire The hoofs of his horse often threatened the heads of the running
men but they scampered with singular fortune In this rush they were apparently
all deaf and blind They heeded not the largest and longest of the oaths that
were thrown at them from all directions
Frequently over this tumult could be heard the grim jokes of the critical
veterans but the retreating men apparently were not even conscious of the
presence of an audience
The battle reflection that shone for an instant in the faces on the mad
current made the youth feel that forceful hands from heaven would not have been
able to have held him in place if he could have got intelligent control of his
legs
There was an appalling imprint upon these faces The struggle in the smoke
had pictured an exaggeration of itself on the bleached cheeks and in the eyes
wild with one desire
The sight of this stampede exerted a floodlike force that seemed able to
drag sticks and stones and men from the ground They of the reserves had to hold
on They grew pale and firm and red and quaking
The youth achieved one little thought in the midst of this chaos The
composite monster which had caused the other troops to flee had not then
appeared He resolved to get a view of it and then he thought he might very
likely run better than the best of them
Chapter V
There were moments of waiting The youth thought of the village street at home
before the arrival of the circusparade on a day in the spring He remembered
how he had stood a small thrillful boy prepared to follow the dingy lady upon
the white horse or the band in its faded chariot He saw the yellow road the
lines of expectant people and the sober houses He particularly remembered an
old fellow who used to sit upon a crackerbox in front of the store and feign to
despise such exhibitions A thousand details of color and form surged in his
mind The old fellow upon the crackerbox appeared in middle prominence
Some one cried »Here they come«
There was rustling and muttering among the men They displayed a feverish
desire to have every possible cartridge ready to their hands The boxes were
pulled around into various positions and adjusted with great care It was as if
seven hundred new bonnets were being tried on
The tall soldier having prepared his rifle produced a red handkerchief of
some kind He was engaged in knotting it about his throat with exquisite
attention to its position when the cry was repeated up and down the line in a
muffled roar of sound »Here they come Here they come« Gunlocks clicked
Across the smokeinfested fields came a brown swarm of running men who were
giving shrill yells They came on stooping and swinging their rifles at all
angles A flag tilted forward sped near the front
As he caught sight of them the youth was momentarily startled by a thought
that perhaps his gun was not loaded He stood trying to rally his faltering
intellect so that he might recollect the moment when he had loaded But he could
not
A hatless general pulled his dripping horse to a stand near the colonel of
the 304th He shook his fist in the others face »Youve got to hold em back«
he shouted savagely »Youve got to hold em back«
In his agitation the colonel began to stammer »Aall rright general all
right by Gawd Wewell do our wewell dddo do our best general« The
general made a passionate gesture and galloped away The colonel perchance to
relieve his feelings began to scold like a wet parrot The youth turning
swiftly to make sure that the rear was unmolested saw the commander regarding
his men in a highly resentful manner as if he regretted above everything his
association with them
The man at the youths elbow was mumbling as if to himself »Oh were in
for it now Oh were in for it now«
The captain of the company had been pacing excitedly to and fro in the rear
He coaxed in schoolmistress fashion as to a congregation of boys with primers
His talk was an endless repetition »Reserve your fire boys dont shoot til
I tell you save your fire wait til they get close up dont be damned
fools «
Perspiration streamed down the youths face which was soiled like that of a
weeping urchin He frequently with a nervous movement wiped his eyes with his
coatsleeve His mouth was still a little ways open
He got the one glance at the foeswarming field in front of him and
instantly ceased to debate the question of his piece being loaded Before he was
ready to begin before he had announced to himself that he was about to fight
he threw the obedient wellbalanced rifle into position and fired a first wild
shot Directly he was working at his weapon like an automatic affair
He suddenly lost concern for himself and forgot to look at a menacing fate
He became not a man but a member He felt that something of which he was a part
a regiment an army a cause or a country was in a crisis He was welded
into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire For moments
he could not flee no more than a little finger can commit a revolution from a
hand
If he had thought the regiment about to be annihilated perhaps he could have
amputated himself from it But its noise gave him assurance The regiment was
like a firework that once ignited proceeds superior to circumstances until
its blazing vitality fades It wheezed and banged with a mighty power He
pictured the ground before it as strewn with the discomfited
There was a consciousness always of the presence of his comrades about him
He felt the subtle battlebrotherhood more potent even than the cause for which
they were fighting It was a mysterious fraternity born of the smoke and danger
of death
He was at a task He was like a carpenter who has made many boxes making
still another box only there was furious haste in his movements He in his
thoughts was careering off in other places even as the carpenter who as he
works whistles and thinks of his friend or his enemy his home or a saloon And
these jolted dreams were never perfect to him afterward but remained a mass of
blurred shapes
Presently he began to feel the effects of the waratmosphere a blistering
sweat a sensation that his eyeballs were about to crack like hot stones A
burning roar filled his ears
Following this came a red rage He developed the acute exasperation of a
pestered animal a wellmeaning cow worried by dogs He had a mad feeling
against his rifle which could only be used against one life at a time He wished
to rush forward and strangle with his fingers He craved a power that would
enable him to make a worldsweeping gesture and brush all back His impotency
appeared to him and made his rage into that of a driven beast
Buried in the smoke of many rifles his anger was directed not so much
against the men whom he knew were rushing toward him as against the swirling
battlephantoms who were choking him stuffing their smokerobes down his
parched throat He fought frantically for respite for his senses for air as a
babe being smothered attacks the deadly blankets
There was a blare of heated rage mingled with a certain expression of
intentness on all faces Many of the men were making lowtoned noises with their
mouths and these subdued cheers snarls imprecations prayers made a wild
barbaric song that went as an undercurrent of sound strange and chantlike
with the resounding chords of the warmarch The man at the youths elbow was
babbling In it there was something soft and tender like the monologue of a
babe The tall soldier was swearing in a loud voice From his lips came a black
procession of curious oaths Of a sudden another broke out in a querulous way
like a man who has mislaid his hat »Well why dont they support us Why dont
they send supports Do they think «
The youth in his battlesleep heard this as one who dozes hears
There was a singular absence of heroic poses The men bending and surging in
their haste and rage were in every impossible attitude The steel ramrods
clanked and clanged with incessant din as the men pounded them furiously into
the hot riflebarrels The flaps of the cartridgeboxes were all unfastened and
bobbed idiotically with each movement The rifles once loaded were jerked to
the shoulder and fired without apparent aim into the smoke or at one of the
blurred and shifting forms which upon the field before the regiment had been
growing larger and larger like puppets under a magicians hand
The officers at their intervals rearward neglected to stand in
picturesque attitudes They were bobbing to and fro roaring directions and
encouragements The dimensions of their howls were extraordinary They expended
their lungs with prodigal wills And often they nearly stood upon their heads in
their anxiety to observe the enemy on the other side of the tumbling smoke
The lieutenant of the youths company had encountered a soldier who had
fled screaming at the first volley of his comrades Behind the lines these
two were acting a little isolated scene The man was blubbering and staring with
sheeplike eyes at the lieutenant who had seized him by the collar and was
pummeling him He drove him back into the ranks with many blows The soldier
went mechanically dully with his animallike eyes upon the officer Perhaps
there was to him a divinity expressed in the voice of the other stern hard
with no reflection of fear in it He tried to reload his gun but his shaking
hands prevented The lieutenant was obliged to assist him
The men dropped here and there like bundles The captain of the youths
company had been killed in an early part of the action His body lay stretched
out in the position of a tired man resting but upon his face there was an
astonished and sorrowful look as if he thought some friend had done him an ill
turn The babbling man was grazed by a shot that made the blood stream widely
down his face He clapped both hands to his head »Oh« he said and ran Another
grunted suddenly as if he had been struck by a club in the stomach He sat down
and gazed ruefully In his eyes there was mute indefinite reproach Further up
the line a man standing behind a tree had had his kneejoint splintered by a
ball Immediately he had dropped his rifle and gripped the tree with both arms
And there he remained clinging desperately and crying for assistance that he
might withdraw his hold upon the tree
At last an exultant yell went along the quivering line The firing dwindled
from an uproar to a last vindictive popping As the smoke slowly eddied away
the youth saw that the charge had been repulsed The enemy were scattered into
reluctant groups He saw a man climb to the top of the fence straddle the rail
and fire a parting shot The waves had receded leaving bits of dark debris upon
the ground
Some in the regiment began to whoop frenziedly Many were silent
Apparently they were trying to contemplate themselves
After the fever had left his veins the youth thought that at last he was
going to suffocate He became aware of the foul atmosphere in which he had been
struggling He was grimy and dripping like a laborer in a foundry He grasped
his canteen and took a long swallow of the warmed water
A sentence with variations went up and down the line »Well weve helt em
back Weve helt em back derned if we havent« The men said it blissfully
leering at each other with dirty smiles
The youth turned to look behind him and off to the right and off to the
left He experienced the joy of a man who at last finds leisure in which to look
about him
Under foot there were a few ghastly forms motionless They lay twisted in
fantastic contortions Arms were bended and heads were turned in incredible
ways It seemed that the dead men must have fallen from some great height to get
into such positions They looked to be dumped out upon the ground from the sky
From a position in the rear of the grove a battery was throwing shells over
it The flash of the guns startled the youth at first He thought they were
aimed directly at him Through the trees he watched the black figures of the
gunners as they worked swiftly and intently Their labor seemed a complicated
thing He wondered how they could remember its formula in the midst of
confusion
The guns squatted in a row like savage chiefs They argued with abrupt
violence It was a grim powwow Their busy servants ran hither and thither
A small procession of wounded men were going drearily toward the rear It
was a flow of blood from the torn body of the brigade
To the right and to the left were the dark lines of other troops Far in
front he thought he could see lighter masses protruding in points from the
forest They were suggestive of unnumbered thousands
Once he saw a tiny battery go dashing along the line of the horizon The
tiny riders were beating the tiny horses
From a sloping hill came the sound of cheerings and clashes Smoke welled
slowly through the leaves
Batteries were speaking with thunderous oratorical effort Here and there
were flags the red in the stripes dominating They splashed bits of warm color
upon the dark lines of troops
The youth felt the old thrill at the sight of the emblems They were like
beautiful birds strangely undaunted in a storm
As he listened to the din from the hill side to a deep pulsating thunder
that came from afar to the left and to the lesser clamors which came from many
directions it occurred to him that they were fighting too over there and over
there and over there Heretofore he had supposed that all the battle was
directly under his nose
As he gazed around him the youth felt a flash of astonishment at the blue
pure sky and the sungleamings on the trees and fields It was surprising that
nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden processes in the midst of so much
devilment
Chapter VI
The youth awakened slowly He came gradually back to a position from which he
could regard himself For moments he had been scrutinizing his person in a
dazed way as if he had never before seen himself Then he picked up his cap from
the ground He wriggled in his jacket to make a more comfortable fit and
kneeling relaced his shoe He thoughtfully mopped his reeking features
So it was all over at last The supreme trial had been passed The red
formidable difficulties of war had been vanquished
He went into an ecstasy of selfsatisfaction He had the most delightful
sensations of his life Standing as if apart from himself he viewed the last
scene He perceived that the man who had fought thus was magnificent
He felt that he was a fine fellow He saw himself even with those ideals
which he had considered as far beyond him He smiled in deep gratification
Upon his fellows he beamed tenderness and goodwill »Gee aint it hot
hey« he said affably to a man who was polishing his streaming face with his
coatsleeve
»You bet« said the other grinning sociably »I never seen sech dumb
hotness« He sprawled out luxuriously on the ground »Gee yes An I hope we
dont have no more fightin til til a week from Monday«
There were some handshakings and deep speeches with men whose features only
were familiar but with whom the youth now felt the bonds of tied hearts He
helped a cursing comrade to bind up a wound of the shin
But of a sudden cries of amazement broke out along the ranks of the new
regiment »Here they come agin Here they come agin« The man who had sprawled
upon the ground started up and said »Gosh«
The youth turned quick eyes upon the field He discerned forms begin to
swell in masses out of a distant wood He again saw the tilted flag speeding
forward
The shells which had ceased to trouble the regiment for a time came
swirling again and exploded in the grass or among the leaves of the trees They
looked to be strange warflowers bursting into fierce bloom
The men groaned The lustre faded from their eyes Their smudged
countenances now expressed a profound dejection They moved their stiffened
bodies slowly and watched in sullen mood the frantic approach of the enemy The
slaves toiling in the temple of this god began to feel rebellion at his harsh
tasks
They fretted and complained each to each »Oh say this is too much of a
good thing Why cant somebody send us supports«
»We aint never goin t stand this second bangin I didnt come here t
fight th hull damn rebel army«
There was one who raised a doleful cry »I wish Bill Smithers had trod on my
hand insteader me treddin on hisn« The sore joints of the regiment creaked as
it painfully floundered into position to repulse
The youth stared Surely he thought this impossible thing was not about to
happen He waited as if he expected the enemy to suddenly stop apologize and
retire bowing It was all a mistake
But the firing began somewhere on the regimental line and ripped along in
both directions The level sheets of flame developed great clouds of smoke that
tumbled and tossed in the mild wind near the ground for a moment and then rolled
through the ranks as through a grate The clouds were tinged an earthlike
yellow in the sunrays and in the shadow were a sorry blue The flag was
sometimes eaten and lost in this mass of vapor but more often it projected
suntouched resplendent
Into the youths eyes there came a look that one can see in the orbs of a
jaded horse His back was quivering with nervous weakness and the muscles of his
arms felt numb and bloodless His hands too seemed large and awkward as if he
was wearing invisible mittens And there was a great uncertainty about his
kneejoints
The words that comrades had uttered previous to the firing began to appear
to him »Oh say this is too much of a good thing« »What do they take us fer
why dont they send supports« »I didnt come here t fight th hull damn rebel
army«
He began to exaggerate the endurance the skill and the valor of those who
were coming Himself reeling from exhaustion he was astonished beyond measure
at such persistency They must be machines of steel It was very gloomy
struggling against such affairs wound up perhaps to fight until sundown
He slowly lifted his rifle and catching a glimpse of the thickspread field
he blazed at a cantering cluster He stopped then and began to peer as best he
could through the smoke He caught changing views of the ground covered with men
who were all running like pursued imps and yelling
To the youth it was an onslaught of redoubtable dragons He became like the
man who lost his legs at the approach of the red and green monster He waited in
a sort of a horrified listening attitude He seemed to shut his eyes and wait
to be gobbled
A man near him who up to this time had been working feverishly at his rifle
suddenly dropped it and ran with howls A lad whose face had borne an expression
of exalted courage the majesty of he who dares give his life was at an
instant smitten abject He blanched like one who has come to the edge of a
cliff at midnight and is suddenly made aware There was a revelation He too
threw down his gun and fled There was no shame in his face He ran like a
rabbit
Others began to scamper away through the smoke The youth turned his head
shaken from his trance by this movement as if the regiment was leaving him
behind He saw the few fleeting forms
He yelled then with fright and swung about For a moment in the great
clamor he was like a proverbial chicken He lost the direction of safety
Destruction threatened him from all points
Directly he began to speed toward the rear in great leaps His rifle and cap
were gone His unbuttoned coat bulged in the wind The flap of his cartridgebox
bobbed wildly and his canteen by its slender cord swung out behind On his
face was all the horror of those things which he imagined
The lieutenant sprang forward bawling The youth saw his features
wrathfully red and saw him make a dab with his sword His one thought of the
incident was that the lieutenant was a peculiar creature to feel interested in
such matters upon this occasion
He ran like a blind man Two or three times he fell down Once he knocked
his shoulder so heavily against a tree that he went headlong
Since he had turned his back upon the fight his fears had been wondrously
magnified Death about to thrust him between the shoulderblades was far more
dreadful than death about to smite him between the eyes When he thought of it
later he conceived the impression that it is better to view the appalling than
to be merely within hearing The noises of the battle were like stones he
believed himself liable to be crushed
As he ran on he mingled with others He dimly saw men on his right and on
his left and he heard footsteps behind him He thought that all the regiment
was fleeing pursued by these ominous crashes
In his flight the sound of these following footsteps gave him his one
meagre relief He felt vaguely that death must make a first choice of the men
who were nearest the initial morsels for the dragons would be then those who
were following him So he displayed the zeal of an insane sprinter in his
purpose to keep them in the rear There was a race
As he leading went across a little field he found himself in a region of
shells They hurtled over his head with long wild screams As he heard them he
imagined them to have rows of cruel teeth that grinned at him Once one lit
before him and the livid lightning of the explosion effectually barred his way
in his chosen direction He grovelled on the ground and then springing up went
careering off through some bushes
He experienced a thrill of amazement when he came within view of a battery
in action The men there seemed to be in conventional moods altogether unaware
of the impending annihilation The battery was disputing with a distant
antagonist and the gunners were wrapped in admiration of their shooting They
were continually bending in coaxing postures over the guns They seemed to be
patting them on the back and encouraging them with words The guns stolid and
undaunted spoke with dogged valor
The precise gunners were coolly enthusiastic They lifted their eyes every
chance to the smokewreathed hillock from whence the hostile battery addressed
them The youth pitied them as he ran Methodical idiots Machinelike fools
The refined joy of planting shells in the midst of the other batterys formation
would appear a little thing when the infantry came swooping out of the woods
The face of a youthful rider who was jerking his frantic horse with an
abandon of temper he might display in a placid barnyard was impressed deep upon
his mind He knew that he looked upon a man who would presently be dead
Too he felt a pity for the guns standing six good comrades in a bold
row
He saw a brigade going to the relief of its pestered fellows He scrambled
upon a wee hill and watched it sweeping finely keeping formation in difficult
places The blue of the line was crusted with steelcolor and the brilliant
flags projected Officers were shouting
This sight also filled him with wonder The brigade was hurrying briskly
to be gulped into the infernal mouth of the wargod What manner of men were
they anyhow Ah it was some wondrous breed Or else they didnt comprehend
the fools
A furious order caused commotion in the artillery An officer on a bounding
horse made maniacal motions with his arms The teams went swinging up from the
rear the guns were whirled about and the battery scampered away The cannon
with their noses poked slantingly at the ground grunted and grumbled like stout
men brave but with objections to hurry
The youth went on moderating his pace since he had left the place of
noises
Later he came upon a general of division seated upon a horse that pricked
its ears in an interested way at the battle There was a great gleaming of
yellow and patentleather about the saddle and bridle The quiet man astride
looked mousecolored upon such a splendid charger
A jingling staff was galloping hither and thither Sometimes the general was
surrounded by horsemen and at other times he was quite alone He looked to be
much harassed He had the appearance of a business man whose market is swinging
up and down
The youth went slinking around this spot He went as near as he dared
trying to overhear words Perhaps the general unable to comprehend chaos
might call upon him for information And he could tell him He knew all
concerning it Of a surety the force was in a fix and any fool could see that
if they did not retreat while they had opportunity why
He felt that he would like to thrash the general or at least approach and
tell him in plain words exactly what he thought him to be It was criminal to
stay calmly in one spot and make no effort to stay destruction He loitered in a
fever of eagerness for the divisioncommander to apply to him
As he warily moved about he heard the general call out irritably
»Tompkins go over an see Taylor an tell him not t be in such an allfired
hurry tell him t halt his brigade in th edge of th woods tell him t
detach a regment say I think th centrell break if we dont help it out some
tell him t hurry up«
A slim youth on a fine chesnut horse caught these swift words from the mouth
of his superior He made his horse bound into a gallop almost from a walk in his
haste to go upon his mission There was a cloud of dust
A moment later the youth saw the general bounce excitedly in his saddle
»Yes by heavens they have« The officer leaned forward His face was
aflame with excitement »Yes by heavens theyve held em Theyve held em«
He began to blithely roar at his staff »Well wallop em now Well wallop
em now Weve got em sure« He turned suddenly upon an aide »Here you
Jones quick ride after Tompkins see Taylor tell him t go in
everlastingly like blazes anything«
As another officer sped his horse after the first messenger the general
beamed upon the earth like a sun In his eyes was a desire to chant a paean He
kept repeating »Theyve held em by heavens«
His excitement made his horse plunge and he merrily kicked and swore at it
He held a little carnival of joy on horseback
Chapter VII
The youth cringed as if discovered at a crime By heavens they had won after
all The imbecile line had remained and become victors He could hear cheering
He lifted himself upon his toes and looked in the direction of the fight A
yellow fog lay wallowing on the treetops From beneath it came the clatter of
musketry Hoarse cries told of an advance
He turned away amazed and angry He felt that he had been wronged
He had fled he told himself because annihilation approached He had done a
good part in saving himself who was a little piece of the army He had
considered the time he said to be one in which it was the duty of every little
piece to rescue itself if possible Later the officers could fit the little
pieces together again and make a battlefront If none of the little pieces were
wise enough to save themselves from the flurry of death at such a time why
then where would be the army It was all plain that he had proceeded according
to very correct and commendable rules His actions had been sagacious things
They had been full of strategy They were the work of a masters legs
Thoughts of his comrades came to him The brittle blue line had withstood
the blows and won He grew bitter over it It seemed that the blind ignorance
and stupidity of those little pieces had betrayed him He had been overturned
and crushed by their lack of sense in holding the position when intelligent
deliberation would have convinced them that it was impossible He the
enlightened man who looks afar in the dark had fled because of his superior
perceptions and knowledge He felt a great anger against his comrades He knew
it could be proven that they had been fools
He wondered what they would remark when later he appeared in camp His mind
heard howls of derision Their density would not enable them to understand his
sharper point of view
He began to pity himself acutely He was illused He was trodden beneath
the feet of an iron injustice He had proceeded with wisdom and from the most
righteous motives under heavens blue only to be frustrated by hateful
circumstances
A dull animallike rebellion against his fellows war in the abstract and
fate grew within him He shambled along with bowed head his brain in a tumult
of agony and despair When he looked loweringly up quivering at each sound his
eyes had the expression of those of a criminal who thinks his guilt little and
his punishment great and knows that he can find no words
He went from the fields into a thick woods as if resolved to bury himself
He wished to get out of hearing of the crackling shots which were to him like
voices
The ground was cluttered with vines and bushes and the trees grew close and
spread out like bouquets He was obliged to force his way with much noise The
creepers catching against his legs cried out harshly as their sprays were torn
from the barks of trees The swishing saplings tried to make known his presence
to the world He could not conciliate the forest As he made his way it was
always calling out protestations When he separated embraces of trees and vines
the disturbed foliages waved their arms and turned their faceleaves toward him
He dreaded lest these noisy motions and cries should bring men to look at him
So he went far seeking dark and intricate places
After a time the sound of musketry grew faint and the cannon boomed in the
distance The sun suddenly apparent blazed among the trees The insects were
making rhythmical noises They seemed to be grinding their teeth in unison A
woodpecker stuck his impudent head around the side of a tree A bird flew on
lighthearted wing
Off was the rumble of death It seemed now that nature had no ears
This landscape gave him assurance A fair field holding life It was the
religion of peace It would die if its timid eyes were compelled to see blood
He conceived nature to be a woman with a deep aversion to tragedy
He threw a pinecone at a jovial squirrel and he ran with chattering fear
High in a treetop he stopped and poking his head cautiously from behind a
branch looked down with an air of trepidation
The youth felt triumphant at this exhibition There was the law he said
Nature had given him a sign The squirrel immediately upon recognizing a danger
had taken to his legs without ado He did not stand stolidly baring his furry
belly to the missile and die with an upward glance at the sympathetic heavens
On the contrary he had fled as fast as his legs could carry him And he was but
an ordinary squirrel too doubtless no philosopher of his race
The youth wended feeling that nature was of his mind She reinforced his
arguments with proofs that lived where the sun shone
Once he found himself almost into a swamp He was obliged to walk upon
bogtufts and watch his feet to keep from the oily mire Pausing at one time to
look about him he saw out at some black water a small animal pounce in and
emerge directly with a gleaming fish
The youth went again into the deep thickets The brushed branches made a
noise that drowned the sounds of cannon He walked on going from obscurity into
promises of a greater obscurity
At length he reached a place where the high arching boughs made a chapel
He softly pushed the green doors aside and entered Pineneedles were a gentle
brown carpet There was a religious halflight
Near the threshold he stopped horrorstricken at the sight of a thing.
He was being looked at by a dead man who was seated with his back against a
columnlike tree The corpse was dressed in a uniform that once had been blue
but was now faded to a melancholy shade of green The eyes staring at the
youth had changed to the dull hue to be seen on the side of a dead fish The
mouth was opened Its red had changed to an appalling yellow Over the grey skin
of the face ran little ants One was trundling some sort of a bundle along the
upper lip
The youth gave a shriek as he confronted the thing He was for moments
turned to stone before it He remained staring into the liquidlooking eyes The
dead man and the living man exchanged a long look Then the youth cautiously
put one hand behind him and brought it against a tree Leaning upon this he
retreated step by step with his face still toward the thing He feared that if
he turned his back the body might spring up and stealthily pursue him
The branches pushing against him threatened to throw him over upon it His
unguided feet too caught aggravatingly in brambles And with it all he
received a subtle suggestion to touch the corpse As he thought of his hand upon
it he shuddered profoundly
At last he burst the bonds which had fastened him to the spot and fled
unheeding the underbrush He was pursued by a sight of the black ants swarming
greedily upon the grey face and venturing horribly near to the eyes
After a time he paused and breathless and panting listened He imagined
some strange voice would come from the dead throat and squawk after him in
horrible menaces
The trees about the portal of the chapel moved sighingly in a soft wind A
sad silence was upon the little guarding edifice
Chapter VIII
The trees began softly to sing a hymn of twilight The sun sank until slanted
bronze rays struck the forest There was a lull in the noises of insects as if
they had bowed their beaks and were making a devotional pause There was silence
save for the chanted chorus of the trees
Then upon this stillness there suddenly broke a tremendous clangor of
sounds A crimson roar came from the distance
The youth stopped He was transfixed by this terrific medley of all noises
It was as if worlds were being rended There was the ripping sound of musketry
and the breaking crash of the artillery
His mind flew in all directions He conceived the two armies to be at each
other pantherfashion He listened for a time Then he began to run in the
direction of the battle He saw that it was an ironical thing for him to be
running thus toward that which he had been at such pains to avoid But he said
in substance to himself that if the earth and the moon were about to clash
many persons would doubtless plan to get upon roofs to witness the collision
As he ran he became aware that the forest had stopped its music as if at
last becoming capable of hearing the foreign sounds The trees hushed and stood
motionless Everything seemed to be listening to the crackle and clatter and
earshaking thunder The chorus pealed over the still earth
It suddenly occurred to the youth that the fight in which he had been was
after all but perfunctory popping In the hearing of this present din he was
doubtful if he had seen real battlescenes This uproar explained a celestial
battle it was tumbling hordes astruggle in the air
Reflecting he saw a sort of a humor in the point of view of himself and his
fellows during the late encounter They had taken themselves and the enemy very
seriously and had imagined that they were deciding the war Individuals must
have supposed that they were cutting the letters of their names deep into
everlasting tablets of brass or enshrining their reputations forever in the
hearts of their countrymen while as to fact the affair would appear in
printed reports under a meek and immaterial title But he saw that it was good
else he said in battle everyone would surely run save forlorn hopes and their
ilk
He went rapidly on He wished to come to the edge of the forest that he
might peer out
As he hastened there passed through his mind pictures of stupendous
conflicts His accumulated thought upon such subjects was used to form scenes
The noise was as the voice of an eloquent being describing
Sometimes the brambles formed chains and tried to hold him back Trees
confronting him stretched out their arms and forbade him to pass After its
previous hostility this new resistance of the forest filled him with a fine
bitterness It seemed that nature could not be quite ready to kill him
But he obstinately took roundabout ways and presently he was where he could
see long grey walls of vapor where lay battlelines The voices of cannon shook
him The musketry sounded in long irregular surges that played havoc with his
ears He stood regardant for a moment His eyes had an awestruck expression
He gawked in the direction of the fight
Presently he proceeded again on his forward way The battle was like the
grinding of an immense and terrible machine to him Its complexities and powers
its grim processes fascinated him He must go close and see it produce corpses
He came to a fence and clambered over it On the far side the ground was
littered with clothes and guns A newspaper folded up lay in the dirt A dead
soldier was stretched with his face hidden in his arm Further off there was a
group of four or five corpses keeping mournful company A hot sun had blazed
upon the spot
In this place the youth felt that he was an invader This forgotten part of
the battleground was owned by the dead men and he hurried in the vague
apprehension that one of the swollen forms would rise and tell him to begone
He came finally to a road from which he could see in the distance dark and
agitated bodies of troops smokefringed In the lane was a bloodstained crowd
streaming to the rear The wounded men were cursing groaning and wailing In
the air always was a mighty swell of sound that it seemed could sway the
earth With the courageous words of the artillery and the spiteful sentences of
the musketry was mingled red cheers And from this region of noises came the
steady current of the maimed
One of the wounded men had a shoeful of blood He hopped like a schoolboy
in a game He was laughing hysterically
One was swearing that he had been shot in the arm through the commanding
generals mismanagement of the army One was marching with an air imitative of
some sublime drummajor Upon his features was an unholy mixture of merriment
and agony As he marched he sang a bit of doggerel in a high and quavering
voice
»Sing a song a victry
A pocketful a bullets
Five an twenty dead men
Baked in a pie«
Parts of the procession limped and staggered to this tune
Another had the grey seal of death already upon his face His lips were
curled in hard lines and his teeth were clenched His hands were bloody from
where he had pressed them upon his wound He seemed to be awaiting the moment
when he should pitch headlong He stalked like the spectre of a soldier his
eyes burning with the power of a stare into the unknown
There were some who proceeded sullenly full of anger at their wounds and
ready to turn upon anything as an obscure cause
An officer was carried along by two privates He was peevish »Dont joggle
so Johnson yeh fool« he cried »Think m leg is made of iron If yeh cant
carry me decent put me down an let some one else do it«
He bellowed at the tottering crowd who blocked the quick march of his
bearers »Say make way there cant yeh Make way dickens take it all«
They sulkily parted and went to the roadsides As he was carried past they
made pert remarks to him When he raged in reply and threatened them they told
him to be damned
The shoulder of one of the tramping bearers knocked heavily against the
spectral soldier who was staring into the unknown
The youth joined this crowd and marched along with it The torn bodies
expressed the awful machinery in which the men had been entangled
Orderlies and couriers occasionally broke through the throng in the
roadway scattering wounded men right and left galloping on followed by
howls The melancholy march was continually disturbed by the messengers and
sometimes by bustling batteries that came swinging and thumping down upon them
the officers shouting orders to clear the way
There was a tattered man fouled with dust blood and powderstain from hair
to shoes who trudged quietly at the youths side He was listening with
eagerness and much humility to the lurid descriptions of a bearded serjeant His
lean features wore an expression of awe and admiration He was like a listener
in a countrystore to wondrous tales told among the sugarbarrels He eyed the
storyteller with unspeakable wonder His mouth was agape in yokel fashion
The serjeant taking note of this gave pause to his elaborate history while
he administered a sardonic comment »Be keerful honey youll be aketchin
flies« he said
The tattered man shrank back abashed
After a time he began to sidle near to the youth and in a diffident way
try to make him a friend His voice was gentle as a girls voice and his eyes
were pleading The youth saw with surprise that the soldier had two wounds one
in the head bound with a bloodsoaked rag and the other in the arm making
that member dangle like a broken bough
After they had walked together for some time the tattered man mustered
sufficient courage to speak »Was pretty good fight want it« he timidly
said The youth deep in thought glanced up at the bloody and grim figure with
its lamblike eyes »What«
»Was pretty good fight want it«
»Yes« said the youth shortly He quickened his pace
But the other hobbled industriously after him There was an air of apology
in his manner but he evidently thought that he needed only to talk for a time
and the youth would perceive that he was a good fellow
»Was pretty good fight want it« he began in a small voice And then he
achieved the fortitude to continue »Dern me if I ever see fellers fight so
Laws how they did fight I knowed th boysd lick when they onct got square at
it Th boys aint had no fair chanct up t now but this time they showed
what they was I knowed itd turn out this way Yeh cant lick them boys No
sir Theyre fighters they be«
He breathed a deep breath of humble admiration He had looked at the youth
for encouragement several times He received none but gradually he seemed to
get absorbed in his subject
»I was talkin cross pickets with a boy from Georgie onct an that boy
he ses Your fellersll all run like hell when they onct hearn a gun he ses
Mebbe they will I ses but I dont blieve none of it I ses an bjiminy I
ses back tum mebbe your fellersll all run like hell when they onct hearn a
gun I ses He larfed Well they didnt run tday did they hey No sir
They fit an fit an fit«
His homely face was suffused with a light of love for the army which was to
him all things beautiful and powerful
After a time he turned to the youth »Where yeh hit ol boy« he asked in
a brotherly tone
The youth felt instant panic at this question although at first its full
import was not borne in upon him
»What« he asked
»Where yeh hit« repeated the tattered man
»Why« began the youth »I I that is why I «
He turned away suddenly and slid through the crowd His brow was heavily
flushed and his fingers were picking nervously at one of his buttons He bended
his head and fastened his eyes studiously upon the button as if it were a little
problem
The tattered man looked after him in astonishment
Chapter IX
The youth fell back in the procession until the tattered soldier was not in
sight Then he started to walk on with others
But he was amid wounds The mob of men was bleeding Because of the tattered
soldiers question he now felt that his shame could be viewed He was
continually casting sidelong glances to see if the men were contemplating the
letters of guilt he felt burned into his brow
At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way He conceived
persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy He wished that he too had a
wound a red badge of courage
The spectral soldier was at his side like a stalking reproach The mans
eyes were still fixed in a stare into the unknown His grey appalling face had
attracted attention in the crowd and men slowing to his dreary pace were
walking with him They were discussing his plight questioning him and giving
him advice In a dogged way he repelled them signing to them to go on and
leave him alone The shadows of his face were deepening and his tight lips
seemed holding in check the moan of great despair There could be seen a certain
stiffness in the movements of his body as if he were taking infinite care not to
arouse the passions of his wounds As he went on he seemed always looking for a
place like one who goes to choose a grave
Something in the gesture of the man as he waved the bloody and pitying
soldiers away made the youth start as if bitten He yelled in horror Tottering
forward he laid a quivering hand upon the mans arm As the latter slowly
turned his waxlike features toward him the youth screamed
»Gawd Jim Conklin«
The tall soldier made a little commonplace smile »Hello Henry« he said
The youth swayed on his legs and glared strangely He stuttered and
stammered »Oh Jim oh Jim oh Jim «
The tall soldier held out his gory hand There was a curious red and black
combination of new blood and old blood upon it »Where yeh been Henry« he
asked He continued in a monotonous voice »I thought mebbe yeh got keeled over
Theres been thunder t pay tday I was worryin about it a good deal«
The youth still lamented »Oh Jim oh Jim oh Jim «
»Yeh know« said the tall soldier »I was out there« He made a careful
gesture »An Lord what a circus An bjiminy I got shot I got shot Yes
bjiminy I got shot« He reiterated this fact in a bewildered way as if he did
not know how it came about
The youth put forth anxious arms to assist him but the tall soldier went
firmly on as if propelled Since the youths arrival as a guardian for his
friend the other wounded men had ceased to display much interest They occupied
themselves again in dragging their tragedies toward the rear
Suddenly as the two friends marched on the tall soldier seemed to be
overcome by a terror His face turned to a semblance of grey paste He clutched
the youths arm and looked all about him as if dreading to be overheard Then
he began to speak in a shaking whisper
»I tell yeh what Im fraid of Henry Ill tell yeh what Im fraid of
Im fraid Ill fall down an then yeh know them damned artillery wagons
they like as notll run over me Thats what Im fraid of «
The youth cried out to him hysterically »Ill take care of you Jim Ill
take care of you I swear to Gawd I will«
»Sure will yeh Henry« the tall soldier beseeched
»Yes yes I tell you Ill take care of you Jim« protested the youth
He could not speak accurately because of the gulpings in his throat
But the tall soldier continued to beg in a lowly way He now hung babelike
to the youths arm His eyes rolled in the wildness of his terror »I was allus
a good friend t yeh want I Henry Ive allus been pretty good feller aint
I An it aint much t ask is it Jest t pull me along outer th road Id do
it fer you wouldnt I Henry«
He paused in piteous anxiety to await his friends reply
The youth had reached an anguish where the sobs scorched him He strove to
express his loyalty but he could only make fantastic gestures
However the tall soldier seemed suddenly to forget all those fears He
became again the grim stalking spectre of a soldier He went stonily forward
The youth wished his friend to lean upon him but the other always shook his head
and strangely protested »No no no leave me be leave me be «
His look was fixed again upon the unknown He moved with mysterious purpose
And all of the youths offers he brushed aside »No no leave me be leave
me be «
The youth had to follow
Presently the latter heard a voice talking softly near his shoulder
Turning he saw that it belonged to the tattered soldier »Yed better take im
outa th road pardner Theres a battry comin helitywhoop down th road an
hell git runned over Hes a goner anyhow in about five minutes yeh kin see
that Yed better take im outa th road Where th blazes does he git his
strenth from«
»Lord knows« cried the youth He was shaking his hands helplessly
He ran forward presently and grasped the tall soldier by the arm »Jim
Jim« he coaxed »come with me«
The tall soldier weakly tried to wrench himself free »Huh« he said
vacantly He stared at the youth for a moment At last he spoke as if dimly
comprehending »Oh Inteh th fields Oh«
He started blindly through the grass
The youth turned once to look at the lashing riders and jouncing guns of the
battery He was startled from this view by a shrill outcry from the tattered
man
»Gawd Hes runnin«
Turning his head swiftly the youth saw his friend running in a staggering
and stumbling way toward a little clump of bushes His heart seemed to wrench
itself almost free from his body at this sight He made a noise of pain He and
the tattered man began a pursuit There was a singular race
When he overtook the tall soldier he began to plead with all the words he
could find »Jim Jim what are you doing what makes you do this way
youll hurt yourself«
The same purpose was in the tall soldiers face He protested in a dulled
way keeping his eyes fastened on the mystic place of his intentions »No no
dont tech me leave me be leave me be «
The youth aghast and filled with wonder at the tall soldier began
quaveringly to question him »Where you going Jim What you thinking about
Where you going Tell me wont you Jim«
The tall soldier faced about as upon relentless pursuers In his eyes there
was a great appeal »Leave me be cant yeh Leave me be fer a minnit«
The youth recoiled »Why Jim« he said in a dazed way »whats the matter
with you«
The tall soldier turned and lurching dangerously went on The youth and
the tattered soldier followed sneaking as if whipped feeling unable to face
the stricken man if he should again confront them They began to have thoughts
of a solemn ceremony There was something ritelike in these movements of the
doomed soldier And there was a resemblance in him to a devotee of a mad
religion bloodsucking musclewrenching bonecrushing They were awed and
afraid They hung back lest he have at command a dreadful weapon
At last they saw him stop and stand motionless Hastening up they
perceived that his face wore an expression telling that he had at last found the
place for which he had struggled His spare figure was erect his bloody hands
were quietly at his sides He was waiting with patience for something that he
had come to meet He was at the rendezvous They paused and stood expectant
There was a silence
Finally the chest of the doomed soldier began to heave with a strained
motion It increased in violence until it was as if an animal was within and was
kicking and tumbling furiously to be free
This spectacle of gradual strangulation made the youth writhe and once as
his friend rolled his eyes he saw something in them that made him sink wailing
to the ground He raised his voice in a last supreme call
»Jim Jim Jim «
The tall soldier opened his lips and spoke He made a gesture »Leave me be
dont tech me leave me be «
There was another silence while he waited
Suddenly his form stiffened and straightened Then it was shaken by a
prolonged ague He stared into space To the two watchers there was a curious
and profound dignity in the firm lines of his awful face
He was invaded by a creeping strangeness that slowly enveloped him For a
moment the tremor of his legs caused him to dance a sort of hideous hornpipe
His arms beat wildly about his head in expression of implike enthusiasm
His tall figure stretched itself to its full height There was a slight
rending sound Then it began to swing forward slow and straight in the manner
of a falling tree A swift muscular contortion made the left shoulder strike the
ground first
The body seemed to bounce a little way from the earth »Gawd« said the
tattered soldier
The youth had watched spellbound this ceremony at the place of meeting
His face had been twisted into an expression of every agony he had imagined for
his friend
He now sprang to his feet and going closer gazed upon the pastelike face
The mouth was open and the teeth showed in a laugh
As the flap of the blue jacket fell away from the body he could see that
the side looked as if it had been chewed by wolves
The youth turned with sudden livid rage toward the battlefield He shook
his fist He seemed about to deliver a philippic
»Hell «
The red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer
Chapter X
The tattered man stood musing
»Well he was reglar jimdandy fer nerve want he« said he finally in a
little awestruck voice »A reglar jimdandy« He thoughtfully poked one of the
docile hands with his foot »I wonner where he got is strenth from I never
seen a man do like that before It was a funny thing Well he was a reglar
jimdandy«
The youth desired to screech out his grief He was stabbed But his tongue
lay dead in the tomb of his mouth He threw himself again upon the ground and
began to brood
The tattered man stood musing
»Lookahere pardner« he said after a time He regarded the corpse as he
spoke »Hes up an gone aint e an we might as well begin t look out fer
ol number one This here thing is all over Hes up an gone aint e An
hes all right here Nobody wont bother im An I must say I aint enjoyin
any great health mself these days«
The youth awakened by the tattered soldiers tone looked quickly up He
saw that he was swinging uncertainly on his legs and that his face had turned to
a shade of blue
»Good Lord« he cried »you aint going to not you too«
The tattered man waved his hand »Nary die« he said »All I want is some
peasoup an a good bed Some peasoup« he repeated dreamfully
The youth arose from the ground »I wonder where he came from I left him
over there« He pointed »And now I find him here And he was coming from over
there too« He indicated a new direction They both turned toward the body as
if to ask of it a question
»Well« at length spoke the tattered man »there aint no use in our stayin
here an tryin t ask him anything«
The youth nodded an assent wearily They both turned to gaze for a moment
at the corpse
The youth murmured something
»Well he was a jimdandy want e« said the tattered man as if in
response
They turned their backs upon it and started away For a time they stole
softly treading with their toes It remained laughing there in the grass
»Im commencin t feel pretty bad« said the tattered man suddenly
breaking one of his little silences »Im commencin t feel pretty damn bad«
The youth groaned »Oh Lord« He wondered if he was to be the tortured
witness of another grim encounter
But his companion waved his hand reassuringly »Oh Im not goin t die
yit Theres too much dependin on me fer me t die yit No sir Nary die I
cant Yed oughta see th swad a chilren Ive got an all like that«
The youth glancing at his companion could see by the shadow of a smile that
he was making some kind of fun
As they plodded on the tattered soldier continued to talk »Besides if I
died I wouldnt die th way that feller did That was th funniest thing Id
jest flop down I would I never seen a feller die th way that feller did
Yeh know Tom Jamison he lives next door t me up home Hes a nice feller
he is an we was allus good friends Smart too Smart as a steel trap Well
when we was afightin this atternoon allofasudden he begin t rip up an
cuss an beller at me Yer shot yeh blamed infernal tootytootytootytoo
he swear horrible he ses t me I put up m hand t m head an when I looked
at m fingers I seen surenough I was shot I give a holler an begin t run
but bfore I could git away another one hit me in th arm an whirl me clean
round I got dumb skeared when they was all ashootin bhind me an I run t
beat all but I cotch it pretty bad Ive an idee Id a been fightin yit if
twant fer Tom Jamison«
Then he made a calm announcement »Theres two of em little ones but
theyre beginnin t have fun with me now I dont blieve I kin walk much
furder«
They went slowly on in silence »Yeh look pretty peeked yerself« said the
tattered man at last »I bet yehve gota worser one than yeh think Yed better
take keer of yer hurt It dont do t let sech things go It might be inside
mostly an them plays thunder Where is it located« But he continued his
harangue without waiting for a reply »I see a feller git hit plum in th head
when my regment was astandin at ease onct An everybody yelled out t im
Hurt John Are yeh hurt much No ses he He looked kinder surprised an he
went on tellin em how he felt He sed he didnt feel nothin But by dad th
first thing that feller knowed he was dead Yes he was Dead stone dead So
yeh wanta watch out Yeh might have some queer kind a hurt yerself Yeh cant
never tell Where is yourn located«
The youth had been wriggling since the introduction of this topic He now
gave a cry of exasperation and made a furious motion with his hand »Oh dont
bother me« he said He was enraged against the tattered man and could have
strangled him His companions seemed ever to play intolerable parts They were
ever upraising the ghost of shame on the stick of their curiosity He turned
toward the tattered man as one at bay »Now dont bother me« he repeated with
desperate menace
»Well Lord knows I dont wanta bother anybody« said the other There was a
little accent of despair in his voice as he replied »Lord knows Ive gota
nough m own t tend to«
The youth who had been holding a bitter debate with himself and casting
glances of hate and contempt at the tattered man here spoke in a hard voice
»Goodbye« he said
The tattered man looked at him in gaping amazement »Why why pardner
where yeh goin« he asked unsteadily The youth looking at him could see that
he too like that other one was beginning to act dumb and animallike His
thoughts seemed to be floundering about in his head »Now now look a
here you Tom Jamison now I wont have this this here wont do Where
where yeh goin«
The youth pointed vaguely »Over there« he replied
»Well now look a here now « said the tattered man rambling on in
idiotfashion His head was hanging forward and his words were slurred »This
thing wont do now Tom Jamison It wont do I know yeh yeh pigheaded devil
Yeh wanta go trompin off with a bad hurt It aint right now Tom Jamison
it aint Yeh wanta leave me take keer of yeh Tom Jamison It aint right
it aint fer yeh t go trompin off with a bad hurt it aint aint
aint right it aint«
In reply the youth climbed a fence and started away He could hear the
tattered man bleating plaintively
Once he faced about angrily »What«
»Look a here now Tom Jamison now it aint «
The youth went on Turning at a distance he saw the tattered man wandering
about helplessly in the fields
He now thought that he wished he was dead He believed that he envied those
men whose bodies lay strewn over the grass of the fields and on the fallen
leaves of the forest
The simple questions of the tattered man had been knifethrusts to him They
asserted a society that probes pitilessly at secrets until all is apparent His
late companions chance persistency made him feel that he could not keep his
crime concealed in his bosom It was sure to be brought plain by one of those
arrows which cloud the air and are constantly pricking discovering proclaiming
those things which are willed to be forever hidden He admitted that he could
not defend himself against this agency It was not within the power of
vigilance
Chapter XI
He became aware that the furnaceroar of the battle was growing louder Great
brown clouds had floated to the still heights of air before him The noise too
was approaching The woods filtered men and the fields became dotted
As he rounded a hillock he perceived that the roadway was now a crying
mass of wagons teams and men From the heaving tangle issued exhortations
commands imprecations Fear was sweeping it all along The cracking whips bit
and horses plunged and tugged The whitetopped wagons strained and stumbled in
their exertions like fat sheep
The youth felt comforted in a measure by this sight They were all
retreating Perhaps then he was not so bad after all He seated himself and
watched the terrorstricken wagons They fled like soft ungainly animals All
the roarers and lashers served to help him to magnify the dangers and horrors of
the engagement that he might try to prove to himself that the thing with which
men could charge him was in truth a symmetrical act There was an amount of
pleasure to him in watching the wild march of this vindication
Presently the calm head of a forwardgoing column of infantry appeared in
the road It came swiftly on Avoiding the obstructions gave it the sinuous
movement of a serpent The men at the head butted mules with their
musketstocks They prodded teamsters indifferent to all howls The men forced
their way through parts of the dense mass by strength The blunt head of the
column pushed The raving teamsters swore many strange oaths
The commands to make way had the ring of a great importance in them The men
were going forward to the heart of the din They were to confront the eager rush
of the enemy They felt the pride of their onward movement when the remainder of
the army seemed trying to dribble down this road They tumbled teams about with
a fine feeling that it was no matter so long as their column got to the front in
time This importance made their faces grave and stern And the backs of the
officers were very rigid
As the youth looked at them the black weight of his woe returned to him He
felt that he was regarding a procession of chosen beings The separation was as
great to him as if they had marched with weapons of flame and banners of
sunlight He could never be like them He could have wept in his longings
He searched about in his mind for an adequate malediction for the indefinite
cause the thing upon which men turn the words of final blame It whatever it
was was responsible for him he said There lay the fault
The haste of the column to reach the battle seemed to the forlorn young man
to be something much finer than stout fighting Heroes he thought could find
excuses in that long seething lane They could retire with perfect selfrespect
and make excuses to the stars
He wondered what those men had eaten that they could be in such haste to
force their way to grim chances of death As he watched his envy grew until he
thought that he wished to change lives with one of them He would have liked to
have used a tremendous force he said throw off himself and become a better
Swift pictures of himself apart yet in himself came to him a blue desperate
figure leading lurid charges with one knee forward and a broken blade high a
blue determined figure standing before a crimson and steel assault getting
calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all He thought of the
magnificent pathos of his dead body
These thoughts uplifted him He felt the quiver of wardesire In his ears
he heard the ring of victory He knew the frenzy of a rapid successful charge
The music of the trampling feet the sharp voices the clanking arms of the
column near him made him soar on the red wings of war For a few moments he was
sublime
He thought that he was about to start for the front Indeed he saw a
picture of himself duststained haggard panting flying to the front at the
proper moment to seize and throttle the dark leering witch of calamity
Then the difficulties of the thing began to drag at him He hesitated
balancing awkwardly on one foot
He had no rifle he could not fight with his hands said he resentfully to
his plan Well rifles could be had for the picking They were extraordinarily
profuse
Also he continued it would be a miracle if he found his regiment Well he
could fight with any regiment
He started forward slowly He stepped as if he expected to tread upon some
explosive thing Doubts and he were struggling
He would truly be a worm if any of his comrades should see him returning
thus the marks of his flight upon him There was a reply that the intent
fighters did not care for what happened rearward saving that no hostile bayonets
appeared there In the battleblur his face would in a way be hidden like the
face of a cowled man
But then he said that his tireless fate would bring forth when the strife
lulled for a moment a man to ask of him an explanation In imagination he felt
the scrutiny of his companions as he painfully labored through some lies
Eventually his courage expended itself upon these objections The debates
drained him of his fire
He was not castdown by this defeat of his plan for upon studying the
affair carefully he could not but admit that the objections were very
formidable
Furthermore various ailments had begun to cry out In their presence he
could not persist in flying high with the wings of war they rendered it almost
impossible for him to see himself in a heroic light He tumbled headlong
He discovered that he had a scorching thirst His face was so dry and grimy
that he thought he could feel his skin crackle Each bone of his body had an
ache in it and seemingly threatened to break with each movement His feet were
like two sores Also his body was calling for food It was more powerful than a
direct hunger There was a dull weightlike feeling in his stomach and when he
tried to walk his head swayed and he tottered He could not see with
distinctness Small patches of green mist floated before his vision
While he had been tossed by many emotions he had not been aware of
ailments Now they beset him and made clamor As he was at last compelled to pay
attention to them his capacity for selfhate was multiplied In despair he
declared that he was not like those others He now conceded it to be impossible
that he should ever become a hero He was a craven loon Those pictures of glory
were piteous things He groaned from his heart and went staggering off
A certain mothlike quality within him kept him in the vicinity of the
battle He had a great desire to see and to get news He wished to know who was
winning
He told himself that despite his unprecedented suffering he had never lost
his greed for a victory yet he said in a halfapologetic manner to his
conscience he could not but know that a defeat for the army this time might
mean many favorable things for him The blows of the enemy would splinter
regiments into fragments Thus many men of courage he considered would be
obliged to desert the colors and scurry like chickens He would appear as one of
them They would be sullen brothers in distress and he could then easily believe
he had not run any further or faster than they And if he himself could believe
in his virtuous perfection he conceived that there would be small trouble in
convincing all others
He said as if in excuse for this hope that previously the army had
encountered great defeats and in a few months had shaken off all blood and
tradition of them emerging as bright and valiant as a new one thrusting out of
sight the memory of disaster and appearing with the valor and confidence of
unconquered legions The shrilling voices of the people at home would pipe
dismally for a time but various generals were usually compelled to listen to
these ditties He of course felt no compunctions for proposing a general as a
sacrifice He could not tell who the chosen for the barbs might be so he could
centre no direct sympathy upon him The people were afar and he did not conceive
public opinion to be accurate at long range It was quite probable they would
hit the wrong man who after he had recovered from his amazement would perhaps
spend the rest of his days in writing replies to the songs of his alleged
failure It would be very unfortunate no doubt but in this case a general was
of no consequence to the youth
In a defeat there would be a roundabout vindication of himself He thought
it would prove in a manner that he had fled early because of his superior
powers of perception A serious prophet upon predicting a flood should be the
first man to climb a tree This would demonstrate that he was indeed a seer
A moral vindication was regarded by the youth as a very important thing
Without salve he could not he thought wear the sore badge of his dishonor
through life With his heart continually assuring him that he was despicable he
could not exist without making it through his actions apparent to all men
If the army had gone gloriously on he would be lost If the din meant that
now his armys flags were tilted forward he was a condemned wretch He would be
compelled to doom himself to isolation If the men were advancing their
indifferent feet were trampling upon his chances for a successful life
As these thoughts went rapidly through his mind he turned upon them and
tried to thrust them away He denounced himself as a villain He said that he
was the most unutterably selfish man in existence His mind pictured the
soldiers who would place their defiant bodies before the spear of the yelling
battlefiend and as he saw their dripping corpses on an imagined field he said
that he was their murderer
Again he thought that he wished he was dead He believed that he envied a
corpse Thinking of the slain he achieved a great contempt for some of them as
if they were guilty for thus becoming lifeless They might have been killed by
lucky chances he said before they had had opportunities to flee or before they
had been really tested Yet they would receive laurels from tradition He cried
out bitterly that their crowns were stolen and their robes of glorious memories
were shams However he still said that it was a great pity he was not as they
A defeat of the army had suggested itself to him as a means of escape from
the consequences of his fall He considered now however that it was useless
to think of such a possibility His education had been that success for that
mighty blue machine was certain that it would make victories as a contrivance
turns out buttons He presently discarded all his speculations in the other
direction He returned to the creed of soldiers
When he perceived again that it was not possible for the army to be
defeated he tried to bethink him of a fine tale which he could take back to his
regiment and with it turn the expected shafts of derision
But as he mortally feared these shafts it became impossible for him to
invent a tale he felt he could trust He experimented with many schemes but
threw them aside one by one as flimsy He was quick to see vulnerable places in
them all
Furthermore he was much afraid that some arrow of scorn might lay him
mentally low before he could raise his protecting tale
He imagined the whole regiment saying »Wheres Henry Fleming He run
didnt e Oh my« He recalled various persons who would be quite sure to leave
him no peace about it They would doubtless question him with sneers and laugh
at his stammering hesitation In the next engagement they would try to keep
watch of him to discover when he would run
Wherever he went in camp he would encounter insolent and lingeringlycruel
stares As he imagined himself passing near a crowd of comrades he could hear
some one say »There he goes«
Then as if the heads were moved by one muscle all the faces were turned
toward him with wide derisive grins He seemed to hear some one make a humorous
remark in a low tone At it the others all crowed and cackled He was a
slangphrase
Chapter XII
The column that had butted stoutly at the obstacles in the roadway was barely
out of the youths sight before he saw dark waves of men come sweeping out of
the woods and down through the fields He knew at once that the steel fibres had
been washed from their hearts They were bursting from their coats and their
equipments as from entanglements They charged down upon him like terrified
buffaloes
Behind them blue smoke curled and clouded above the treetops and through
the thickets he could sometimes see a distant pink glare The voices of the
cannon were clamoring in interminable chorus
The youth was horrorstricken He stared in agony and amazement He forgot
that he was engaged in combating the universe He threw aside his mental
pamphlets on the philosophy of the retreated and rules for the guidance of the
damned
The fight was lost The dragons were coming with invincible strides The
army helpless in the matted thickets and blinded by the overhanging night was
going to be swallowed War the red animal war the bloodswollen god would
have bloated fill
Within him something bade to cry out He had the impulse to make a rallying
speech to sing a battle but he could only get his tongue to call into the air
»Why why what whats the matter«
Soon he was in the midst of them They were leaping and scampering all about
him Their blanched faces shone in the dusk They seemed for the most part to
be very burly men The youth turned from one to another of them as they galloped
along His incoherent questions were lost They were heedless of his appeals
They did not seem to see him
They sometimes gabbled insanely One huge man was asking of the sky »Say
where de plankroad Where de plankroad«It was as if he had lost a child He
wept in his pain and dismay
Presently men were running hither and thither in all ways The artillery
booming forward rearward and on the flanks made jumble of ideas of direction
Landmarks had vanished into the gathered gloom The youth began to imagine that
he had gotten into the centre of the tremendous quarrel and he could perceive no
way out of it From the mouths of the fleeing men came a thousand wild questions
but no one made answers
The youth after rushing about and throwing interrogations at the heedless
bands of retreating infantry finally clutched a man by the arm They swung
around face to face
»Why why « stammered the youth struggling with his balking tongue
The man screamed »Letgo me Letgo me« His face was livid and his eyes were
rolling uncontrolled He was heaving and panting He still grasped his rifle
perhaps having forgotten to release his hold upon it He tugged frantically and
the youth being compelled to lean forward was dragged several paces
»Letgo me Letgo me«
»Why why « stuttered the youth
»Well then « bawled the man in a lurid rage He adroitly and fiercely
swung his rifle It crushed upon the youths head The man ran on
The youths fingers had turned to paste upon the others arm The energy was
smitten from his muscles He saw the flaming wings of lightning flash before his
vision There was a deafening rumble of thunder within his head
Suddenly his legs seemed to die He sank writhing to the ground He tried to
arise In his efforts against the numbing pain he was like a man wrestling with
a creature of the air
There was a sinister struggle
Sometimes he would achieve a position halferect battle with the air for a
moment and then fall again grabbing at the grass His face was of a clammy
pallor Deep groans were wrenched from him
At last with a twisting movement he got upon his hands and knees and from
thence like a babe trying to walk to his feet Pressing his hands to his
temples he went lurching over the grass
He fought an intense battle with his body His dulled senses wished him to
swoon and he opposed them stubbornly his mind portraying unknown dangers and
mutilations if he should fall upon the field He went tall soldierfashion He
imagined secluded spots where he could fall and be unmolested To search for
one he strove against the tide of his pain
Once he put his hand to the top of his head and timidly touched the wound
The scratching pain of the contact made him draw a long breath through his
clenched teeth His fingers were dabbled with blood He regarded them with a
fixed stare
Around him he could hear the grumble of jolted cannon as the scurrying
horses were lashed toward the front Once a young officer on a besplashed
charger nearly ran him down He turned and watched the mass of guns men and
horses sweeping in a wide curve toward a gap in a fence The officer was making
excited motions with a gauntleted hand The guns followed the teams with an air
of unwillingness of being dragged by the heels
Some officers of the scattered infantry were cursing and railing like
fishwives Their scolding voices could be heard above the din Into the
unspeakable jumble in the roadway rode a squadron of cavalry The faded yellow
of their facings shone bravely There was a mighty altercation
The artillery were assembling as if for a conference
The blue haze of evening was upon the fields The lines of forest were long
purple shadows One cloud lay along the western sky partly smothering the red
As the youth left the scene behind him he heard the guns suddenly roar out
He imagined them shaking in black rage They belched and howled like brass
devils guarding a gate The soft air was filled with the tremendous
remonstrance With it came the shattering peal of opposing infantry Turning to
look behind him he could see sheets of orange light illumine the shadowy
distance There were subtle and sudden lightnings in the far air At times he
thought he could see heaving masses of men
He hurried on in the dusk The day had faded until he could barely
distinguish place for his feet The purple darkness was filled with men who
lectured and jabbered Sometimes he could see them gesticulating against the
blue and sombre sky There seemed to be a great ruck of men and munitions spread
about in the forest and in the fields The little narrow roadway now lay
lifeless There were overturned wagons like sundried boulders The bed of the
former torrent was choked with the bodies of horses and splintered parts of
warmachines
It had come to pass that his wound pained him but little He was afraid to
move rapidly however for a dread of disturbing it He held his head very still
and took many precautions against stumbling He was filled with anxiety and his
face was pinched and drawn in anticipation of the pain of any sudden mistake of
his feet in the gloom
His thoughts as he walked fixed intently upon his hurt There was a cool
liquid feeling about it and he imagined blood moving slowly down under his hair
His head seemed swollen to a size that made him think his neck to be inadequate
The new silence of his wound made much worriment The little blistering
voices of pain that had called out from his scalp were he thought definite in
their expression of danger By them he believed that he could measure his
plight But when they remained ominously silent he became frightened and
imagined terrible fingers that clutched into his brain
Amidst it he began to reflect upon various incidents and conditions of the
past He bethought him of certain meals his mother had cooked at home in which
those dishes of which he was particularly fond had occupied prominent positions
He saw the spread table The pine walls of the kitchen were glowing in the warm
light from the stove Too he remembered how he and his companions used to go
from the schoolhouse to the bank of a shaded pool He saw his clothes in
disorderly array upon the grass of the bank He felt the swash of the fragrant
water upon his body The leaves of the overhanging maple rustled with melody in
the wind of youthful summer
He was overcome presently by a dragging weariness His head hung forward
and his shoulders were stooped as if he were bearing a great bundle His feet
shuffled along the ground
He held continuous arguments as to whether he should lie down and sleep at
some near spot or force himself on until he reached a certain haven He often
tried to dismiss the question but his body persisted in rebellion and his senses
nagged at him like pampered babies
At last he heard a cheery voice near his shoulder »Yeh seem t be in a
pretty bad way boy«
The youth did not look up but he assented with thick tongue »Uh«
The owner of the cheery voice took him firmly by the arm »Well« he said
with a round laugh »Im goin your way Th hull gang is goin your way An I
guess I kin give yeh a lift« They began to walk like a drunken man and his
friend
As they went along the man questioned the youth and assisted him with the
replies like one manipulating the mind of a child Sometimes he interjected
anecdotes »What regment do yeh blong teh Eh Whats that Th 304th N York
Why what corps is that in Oh it is Why I thought they wasnt engaged tday
theyre way over in th centre Oh they was eh Well pretty nearly
everybody got their share a fightin tday By dad I give myself up fer dead
any number a times There was shootin here an shootin there an hollerin
here an hollerin there in th damn darkness until I couldnt tell t save
m soul which side I was on Sometimes I thought I was surenough from Ohier
an other times I could a swore I was from th bitter end of Florida It was
th most mixed up dern thing I ever see An these here hull woods is a reglar
mess Itll be a miracle if we find our regments tnight Pretty soon though
well meet aplenty of guards an provostguards an one thing an another Ho
there they go with an offcer I guess Look at his hand adraggin Hes got
all th war he wants I bet He wont be talkin so big about his reputation an
all when they go t sawin off his leg Poor feller My brothers got whiskers
jest like that How did yeh git way over here anyhow Your regment is a long
way from here aint it Well I guess we can find it Yeh know there was a boy
killed in my compny tday that I thought th world an all of Jack was a nice
feller By ginger it hurt like thunder t see ol Jack jest git knocked flat
We was astandin purty peaceable fer a spell though there was men runnin
evry way all round us an while we was astandin like that long come a big
fat feller He began t peck at Jacks elbow an he ses Say wheres th road t
th river An Jack he never paid no attention an th feller kept on apeckin
at his elbow an sayin Say wheres th road t th river Jack was alookin
ahead all th time tryin t see th Johnnies comin through th woods an he
never paid no attention t this big fat feller fer a long time but at last he
turned round an he ses Ah go t hell an find th road t th river An
jest then a shot slapped him bang on th side th head He was a serjeant too
Them was his last words Thunder I wish we was sure a findin our regments
tnight Its goin t be long huntin But I guess we kin do it«
In the search which followed the man of the cheery voice seemed to the
youth to possess a wand of a magic kind He threaded the mazes of the tangled
forest with a strange fortune In encounters with guards and patrols he
displayed the keenness of a detective and the valor of a gamin Obstacles fell
before him and became of assistance The youth with his chin still on his breast
stood woodenly by while his companion beat ways and means out of sullen things
The forest seemed a vast hive of men buzzing about in frantic circles but
the cheery man conducted the youth without mistakes until at last he began to
chuckle with glee and selfsatisfaction »Ah there yeh are See that fire«
The youth nodded stupidly
»Well theres where your regment is An now goodbye ol boy good
luck t yeh«
A warm and strong hand clasped the youths languid fingers for an instant
and then he heard a cheerful and audacious whistling as the man strided away
As he who so befriended him was thus passing out of his life it suddenly
occurred to the youth that he had not once seen his face
Chapter XIII
The youth went slowly toward the fire indicated by his departed friend As he
reeled he bethought him of the welcome his comrades would give him He had a
conviction that he would soon feel in his sore heart the barbed missiles of
ridicule He had no strength to invent a tale he would be a soft target
He made vague plans to go off into the deeper darkness and hide but they
were all destroyed by the voices of exhaustion and pain from his body His
ailments clamoring forced him to seek the place of food and rest at whatever
cost
He swung unsteadily toward the fire He could see the forms of men throwing
black shadows in the red light and as he went nearer it became known to him in
some way that the ground was strewn with sleeping men
Of a sudden he confronted a black and monstrous figure A riflebarrel
caught some glinting beams »Halt halt« He was dismayed for a moment but he
presently thought that he recognized the nervous voice As he stood tottering
before the riflebarrel he called out »Why hello Wilson you you here«
The rifle was lowered to a position of caution and the loud soldier came
slowly forward He peered into the youths face »That you Henry«
»Yes its its me«
»Well well ol boy« said the other »by ginger Im glad t see yeh I
give yeh up fer a goner I thought yeh was dead sureenough« There was husky
emotion in his voice
The youth found that now he could barely stand upon his feet There was a
sudden sinking of his forces He thought he must hasten to produce his tale to
protect him from the missiles already at the lips of his redoubtable comrade So
staggering before the loud soldier he began »Yes yes Ive Ive had an awful
time Ive been all over Way over on the right Terrible fighting over there
I had an awful time I got separated from the regiment Over on the right I got
shot In the head I never saw such fighting Awful time I dont see how I
couldve got separated from the regiment I got shot too«
His friend had stepped forward quickly »What Got shot Why didnt yeh say
so first Poor ol boy we must hol on a minnit what am I doin Ill call
Simpson«
Another figure at that moment loomed in the gloom They could see that it
was the corporal »Who yeh talkin to Wilson« he demanded His voice was
angertoned »Who yeh talkin to Yer th derndest sentinel why hello
Henry you here Why I thought you was dead four hours ago Great Jerusalem
they keep turnin up every ten minutes or so We thought wed lost fortytwo men
by straight count but if they keep on acomin this way well git th compny
all back by mornin yit where was yeh«
»Over on the right I got separated « began the youth with considerable
glibness
But his friend had interrupted hastily »Yes an he got shot in th head
an hes in a fix an we must see t him right away« He rested his rifle in the
hollow of his left arm and his right around the youths shoulder
»Gee it must hurt like thunder« he said
The youth leaned heavily upon his friend »Yes it hurts hurts a good
deal« he replied There was a faltering in his voice
»Oh« said the corporal He linked his arm in the youths and drew him
forward »Come on Henry Ill take keer a yeh«
As they went on together the loud private called out after them »Put im
t sleep in my blanket Simpson An hol on a minnit heres my canteen
Its full a coffee Look at his head by th fire an see how it looks Maybe
its a pretty bad un When I git relieved in a couple a minnits Ill be over
an see t him«
The youths senses were so deadened that his friends voice sounded from
afar and he could scarcely feel the pressure of the corporals arm He submitted
passively to the latters directing strength His head was in the old manner
hanging forward upon his breast His knees wobbled
The corporal led him into the glare of the fire »Now Henry« he said
»lets have look at yer ol head«
The youth sat down obediently and the corporal laying aside his rifle
began to fumble in the bushy hair of his comrade He was obliged to turn the
others head so that the full flush of the firelight would beam upon it He
puckered his mouth with a critical air He drew back his lips and whistled
through his teeth when his fingers came in contact with the splashed blood and
the rare wound
»Ah here we are« he said He awkwardly made further investigations »Jest
as I thought« he added presently »Yehve been grazed by a ball Its raised a
queer lump jest as if some feller had lammed yeh on th head with a club It
stopped ableedin long time ago Th most about it is that in th mornin
yehll feel that a numberten hat wouldnt fit yeh An your headll be all het
up an feel as dry as burnt pork An yeh may git a lot a other sicknesses
too by mornin Yeh cant never tell Still I dont much think so Its jest a
damn good belt on th head an nothin more Now you jest sit here an dont
move while I go rout out th relief Then Ill send Wilson t take keer a
yeh«
The corporal went away The youth remained on the ground like a parcel He
stared with a vacant look into the fire
After a time he aroused for some part and the things about him began to
take form He saw that the ground in the deep shadows was cluttered with men
sprawling in every conceivable posture Glancing narrowly into the more distant
darkness he caught occasional glimpses of visages that loomed pallid and
ghostly lit with a phosphorescent glow These faces expressed in their lines
the deep stupor of the tired soldiers They made them appear like men drunk with
wine This bit of forest might have appeared to an ethereal wanderer as a scene
of the result of some frightful debauch
On the other side of the fire the youth observed an officer asleep seated
bolt upright with his back against a tree There was something perilous in his
position Badgered by dreams perhaps he swayed with little bounces and starts
like an old toddystricken grandfather in a chimney corner Dust and stains
were upon his face His lower jaw hung down as if lacking strength to assume its
normal position He was the picture of an exhausted soldier after a feast of
war
He had evidently gone to sleep with his sword in his arms These two had
slumbered in an embrace But the weapon had been allowed in time to fall
unheeded to the ground The brassmounted hilt lay in contact with some parts of
the fire
Within the gleam of rose and orange light from the burning sticks were other
soldiers snoring and heaving or lying deathlike in slumber A few pairs of
legs were stuck forth rigid and straight The shoes displayed the mud or dust
of marches and bits of rounded trousers protruding from the blankets showed
rents and tears from hurried pitchings through the dense brambles
The fire crackled musically From it swelled light smoke Overhead the
foliage moved softly The leaves with their faces turned toward the blaze were
colored shifting hues of silver often edged with red Far off to the right
through a window in the forest could be seen a handful of stars lying like
glittering pebbles on the black level of the night
Occasionally in this lowarched hall a soldier would arouse and turn his
body to a new position the experience of his sleep having taught him of uneven
and objectionable places upon the ground under him Or perhaps he would lift
himself to a sitting posture blink at the fire for an unintelligent moment
throw a swift glance at his prostrate companion and then cuddle down again with
a grunt of sleepy content
The youth sat in a forlorn heap until his friend the loud young soldier
came swinging two canteens by their light strings »Well now Henry ol boy«
said the latter »well have yeh fixed up in jest about a minnit«
He had the bustling ways of an amateur nurse He fussed around the fire and
stirred the sticks to brilliant exertions He made his patient drink largely
from the canteen that contained the coffee It was to the youth a delicious
draught He tilted his head afar back and held the canteen long to his lips The
cool mixture went caressingly down his blistered throat Having finished he
sighed with comfortable delight
The loud young soldier watched his comrade with an air of satisfaction He
later produced an extensive handkerchief from his pocket He folded it into a
manner of bandage and soused water from the other canteen upon the middle of it
This crude arrangement he bound over the youths head tying the ends in a queer
knot at the back of the neck
»There« he said moving off and surveying his deed »yeh look like th
devil but I bet yeh feel better«
The youth contemplated his friend with grateful eyes Upon his aching and
swelling head the cold cloth was like a tender womans hand
»Yeh dont holler ner say nothin« remarked his friend approvingly »I
know Im a blacksmith at takin keer a sick folks an yeh never squeaked Yer a
good un Henry Most a men would a been in th hospital long ago A shot in
th head aint foolin business«
The youth made no reply but began to fumble with the buttons of his jacket
»Well come now« continued his friend »come on I must put yeh t bed an
see that yeh git a good nights rest«
The other got carefully erect and the loud young soldier led him among the
sleeping forms lying in groups and rows Presently he stooped and picked up his
blankets He spread the rubber one upon the ground and placed the woolen one
about the youths shoulders
»There now« he said »lie down an git some sleep«
The youth with his manner of doglike obedience got carefully down like a
crone stooping He stretched out with a murmur of relief and comfort The ground
felt like the softest couch
But of a sudden he ejaculated »Hold on a minute Where you going to
sleep«
His friend waved his hand impatiently »Right down there by yeh«
»Well but hold on a minute« continued the youth »What you going to sleep
in Ive got your «
The loud young soldier snarled »Shet up an go on t sleep Dont be makin
a damn fool a yerself« he said severely
After this reproof the youth said no more An exquisite drowsiness had
spread through him The warm comfort of the blanket enveloped him and made a
gentle languor His head fell forward on his crooked arm and his weighted lids
went softly down over his eyes Hearing a splatter of musketry from the
distance he wondered indifferently if those men sometimes slept He gave a long
sigh snuggled down into his blanket and in a moment was like his comrades
Chapter XIV
When the youth awoke it seemed to him that he had been asleep for a thousand
years and he felt sure that he opened his eyes upon an unexpected world Grey
mists were slowly shifting before the first efforts of the sunrays An
impending splendor could be seen in the eastern sky An icy dew had chilled his
face and immediately upon arousing he curled further down into his blanket He
stared for a while at the leaves overhead moving in a heraldic wind of the
day
The distance was splintering and blaring with the noise of fighting There
was in the sound an expression of a deadly persistency as if it had not begun
and was not to cease
About him were the rows and groups of men that he had dimly seen the
previous night They were getting a last draught of sleep before the awakening
The gaunt careworn features and dusty figures were made plain by this quaint
light at the dawning but it dressed the skin of the men in corpselike hues and
made the tangled limbs appear pulseless and dead The youth started up with a
little cry when his eyes first swept over this motionless mass of men thick
spread upon the ground pallid and in strange postures His disordered mind
interpreted the hall of the forest as a charnel place He believed for an
instant that he was in the house of the dead and he did not dare to move lest
these corpses start up squalling and squawking In a second however he
achieved his proper mind He swore a complicated oath at himself He saw that
this sombre picture was not a fact of the present but a mere prophecy
He heard then the noise of a fire crackling briskly in the cold air and
turning his head he saw his friend pottering busily about a small blaze A few
other figures moved in the fog and he heard the hard cracking of axeblows
Suddenly there was a hollow rumble of drums A distant bugle sang faintly
Similar sounds varying in strength came from near and far over the forest The
bugles called to each other like brazen gamecocks The near thunder of the
regimental drums rolled
The body of men in the woods rustled There was a general uplifting of
heads A murmuring of voices broke upon the air In it there was much bass of
grumbling oaths Strange gods were addressed in condemnation of the early hours
necessary to correct war An officers peremptory tenor rang out and quickened
the stiffened movement of the men The tangled limbs unravelled The corpsehued
faces were hidden behind fists that twisted slowly in eyesockets
The youth sat up and gave vent to an enormous yawn »Thunder« he remarked
petulantly He rubbed his eyes and then putting up his hand felt carefully of
the bandage over his wound His friend perceiving him to be awake came from
the fire »Well Henry ol man how do yeh feel this mornin« he demanded
The youth yawned again Then he puckered his mouth to a little pucker His
head in truth felt precisely like a melon and there was an unpleasant sensation
at his stomach
»Oh Lord I feel pretty bad« he said
»Thunder« exclaimed the other »I hoped yed feel all right this mornin
Lets see th bandage I guess its slipped« He began to tinker at the wound
in rather a clumsy way until the youth exploded
»Goshdern it« he said in sharp irritation »youre the hangdest man I ever
saw You wear muffs on your hands Why in goodthunderation cant you be more
easy Id rather youd stand off and throw guns at it Now go slow and dont
act as if you was nailing down carpet«
He glared with insolent command at his friend but the latter answered
soothingly »Well well come now an git some grub« he said »Then maybe
yehll feel better«
At the fireside the loud young soldier watched over his comrades wants
with tenderness and care He was very busy marshalling the little black
vagabonds of tincups and pouring into them the steaming ironcolored mixture
from a small and sooty tinpail He had some fresh meat which he roasted
hurriedly upon a stick He sat down then and contemplated the youths appetite
with glee
The youth took note of a remarkable change in his comrade since those days
of camplife upon the riverbank He seemed no more to be continually regarding
the proportions of his personal prowess He was not furious at small words that
pricked his conceits He was no more a loud young soldier There was about him
now a fine reliance He showed a quiet belief in his purposes and his abilities
And this inward confidence evidently enabled him to be indifferent to little
words of other men aimed at him
The youth reflected He had been used to regarding his comrade as a blatant
child with an audacity grown from his inexperience thoughtless headstrong
jealous and filled with a tinsel courage A swaggering babe accustomed to strut
in his own dooryard The youth wondered where had been born these new eyes
when his comrade had made the great discovery that there were many men who would
refuse to be subjected by him Apparently the other had now climbed a peak of
wisdom from which he could perceive himself as a very wee thing And the youth
saw that ever after it would be easier to live in his friends neighborhood
His comrade balanced his ebony coffeecup on his knee »Well Henry« he
said »what dyeh think th chances are Dyeh think well wallop em«
The youth considered for a moment »Daybeforeyesterday« he finally
replied with boldness »you wouldve bet youd lick the whole kitandboodle all
by yourself«
His friend looked a trifle amazed »Would I« he asked He pondered »Well
perhaps I would« he decided at last He stared humbly at the fire
The youth was quite disconcerted at this surprising reception of his
remarks »Oh no you wouldnt either« he said hastily trying to retrace
But the other made a deprecatory gesture »Oh yeh neednt mind Henry« he
said »I believe I was a pretty big fool in those days« He spoke as after a
lapse of years
There was a little pause
»All th offcers say weve got th rebs in a pretty tight box« said the
friend clearing his throat in a commonplace way »They all seem t think weve
got em jest where we want em«
»I dont know about that« the youth replied »What I saw over on the right
makes me think it was the other way about From where I was it looked as if we
was getting a good pounding yesterday«
»Dyeh think so« enquired the friend »I thought we handled em pretty
rough yestirday«
»Not a bit« said the youth »Why lord man you didnt see nothing of the
fight Why « Then a sudden thought came to him »Oh Jim Conklins dead«
His friend started »What Is he Jim Conklin«
The youth spoke slowly »Yes Hes dead Shot in the side«
»Yeh dont say so Jim Conklin Poor cuss«
All about them were other small fires surrounded by men with their little
black utensils From one of these near came sudden sharp voices in a row It
appeared that two lightfooted soldiers had been teasing a huge bearded man
causing him to spill coffee upon his blue knees The man had gone into a rage
and had sworn comprehensively Stung by his language his tormentors had
immediately bristled at him with a great show of resenting unjust oaths
Possibly there was going to be a fight
The friend arose and went over to them making pacific motions with his
arms »Oh here now boys whats th use« he said »Well be at th rebs in
lessn an hour Whats th good a fightin mong ourselves«
One of the lightfooted soldiers turned upon him redfaced and violent »Yeh
neednt come around here with yer preachin I spose yeh dont approve a
fightin since Charley Morgan licked yeh but I dont see what business this here
is a yours or anybody else«
»Well it aint« said the friend mildly »Still I hate t see «
There was a tangled argument
»Well he « said the two indicating their opponent with accusative
forefingers
The huge soldier was quite purple with rage He pointed at the two soldiers
with his great hand extended clawlike »Well they «
But during this argumentative time the desire to deal blows seemed to pass
although they said much to each other Finally the friend returned to his old
seat In a short while the three antagonists could be seen together in an
amiable bunch
»Jimmie Rogers ses Ill have t fight him after th battle tday«
announced the friend as he again seated himself »He ses he dont allow no
interferin in his business I hate t see th boys fightin mong themselves«
The youth laughed »Youve changed a good bit You aint at all like you
was I remember when you and that Irish fellow « He stopped and laughed again
»No I didnt used t be that way« said his friend thoughtfully »Thats
true nough«
»Well I didnt mean « began the youth
The friend made another deprecatory gesture »Oh yeh neednt mind Henry«
There was another little pause
»Th regment lost over half th men yestirday« remarked the friend
eventually »I thought a course they was all dead but laws they kep acomin
back last night until it seems after all we didnt lose but a few Theyd been
scattered all over wanderin around in th woods fightin with other regments
an everything Jest like you done«
»So« said the youth
Chapter XV
The regiment was standing at orderarms at the side of a lane waiting for the
command to march when suddenly the youth remembered the little packet enwrapped
in a faded yellow envelope which the loud young soldier with lugubrious words
had entrusted to him It made him start He uttered an exclamation and turned
toward his comrade
»Wilson«
»What«
His friend at his side in the ranks was thoughtfully staring down the
road From some cause his expression was at that moment very meek The youth
regarding him with sidelong glances felt impelled to change his purpose »Oh
nothing« he said
His friend turned his head in some surprise »Why what was yeh goin t
say«
»Oh nothing« repeated the youth
He resolved not to deal the little blow It was sufficient that the fact
made him glad It was not necessary to knock his friend on the head with the
misguided packet
He had been possessed of much fear of his friend for he saw how easily
questionings could make holes in his feelings Lately he had assured himself
that the altered comrade would not tantalize him with a persistent curiosity but
he felt certain that during the first period of leisure his friend would ask him
to relate his adventures of the previous day
He now rejoiced in the possession of a small weapon with which he could
prostrate his comrade at the first signs of a crossexamination He was master
It would now be he who could laugh and shoot the shafts of derision
The friend had in a weak hour spoken with sobs of his own death He had
delivered a melancholy oration previous to his funeral and had doubtless in
the packet of letters presented various keepsakes to relatives But he had not
died and thus he had delivered himself into the hands of the youth
The latter felt immensely superior to his friend but he inclined to
condescension He adopted toward him an air of patronizing goodhumor
His selfpride was now entirely restored In the shade of its flourishing
growth he stood with braced and selfconfident legs and since nothing could
now be discovered he did not shrink from an encounter with the eyes of judges
and allowed no thoughts of his own to keep him from an attitude of manfulness
He had performed his mistakes in the dark so he was still a man
Indeed when he remembered his fortunes of yesterday and looked at them
from a distance he began to see something fine there He had license to be
pompous and veteranlike
His panting agonies of the past he put out of his sight
In the present he declared to himself that it was only the doomed and the
damned who roared with sincerity at circumstance Few but they ever did it A
man with a full stomach and the respect of his fellows had no business to scold
about anything that he might think to be wrong in the ways of the universe or
even with the ways of society Let the unfortunates rail the others may play
marbles
He did not give a great deal of thought to these battles that lay directly
before him It was not essential that he should plan his ways in regard to them
He had been taught that many obligations of a life were easily avoided The
lessons of yesterday had been that retribution was a laggard and blind With
these facts before him he did not deem it necessary that he should become
feverish over the possibilities of the ensuing twentyfour hours He could leave
much to chance Besides a faith in himself had secretly blossomed There was a
little flower of confidence growing within him He was now a man of experience
He had been out among the dragons he said and he assured himself that they
were not so hideous as he had imagined them Also they were inaccurate they
did not sting with precision A stout heart often defied and defying escaped
And furthermore how could they kill him who was the chosen of gods and
doomed to greatness
He remembered how some of the men had run from the battle As he recalled
their terrorstruck faces he felt a scorn for them They had surely been more
fleet and more wild than was absolutely necessary They were weak mortals As
for himself he had fled with discretion and dignity
He was aroused from this reverie by his friend who having hitched about
nervously and blinked at the trees for a time suddenly coughed in an
introductory way and spoke
»Fleming«
»What«
The friend put his hand up to his mouth and coughed again He fidgeted in
his jacket
»Well« he gulped at last »I guess yeh might as well give me back them
letters« Dark prickling blood had flushed into his cheeks and brow
»All right Wilson« said the youth He loosened two buttons of his coat
thrust in his hand and brought forth the packet As he extended it to his
friend the latters face was turned from him
He had been slow in the act of producing the packet because during it he had
been trying to invent a remarkable comment upon the affair He could conjure
nothing of sufficient point He was compelled to allow his friend to escape
unmolested with his packet And for this he took unto himself considerable
credit It was a generous thing
His friend at his side seemed suffering great shame As he contemplated
him the youth felt his heart grow more strong and stout He had never been
compelled to blush in such manner for his acts he was an individual of
extraordinary virtues
He reflected with condescending pity »Too bad Too bad The poor devil it
makes him feel tough«
After this incident and as he reviewed the battlepictures he had seen he
felt quite competent to return home and make the hearts of the people glow with
stories of war He could see himself in a room of warm tints telling tales to
listeners He could exhibit laurels They were insignificant still in a
district where laurels were infrequent they might shine
He saw his gaping audience picturing him as the central figure in blazing
scenes And he imagined the consternation and the ejaculations of his mother and
the young lady at the seminary as they drank his recitals Their vague feminine
formula for beloved ones doing brave deeds on the field of battle without risk
of life would be destroyed
Chapter XVI
A spluttering of musketry was always to be heard Later the cannon had entered
the dispute In the fogfilled air their voices made a thudding sound The
reverberations were continual This part of the world led a strange battleful
existence
The youths regiment was marched to relieve a command that had lain long in
some damp trenches The men took positions behind a curving line of riflepits
that had been turned up like a large furrow along the line of woods Before
them was a level stretch peopled with short deformed stumps From the woods
beyond came the dull popping of the skirmishers and pickets firing in the fog
From the right came the noise of a terrific fracas
The men cuddled behind the small embankment and sat in easy attitudes
awaiting their turn Many had their backs to the firing The youths friend lay
down buried his face in his arms and almost instantly it seemed he was in a
deep sleep
The youth leaned his breast against the brown dirt and peered over at the
woods and up and down the line Curtains of trees interfered with his ways of
vision He could see the low line of trenches but for a short distance A few
idle flags were perched on the dirthills Behind them were rows of dark bodies
with a few heads sticking curiously over the top
Always the noise of skirmishers came from the woods on the front and left
and the din on the right had grown to frightful proportions The guns were
roaring without an instants pause for breath It seemed that the cannon had
come from all parts and were engaged in a stupendous wrangle It became
impossible to make a sentence heard
The youth wished to launch a joke a quotation from newspapers He desired
to say »All quiet on the Rappahannock« but the guns refused to permit even a
comment upon their uproar He never successfully concluded the sentence
But at last the guns stopped and among the men in the riflepits rumors
again flew like birds but they were now for the most part black creatures who
flapped their wings drearily near to the ground and refused to rise on any wings
of hope The mens faces grew doleful from the interpreting of omens Tales of
hesitation and uncertainty on the part of those high in place and
responsibility came to their ears Stories of disaster were borne into their
minds with many proofs This din of musketry on the right growing like a
released genie of sound expressed and emphasized the armys plight
The men were disheartened and began to mutter They made gestures expressive
of the sentence »Ah what more can we do« And it could always be seen that
they were bewildered by the alleged news and could not fully comprehend a
defeat
Before the grey mists had been totally obliterated by the sunrays the
regiment was marching in a spread column that was retiring carefully through the
woods The disordered hurrying lines of the enemy could sometimes be seen down
through the groves and little fields They were yelling shrill and exultant
At this sight the youth forgot many personal matters and became greatly
enraged He exploded in loud sentence »Bjiminy were generaled by a lot of
lunkheads«
»More than one feller has said that tday« observed a man
His friend recently aroused was still very drowsy He looked behind him
until his mind took in the meaning of the movement Then he sighed »Oh well I
spose we got licked« he remarked sadly
The youth had a thought that it would not be handsome for him to freely
condemn other men He made an attempt to restrain himself but the words upon his
tongue were too bitter He presently began a long and intricate denunciation of
the commander of the forces
»Mebbe it want all his fault not all together He did th best he
knowed Its our luck t git licked often« said his friend in a weary tone He
was trudging along with stooped shoulders and shifting eyes like a man who has
been caned and kicked
»Well dont we fight like the devil Dont we do all that men can«
demanded the youth loudly
He was secretly dumbfounded at this sentiment when it came from his lips
For a moment his face lost its valor and he looked guiltily about him But no
one questioned his right to deal in such words and presently he recovered his
air of courage He went on to repeat a statement he had heard going from group
to group at the camp that morning »The brigadier said he never saw a new
regiment fight the way we fought yesterday didnt he And we didnt do better
than many another regiment did we Well then you cant say its the armys
fault can you«
In his reply the friends voice was stern »A course not« he said »No
man dare say we dont fight like th devil No man will ever dare say it Th
boys fight like hellroosters But still still we dont have no luck«
»Well then if we fight like the devil and dont ever whip it must be the
generals fault« said the youth grandly and decisively »And I dont see any
sense in fighting and fighting and fighting yet always losing through some
derned old lunkhead of a general«
A sarcastic man who was tramping at the youths side then spoke lazily
»Mebbe yeh think yeh fit th hull battle yestirday Fleming« he remarked
The speech pierced the youth Inward he was reduced to an abject pulp by
these chance words His legs quaked privately He cast a frightened glance at
the sarcastic man
»Why no« he hastened to say in a conciliatory voice »I dont think I
fought the whole battle yesterday«
But the other seemed innocent of any deeper meaning Apparently he had no
information It was merely his habit »Oh« he replied in the same tone of calm
derision
The youth nevertheless felt a threat His mind shrank from going near to
the danger and thereafter he was silent The significance of the sarcastic
mans words took from him all loud moods that would make him appear prominent
He became suddenly a modest person
There was lowtoned talk among the troops The officers were impatient and
snappy their countenances clouded with the tales of misfortune The troops
sifting through the forest were sullen In the youths company once a mans
laugh rang out A dozen soldiers turned their faces quickly toward him and
frowned with vague displeasure
The noise of firing dogged their footsteps Sometimes it seemed to be
driven a little way but it always returned again with increased insolence The
men muttered and cursed throwing black looks in its direction
In a cleared space the troops were at last halted Regiments and brigades
broken and detached through their encounters with thickets grew together again
and lines were faced toward the pursuing bark of the enemys infantry
This noise following like the yelpings of eager metallic hounds increased
to a loud and joyous burst and then as the sun went serenely up the sky
throwing illuminating rays into the gloomy thickets it broke forth into
prolonged pealings The woods began to crackle as if afire
»Whoopadadee« said a man »here we are Everybody fightin Blood an
destruction«
»I was willin t bet theyd attack as soon as th sun got fairly up«
savagely asserted the lieutenant who commanded the youths company He jerked
without mercy at his little moustache He strode to and fro with dark dignity in
the rear of his men who were lying down behind whatever protection they had
collected
A battery had trundled into position in the rear and was thoughtfully
shelling the distance The regiment unmolested as yet awaited the moment when
the grey shadows of the woods before them should be slashed by the lines of
flame There was much growling and swearing
»Good Gawd« the youth grumbled »were always being chased around like
rats It makes me sick Nobody seems to know where we go or why we go We just
get fired around from pillar to post and get licked here and get licked there
and nobody knows what its done for It makes a man feel like a damn kitten in
a bag Now Id like to know what the eternal thunders we was marched into these
woods for anyhow unless it was to give the rebs a regular potshot at us We
came in here and got our legs all tangled up in these cussed briars and then we
began to fight and the rebs had an easy time of it Dont tell Me its just
luck I know better Its this derned old «
The friend seemed jaded but he interrupted his comrade with a voice of calm
confidence »Itll turn out all right in th end« he said
»Oh the devil it will You always talk like a doghanged parson Dont tell
Me I know «
At this time there was an interposition by the savageminded lieutenant who
was obliged to vent some of his inward dissatisfaction upon his men »You boys
shut right up Theres no need a your wastin your breath in longwinded
arguments about this an that an th other Youve been jawin like a lot a
old hens All youve got t do is t fight an youll get plenty a that t do
in about ten minutes Less talkin an more fightin is whats best fer you
boys I never saw sech gabbling jackasses«
He paused ready to pounce upon any man who might have the temerity to
reply No words being said he resumed his dignified pacing
»Theres too much chinmusic an too little fightin in this war anyhow«
he said to them turning his head for a final remark
The day had grown more white until the sun shed his full radiance upon the
thronged forest A sort of a gust of battle came sweeping toward that part of
the line where lay the youths regiment The front shifted a trifle to meet it
squarely There was a wait In this part of the field there passed slowly the
intense moments that precede the tempest
A single rifle flashed in a thicket before the regiment In an instant it
was joined by many others There was a mighty song of clashes and crashes that
went sweeping through the woods The guns in the rear aroused and enraged by
shells that had been thrown burrlike at them suddenly involved themselves in a
hideous altercation with another band of guns The battleroar settled to a
rolling thunder which was a single long explosion
In the regiment there was a peculiar kind of hesitation denoted in the
attitudes of the men They were worn exhausted having slept but little and
labored much They rolled their eyes toward the advancing battle as they stood
awaiting the shock Some shrank and flinched They stood as men tied to stakes
Chapter XVII
This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting He
began to fume with rage and exasperation He beat his foot upon the ground and
scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom
flood There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to
give him no rest to give him no time to sit down and think Yesterday he had
fought and had fled rapidly There had been many adventures For today he felt
that he had earned opportunities for contemplative repose He could have enjoyed
portraying to uninitiated listeners various scenes at which he had been a
witness or ably discussing the processes of war with other proven men Too it
was important that he should have time for physical recuperation He was sore
and stiff from his experiences He had received his fill of all exertions and he
wished to rest
But those other men seemed never to grow weary they were fighting with
their old speed He had a wild hate for the relentless foe Yesterday when he
had imagined the universe to be against him he had hated it little gods and
big gods today he hated the army of the foe with the same great hatred He was
not going to be badgered of his life like a kitten chased by boys he said It
was not well to drive men into final corners at those moments they could all
develope teeth and claws
He leaned and spoke into his friends ear He menaced the woods with a
gesture »If they keep on chasing us by Gawd theyd better watch out Cant
stand too much«
The friend twisted his head and made a calm reply »If they keep on
achasin us theyll drive us all inteh th river«
The youth cried out savagely at this statement He crouched behind a little
tree with his eyes burning hatefully and his teeth set in a curlike snarl The
awkward bandage was still about his head and upon it over his wound there was
a spot of dry blood His hair was wondrously towsled and some straggling moving
locks hung over the cloth of the bandage down toward his forehead His jacket
and shirt were open at the throat and exposed his young bronzed neck There
could be seen spasmodic gulpings at his throat
His fingers twined nervously about his rifle He wished that it was an
engine of annihilating power He felt that he and his companions were being
taunted and derided from sincere convictions that they were poor and puny His
knowledge of his inability to take vengeance for it made his rage into a dark
and stormy spectre that possessed him and made him dream of abominable
cruelties The tormentors were flies sucking insolently at his blood and he
thought that he would have given his life for a revenge of seeing their faces in
pitiful plights
The winds of battle had swept all about the regiment until the one rifle
instantly followed by others flashed in its front A moment later the regiment
roared forth its sudden and valiant retort A dense wall of smoke settled slowly
down It was furiously slit and slashed by the knifelike fire from the rifles
To the youth the fighters resembled animals tossed for a deathstruggle
into a dark pit There was a sensation that he and his fellows at bay were
pushing back always pushing fierce onslaughts of creatures who were slippery
Their beams of crimson seemed to get no purchase upon the bodies of their foes
the latter seemed to evade them with ease and come through between around and
about with unopposed skill
When in a dream it occurred to the youth that his rifle was an impotent
stick he lost sense of everything but his hate his desire to smash into pulp
the glittering smile of victory which he could feel upon the faces of his
enemies
The blue smokeswallowed line curled and writhed like a snake stepped
upon It swung its ends to and fro in an agony of fear and rage
The youth was not conscious that he was erect upon his feet He did not know
the direction of the ground Indeed once he even lost the habit of balance and
fell heavily He was up again immediately One thought went through the chaos of
his brain at the time He wondered if he had fallen because he had been shot
But the suspicion flew away at once He did not think more of it
He had taken up a first position behind the little tree with a direct
determination to hold it against the world He had not deemed it possible that
his army could that day succeed and from this he felt the ability to fight
harder But the throng had surged in all ways until he lost directions and
locations save that he knew where lay the enemy
The flames bit him and the hot smoke broiled his skin His riflebarrel grew
so hot that ordinarily he could not have borne it upon his palms but he kept
on stuffing cartridges into it and pounding them with his clanking bending
ramrod If he aimed at some changing form through the smoke he pulled his
trigger with a fierce grunt as if he were dealing a blow of the fist with all
his strength
When the enemy seemed falling back before him and his fellows he went
instantly forward like a dog who seeing his foes lagging turns and insists
upon being pursued And when he was compelled to retire again he did it slowly
sullenly taking steps of wrathful despair
Once he in his intent hate was almost alone and was firing when all those
near him had ceased He was so engrossed in his occupation that he was not aware
of a lull
He was recalled by a hoarse laugh and a sentence that came to his ears in a
voice of contempt and amazement »Yeh infernal fool dont yeh know enough t
quit when there aint anything t shoot at Good Gawd«
He turned then and pausing with his rifle thrown half into position looked
at the blue line of his comrades During this moment of leisure they seemed all
to be engaged in staring with astonishment at him They had become spectators
Turning to the front again he saw under the lifted smoke a deserted ground
He looked bewildered for a moment Then there appeared upon the glazed
vacancy of his eyes a diamondpoint of intelligence »Oh« he said
comprehending
He returned to his comrades and threw himself upon the ground He sprawled
like a man who has been thrashed His flesh seemed strangely on fire and the
sounds of the battle continued in his ears He groped blindly for his canteen
The lieutenant was crowing He seemed drunk with fighting He called out to
the youth »By heavens if I had ten thousand wildcats like you I could tear
th stomach outa this war in lessn a week« He puffed out his chest with large
dignity as he said it
Some of the men muttered and looked at the youth in awestruck ways It was
plain that as he had gone on loading and firing and cursing without the proper
intermission they had found time to regard him And they now looked upon him as
a wardevil
The friend came staggering to him There was some fright and dismay in his
voice »Are yeh all right Fleming Do yeh feel all right There aint nothin
th matter with yeh Henry is there«
»No« said the youth with difficulty His throat seemed full of knobs and
burrs
These incidents made the youth ponder It was revealed to him that he had
been a barbarian a beast He had fought like a pagan who defends his religion
Regarding it he saw that it was fine wild and in some ways easy He had been
a tremendous figure no doubt By this struggle he had overcome obstacles
which he had admitted to be mountains They had fallen like paper peaks and he
was now what he called a hero And he had not been aware of the process He had
slept and awakening found himself a knight
He lay and basked in the occasional stares of his comrades Their faces were
varied in degree of blackness from the burned powder Some were utterly smudged
They were reeking with perspiration and their breaths came hard and wheezing
And from these soiled expanses they peered at him
»Hot work Hot work« cried the lieutenant deliriously He walked up and
down restless and eager Sometimes his voice could be heard in a wild
incomprehensible laugh
When he had a particularly profound thought upon the science of war he
always unconsciously addressed himself to the youth
There was some grim rejoicing by the men »By thunder I bet this armyll
never see another new regment like us«
»You bet
A dog a woman an a walnut tree
Th more yeh beat em th better they be
Thats like us«
»Lost a piler men they did If an ol woman swep up th woods shed git a
dustpan full«
»Yes an if shell come around agin in bout an hour shell git a pile
more«
The forest still bore its burden of clamor From off under the trees came
the rolling clatter of the musketry Each distant thicket seemed a strange
porcupine with quills of flame A cloud of dark smoke as from smouldering ruins
went up toward the sun now bright and gay in the blue enamelled sky
Chapter XVIII
The ragged line had respite for some minutes but during its pause the struggle
in the forest became magnified until the trees seemed to quiver from the firing
and the ground to shake from the rushings of the men The voices of the cannon
were mingled in a long and interminable row It seemed difficult to live in such
an atmosphere The chests of the men strained for a bit of freshness and their
throats craved water
There was one shot through the body who raised a cry of bitter lamentation
when came this lull Perhaps he had been calling out during the fighting also
but at that time no one had heard him But now the men turned at the woful
complaints of him upon the ground
»Who is it Who is it«
»Its Jimmie Rogers Jimmie Rogers«
When their eyes first encountered him there was a sudden halt as if they
feared to go near He was thrashing about in the grass twisting his shuddering
body into many strange postures He was screaming loudly This instants
hesitation seemed to fill him with a tremendous fantastic contempt and he
damned them in shrieked sentences
The youths friend had a geographical illusion concerning a stream and he
obtained permission to go for some water Immediately canteens were showered
upon him »Fill mine will yeh« »Bring me some too« »And me too« He
departed ladened The youth went with his friend feeling a desire to throw his
heated body into the stream and soaking there drink quarts
They made a hurried search for the supposed stream but did not find it »No
water here« said the youth They turned without delay and began to retrace
their steps
From their position as they again faced toward the place of the fighting
they could of course comprehend a greater amount of the battle than when their
visions had been blurred by the hurlying smoke of the line They could see dark
stretches winding along the land and on one cleared space there was a row of
guns making grey clouds which were filled with large flashes of orangecolored
flame Over some foliage they could see the roof of a house One window glowing
a deep murderred shone squarely through the leaves From the edifice a tall
leaning tower of smoke went far into the sky
Looking over their own troops they saw mixed masses slowly getting into
regular form The sunlight made twinkling points of the bright steel To the
rear there was a glimpse of a distant roadway as it curved over a slope It
was crowded with retreating infantry From all the interwoven forest arose the
smoke and bluster of the battle The air was always occupied by a blaring
Near where they stood shells were flipflapping and hooting Occasional
bullets buzzed in the air and spanged into treetrunks Wounded men and other
stragglers were slinking through the woods
Looking down an aisle of the grove the youth and his companion saw a
jangling general and his staff almost ride upon a wounded man who was crawling
on his hands and knees The general reined strongly at his chargers opened and
foamy mouth and guided it with dexterous horsemanship past the man The latter
scrambled in wild and torturing haste His strength evidently failed him as he
reached a place of safety One of his arms suddenly weakened and he fell
sliding over upon his back He lay stretched out breathing gently
A moment later the small creaking cavalcade was directly in front of the
two soldiers Another officer riding with the skilful abandon of a cowboy
galloped his horse to a position directly before the general The two unnoticed
footsoldiers made a little show of going on but they lingered near in the
desire to overhear the conversation Perhaps they thought some great inner
historical things would be said
The general whom the boys knew as the commander of their division looked
at the other officer and spoke coolly as if he were criticising his clothes
»Th enemys formin over there for another charge« he said »Itll be directed
against Whiterside an I fear theyll break through there unless we work like
thunder t stop them«
The other swore at his restive horse and then cleared his throat He made a
gesture toward his cap »Itll be hell t pay stoppin them« he said shortly
»I presume so« remarked the general Then he began to talk rapidly and in a
lower tone He frequently illustrated his words with a pointing finger The two
infantrymen could hear nothing until finally he asked »What troops can you
spare«
The officer who rode like a cowboy reflected for an instant »Well« he
said »I had to order in th 12th to help th 76th an I havent really got any
But theres th 304th They fight like a lot a muledrivers I can spare them
best of any«
The youth and his friend exchanged glances of astonishment
The general spoke sharply »Get em ready then Ill watch developements
from here an send you word when t start them Itll happen in five minutes«
As the other officer tossed his fingers toward his cap and wheeling his
horse started away the general called out to him in a sober voice »I dont
believe many of your muledrivers will get back«
The other shouted something in reply He smiled
With scared faces the youth and his companion hurried back to the line
These happenings had occupied an incredibly short time yet the youth felt
that in them he had been made aged New eyes were given to him And the most
startling thing was to learn suddenly that he was very insignificant The
officer spoke of the regiment as if he referred to a broom Some part of the
woods needed sweeping perhaps and he merely indicated a broom in a tone
properly indifferent to its fate It was war no doubt but it appeared strange
As the two boys approached the line the lieutenant perceived them and
swelled with wrath »Fleming Wilson how long does it take yeh t git water
anyhow where yeh been «
But his oration ceased as he saw their eyes which were large with great
tales »Were going to charge were going to charge« cried the youth
hastening with his news
»Charge« said the lieutenant »Charge Well bGawd Now this is real
fightin« Over his soiled countenance there went a boastful smile »Charge
Well bGawd«
A little group of soldiers surrounded the two youths »Are we surenough
Well Ill be derned Charge What fer What at Fleming youre lyin«
»I hope to die« said the youth pitching his tones to the key of angry
remonstrance »Sure as shooting I tell you«
And his friend spoke in reinforcement »Not by a blame sight he aint
lyin We heard em talkin«
They caught sight of two mounted figures a short distance from them One was
the colonel of the regiment and the other was the officer who had received
orders from the commander of the division They were gesticulating at each
other The soldier pointing at them interpreted the scene
One soldier had a final objection »How could yeh hear em talkin« but the
men for a large part nodded admitting that previously the two friends had
spoken truth
They settled back into reposeful attitudes with airs of having accepted the
matter And they mused upon it with a hundred varieties of expression It was
an engrossing thing to think about Many tightened their belts carefully and
hitched at their trousers
A moment later the officers began to bustle among the men pushing them
into a more compact mass and into a better alignment They chased those that
straggled and fumed at a few men who seemed to show by their attitudes that
they had decided to remain at that spot They were like critical shepherds
struggling with sheep
Presently the regiment seemed to draw itself up and heave a deep breath
None of the mens faces were mirrors of large thoughts The soldiers were bended
and stooped like sprinters before a signal Many pairs of glinting eyes peered
from the grimy faces toward the curtains of the deeper woods They seemed to be
engaged in deep calculations of time and distance
They were surrounded by the noises of the monstrous altercation between the
two armies The world was fully interested in other matters Apparently the
regiment had its small affair to itself
The youth turning shot a quick enquiring glance at his friend The latter
returned to him the same manner of look They were the only ones who possessed
an inner knowledge »Muledrivers hell t pay dont believe many will get
back« It was an ironical secret Still they saw no hesitation in each others
faces and they nodded a mute and unprotesting assent when a shaggy man near them
said in a meek voice »Well git swallered«
Chapter XIX
The youth stared at the land in front of him Its foliages now seemed to veil
powers and horrors He was unaware of the machinery of orders that started the
charge although from the corners of his eyes he saw an officer who looked
like a boy ahorseback come galloping waving his hat Suddenly he felt a
straining and heaving among the men The line fell slowly forward like a
toppling wall and with a convulsive gasp that was intended for a cheer the
regiment began its journey The youth was pushed and jostled for a moment before
he understood the movement at all but directly he lunged ahead and began to run
He fixed his eye upon a distant and prominent clump of trees where he had
concluded the enemy were to be met and he ran toward it as toward a goal He
had believed throughout that it was a mere question of getting over an
unpleasant matter as quickly as possible and he ran desperately as if pursued
for a murder His face was drawn hard and tight with the stress of his endeavor
His eyes were fixed in a lurid glare And with his soiled and disordered dress
his red and inflamed features surmounted by the dingy rag with its spot of
blood his wildly swinging rifle and banging accoutrements he looked to be an
insane soldier
As the regiment swung from its position out into a cleared space the woods
and thickets before it awakened Yellow flames leaped toward it from many
directions The forest made a tremendous objection
The line lurched straight for a moment Then the right wing swung forward
it in turn was surpassed by the left Afterward the centre careered to the front
until the regiment was a wedgeshaped mass but an instant later the opposition
of the bushes trees and uneven places on the ground split the command and
scattered it into detached clusters
The youth lightfooted was unconsciously in advance His eyes still kept
note of the clump of trees From all places near it the clannish yell of the
enemy could be heard The little flames of rifles leaped from it The song of
the bullets was in the air and shells snarled among the treetops One tumbled
directly into the middle of a hurrying group and exploded in crimson fury There
was an instants spectacle of a man almost over it throwing up his hands to
shield his eyes
Other men punched by bullets fell in grotesque agonies The regiment left
a coherent trail of bodies
They had passed into a clearer atmosphere There was an effect like a
revelation in the new appearance of the landscape Some men working madly at a
battery were plain to them and the opposing infantrys lines were defined by the
grey walls and fringes of smoke
It seemed to the youth that he saw everything Each blade of the green grass
was bold and clear He thought that he was aware of every change in the thin
transparent vapor that floated idly in sheets The brown or grey trunks of the
trees showed each roughness of their surfaces And the men of the regiment with
their starting eyes and sweating faces running madly or falling as if thrown
headlong to queer heapedup corpses all were comprehended His mind took
mechanical but firm impressions so that afterward everything was pictured and
explained to him save why he himself was there
But there was a frenzy made from this furious rush The men pitching
forward insanely had burst into cheerings moblike and barbaric but tuned in
strange keys that can arouse the dullard and the stoic It made a mad enthusiasm
that it seemed would be incapable of checking itself before granite and brass
There was the delirium that encounters despair and death and is heedless and
blind to the odds It is a temporary but sublime absence of selfishness And
because it was of this order was the reason perhaps why the youth wondered
afterward what reasons he could have had for being there
Presently the straining pace ate up the energies of the men As if by
agreement the leaders began to slacken their speed The volleys directed
against them had had a seeming windlike effect The regiment snorted and blew
Among some stolid trees it began to falter and hesitate The men staring
intently began to wait for some of the distant walls of smoke to move and
disclose to them the scene Since much of their strength and their breath had
vanished they returned to caution They were become men again
The youth had a vague belief that he had run miles and he thought in a way
that he was now in some new and unknown land
The moment the regiment ceased its advance the protesting splutter of
musketry became a steadied roar Long and accurate fringes of smoke spread out
From the top of a small hill came level belchings of yellow flame that caused
an inhuman whistling in the air
The men halted had opportunity to see some of their comrades dropping with
moans and shrieks A few lay under foot still or wailing And now for an
instant the men stood their rifles slack in their hands and watched the
regiment dwindle They appeared dazed and stupid This spectacle seemed to
paralyze them overcome them with a fatal fascination They stared woodenly at
the sights and lowering their eyes looked from face to face It was a strange
pause and a strange silence
Then above the sounds of the outside commotion arose the roar of the
lieutenant He strode suddenly forth his infantile features black with rage
»Come on yeh fools« he bellowed »Come on Yeh cant stay here Yeh must
come on« He said more but much of it could not be understood
He started rapidly forward with his head turned toward the men »Come on«
he was shouting The men stared with blank and yokellike eyes at him He was
obliged to halt and retrace his steps He stood then with his back to the enemy
and delivered gigantic curses into the faces of the men His body vibrated from
the weight and force of his imprecations And he could string oaths with the
facility of a maiden who strings beads
The friend of the youth aroused Lurching suddenly forward and dropping to
his knees he fired an angry shot at the persistent woods This action awakened
the men They huddled no more like sheep They seemed suddenly to bethink them
of their weapons and at once commenced firing Belabored by their officers they
began to move forward The regiment involved like a cart involved in mud and
muddle started unevenly with many jolts and jerks The men stopped now every
few paces to fire and load and in this manner moved slowly on from trees to
trees
The flaming opposition in their front grew with their advance until it
seemed that all forward ways were barred by the thin leaping tongues and off to
the right an ominous demonstration could sometimes be dimly discerned The
smoke lately generated was in confusing clouds that made it difficult for the
regiment to proceed with intelligence As he passed through each curling mass
the youth wondered what would confront him on the further side
The command went painfully forward until an open space interposed between
them and the lurid lines Here crouching and cowering behind some trees the
men clung with desperation as if threatened by a wave They looked wildeyed
and as if amazed at this furious disturbance they had stirred In the storm
there was an ironical expression of their importance The faces of the men too
showed a lack of a certain feeling of responsibility for being there It was as
if they had been driven It was the dominant animal failing to remember in the
supreme moments the forceful causes of various superficial qualities The whole
affair seemed incomprehensible to many of them
As they halted thus the lieutenant again began to bellow profanely
Regardless of the vindictive threats of the bullets he went about coaxing
berating and bedamning His lips that were habitually in a soft and childlike
curve were now writhed into unholy contortions He swore by all possible
deities
Once he grabbed the youth by the arm »Come on yeh lunkhead« he roared
»Come on Well all git killed if we stay here Weve ony got t go across that
lot An then « The remainder of his idea disappeared in a blue haze of curses
The youth stretched forth his arm »Cross there« His mouth was puckered in
doubt and awe
»Cerly Jest cross th lot We cant stay here« screamed the lieutenant
He poked his face close to the youth and waved his bandaged hand »Come on«
Presently he grappled with him as if for a wrestling bout It was as if he
planned to drag the youth by the ear on to the assault
The private felt a sudden unspeakable indignation against his officer He
wrenched fiercely and shook him off
»Come on yourself then« he yelled There was a bitter challenge in his
voice
They galloped together down the regimental front The friend scrambled after
them In front of the colors the three men began to bawl »Come on Come on«
They danced and gyrated like tortured savages
The flag obedient to these appeals bended its glittering form and swept
toward them The men wavered in indecision for a moment and then with a long
wailful cry the dilapidated regiment surged forward and began its new journey
Over the field went the scurrying mass It was a handful of men splattered
into the faces of the enemy Toward it instantly sprang the yellow tongues A
vast quantity of blue smoke hung before them A mighty banging made ears
valueless
The youth ran like a madman to reach the woods before a bullet could
discover him He ducked his head low like a football player In his haste his
eyes almost closed and the scene was a wild blur Pulsating saliva stood at the
corners of his mouth
Within him as he hurled himself forward was born a love a despairing
fondness for this flag which was near him It was a creation of beauty and
invulnerability It was a goddess radiant that bended its form with an
imperious gesture to him It was a woman red and white hating and loving that
called him with the voice of his hopes Because no harm could come to it he
endowed it with power He kept near as if it could be a saver of lives and an
imploring cry went from his mind
In the mad scramble he was aware that the colorserjeant flinched suddenly
as if struck by a bludgeon He faltered and then became motionless save for his
quivering knees
He made a spring and a clutch at the pole At the same instant his friend
grabbed it from the other side They jerked at it stout and furious but the
colorserjeant was dead and the corpse would not relinquish its trust For a
moment there was a grim encounter The dead man swinging with bended back
seemed to be obstinately tugging in ludicrous and awful ways for the
possession of the flag
It was past in an instant of time They wrenched the flag furiously from the
dead man and as they turned again the corpse swayed forward with bowed head
One arm swung high and the curved hand fell with heavy protest on the friends
unheeding shoulder
Chapter XX
When the two youths turned with the flag they saw that much of the regiment had
crumbled away and the dejected remnant was coming slowly back The men having
hurled themselves in projectilefashion had presently expended their forces
They slowly retreated with their faces still toward the spluttering woods and
their hot rifles still replying to the din Several officers were giving orders
their voices keyed to screams
»Where in hell yeh goin« the lieutenant was asking in a sarcastic howl
And a redbearded officer whose voice of triple brass could plainly be heard
was commanding »Shoot into em Shoot into em Gawd damn their souls« There
was a melee of speeches in which the men were ordered to do conflicting and
impossible things
The youth and his friend had a small scuffle over the flag »Give it t me«
»No let me keep it« Each felt satisfied with the others possession of it but
each felt bound to declare by an offer to carry the emblem his willingness to
further risk himself The youth roughly pushed his friend away
The regiment fell back to the stolid trees There it halted for a moment to
blaze at some dark forms that had begun to steal upon its track Presently it
resumed its march again curving among the treetrunks By the time the depleted
regiment had again reached the first open space they were receiving a fast and
merciless fire There seemed to be mobs all about them
The greater part of the men discouraged their spirits worn by the turmoil
acted as if stunned They accepted the pelting of the bullets with bowed and
weary heads It was of no purpose to strive against walls It was of no use to
batter themselves against granite And from this consciousness that they had
attempted to conquer an unconquerable thing there seemed to arise a feeling
that they had been betrayed They glowered with bent brows but dangerously upon
some of the officers more particularly upon the redbearded one with the voice
of triple brass
However the rear of the regiment was fringed with men who continued to
shoot irritably at the advancing foes They seemed resolved to make every
trouble The lieutenant was perhaps the last man in the disordered mass His
forgotten back was toward the enemy He had been shot in the arm It hung
straight and rigid Occasionally he would cease to remember it and be about to
emphasize an oath with a sweeping gesture The multiplied pain caused him to
swear with incredible power
The youth went along with slipping uncertain feet He kept watchful eyes
rearward A scowl of mortification and rage was upon his face He had thought of
a fine revenge upon the officer who had referred to him and his fellows as
muledrivers But he saw that it could not come to pass His dreams had
collapsed when the muledrivers dwindling rapidly had wavered and hesitated on
the little clearing and then had recoiled And now the retreat of the
muledrivers was a march of shame to him
A daggerpointed gaze from without his blackened face was held toward the
enemy but his greater hatred was rivetted upon the man who not knowing him
had called him a muledriver When he knew that he and his comrades had failed
to do anything in successful ways that might bring the little pangs of a kind of
remorse upon the officer the youth allowed the rage of the baffled to possess
him This cold officer upon a monument who dropped epithets unconcernedly down
would be finer as a dead man he thought So grievous did he think it that he
could never possess the secret right to taunt truly in answer
He had pictured red letters of curious revenge »We are muledrivers are
we« And now he was compelled to throw them away
He presently wrapped his heart in the cloak of his pride and kept the flag
erect He harangued his fellows pushing against their chests with his free
hand To those he knew well he made frantic appeals beseeching them by name
Between him and the lieutenant scolding and near to losing his mind with rage
there was felt a subtle fellowship and equality They supported each other in
all manner of hoarse howling protests
But the regiment was a machine rundown The two men babbled at a forceless
thing The soldiers who had heart to go slowly were continually shaken in their
resolves by a knowledge that comrades were slipping with speed back to the
lines It was difficult to think of reputation when others were thinking of
skins Wounded men were left crying on this black journey
The smokefringes and flames blustered always The youth peering once
through a sudden rift in a cloud saw a brown mass of troops interwoven and
magnified until they appeared to be thousands A fiercehued flag flashed before
his vision
Immediately as if the uplifting of the smoke had been prearranged the
discovered troops burst into a rasping yell and a hundred flames jetted toward
the retreating band A rolling grey cloud again interposed as the regiment
doggedly replied The youth had to depend again upon his misused ears which were
trembling and buzzing from the melee of musketry and yells
The way seemed eternal In the clouded haze men became panicstricken with
the thought that the regiment had lost its path and was proceeding in a perilous
direction Once the men who headed the wild procession turned and came pushing
back against their comrades screaming that they were being fired upon from
points which they had considered to be toward their own lines At this cry a
hysterical fear and dismay beset the troops A soldier who heretofore had been
ambitious to make the regiment into a wise little band that would proceed calmly
amid the hugeappearing difficulties suddenly sank down and buried his face in
his arms with an air of bowing to a doom From another a shrill lamentation
rang out filled with profane allusions to a general Men ran hither and thither
seeking with their eyes roads of escape With serene regularity as if
controlled by a schedule bullets buffed into men
The youth walked stolidly into the midst of the mob and with his flag in his
hands took a stand as if he expected an attempt to push him to the ground He
unconsciously assumed the attitude of the colorbearer in the fight of the
preceding day He passed over his brow a hand that trembled His breath did not
come freely He was choking during this small wait for the crisis
His friend came to him »Well Henry I guess this is goodbyeJohn«
»Oh shut up you damned fool« replied the youth and he would not look at
the other
The officers labored like politicians to beat the mass into a proper circle
to face the menaces The ground was uneven and torn The men curled into
depressions and fitted themselves snugly behind whatever would frustrate a
bullet
The youth noted with vague surprise that the lieutenant was standing mutely
with his legs far apart and his sword held in the manner of a cane The youth
wondered what had happened to his vocal organs that he no more cursed
There was something curious in this little intent pause of the lieutenant
He was like a babe which having wept its fill raises its eyes and fixes upon a
distant toy He was engrossed in this contemplation and the soft underlip
quivered from selfwhispered words
Some lazy and ignorant smoke curled slowly The men hiding from the
bullets waited anxiously for it to lift and disclose the plight of the
regiment
The silent ranks were suddenly thrilled by the eager voice of the lieutenant
bawling out »Here they come Right onto us bGawd« His further words were
lost in a roar of wicked thunder from the mens rifles
The youths eyes had instantly turned in the direction indicated by the
awakened and agitated lieutenant and he had seen the haze of treachery
disclosing a body of soldiers of the enemy They were so near that he could see
their features There was a recognition as he looked at the types of faces He
perceived with dim amazement that their uniforms were rather gay in effect
being light grey accented with a brillianthued facing Too the clothes seemed
new
These troops had apparently been going forward with caution their rifles
held in readiness when the lieutenant had discovered them and their movement
had been interrupted by the volley from the blue regiment From the moments
glimpse it was derived that they had been unaware of the proximity of their
darksuited foes or had mistaken the direction Almost instantly they were
shut utterly from the youths sight by the smoke from the energetic rifles of
his companions He strained his vision to learn the accomplishment of the volley
but the smoke hung before him
The two bodies of troops exchanged blows in the manner of a pair of boxers
The fast angry firings went back and forth The men in blue were intent with
the despair of their circumstances and they seized upon the revenge to be had at
close range Their thunder swelled loud and valiant Their curving front
bristled with flashes and the place resounded with the clangor of their
ramrods The youth ducked and dodged for a time and achieved a few
unsatisfactory views of the enemy There appeared to be many of them and they
were replying swiftly They seemed moving toward the blue regiment step by
step He seated himself gloomily on the ground with his flag between his knees
As he noted the vicious wolflike temper of his comrades he had a sweet
thought that if the enemy was about to swallow the regimental broom as a large
prisoner it could at least have the consolation of going down with bristles
forward
But the blows of the antagonist began to grow more weak Fewer bullets
ripped the air and finally when the men slackened to learn of the fight they
could see only dark floating smoke The regiment lay still and gazed
Presently some chance whim came to the pestering blur and it began to coil
heavily away The men saw a ground vacant of fighters It would have been an
empty stage if it were not for a few corpses that lay thrown and twisted into
fantastic shapes upon the sward
At sight of this tableau many of the men in blue sprang from behind their
covers and made an ungainly dance of joy Their eyes burned and a hoarse cheer
of elation broke from their dry lips
It had begun to seem to them that events were trying to prove that they were
impotent These little battles had evidently endeavored to demonstrate that the
men could not fight well When on the verge of submission to these opinions the
small duel had showed them that the proportions were not impossible and by it
they had revenged themselves upon their misgivings and upon the foe
The impetus of enthusiasm was theirs again They gazed about them with looks
of uplifted pride feeling new trust in the grim alwaysconfident weapons in
their hands And they were men
Chapter XXI
Presently they knew that no firing threatened them All ways seemed once more
opened to them The dusty blue lines of their friends were disclosed a short
distance away In the distance there were many colossal noises but in all this
part of the field there was a sudden stillness
They perceived that they were free The depleted band drew a long breath of
relief and gathered itself into a bunch to complete its trip
In this last length of journey the men began to show strange emotions They
hurried with nervous fear Some who had been dark and unfaltering in the
grimmest moments now could not conceal an anxiety that made them frantic It was
perhaps that they dreaded to be killed in insignificant ways after the times for
proper military deaths had passed Or perhaps they thought it would be too
ironical to get killed at the portals of safety With backward looks of
perturbation they hastened
As they approached their own lines there was some sarcasm exhibited on the
part of a gaunt and bronzed regiment that lay resting in the shade of trees
Questions were wafted to them
»Where th hell yeh been«
»What yeh comin back fer«
»Why didnt yeh stay there«
»Was it warm out there sonny«
»Goin home now boys«
One shouted in taunting mimicry »Oh mother come quick an look at th
sojers«
There was no reply from the bruised and battered regiment save that one man
made broadcast challenges to fistfights and the redbearded officer walked
rather near and glared in great swashbuckler style at a tall captain in the
other regiment But the lieutenant suppressed the man who wished to fistfight
and the tall captain flushing at the little fanfare of the redbearded one was
obliged to look intently at some trees
The youths tender flesh was deeply stung by these remarks From under his
creased brows he glowered with hate at the mockers He meditated upon a few
revenges Still many in the regiment hung their heads in criminal fashion so
that it came to pass that the men trudged with sudden heaviness as if they bore
upon their bended shoulders the coffin of their honor And the lieutenant
recollecting himself began to mutter softly in black curses
They turned when they arrived at their old position to regard the ground
over which they had charged
The youth in this contemplation was smitten with a large astonishment He
discovered that the distances as compared with the brilliant measurings of his
mind were trivial and ridiculous The stolid trees where much had taken place
seemed incredibly near The time too now that he reflected he saw to have
been short He wondered at the number of emotions and events that had been
crowded into such little spaces Elfin thoughts must have exaggerated and
enlarged everything he said
It seemed then that there was bitter justice in the speeches of the gaunt
and bronzed veterans He veiled a glance of disdain at his fellows who strewed
the ground choking with dust red from perspiration mistyeyed dishevelled
They were gulping at their canteens fierce to wring every mite of water
from them And they polished at their swollen and watery features with
coatsleeves and bunches of grass
However to the youth there was a considerable joy in musing upon his
performances during the charge He had had very little time previously in
which to appreciate himself so that there was now much satisfaction in quietly
thinking of his actions He recalled bits of color that in the flurry had
stamped themselves unawares upon his engaged senses
As the regiment lay heaving from its hot exertions the officer who had
named them as muledrivers came galloping along the line He had lost his cap
His towsled hair streamed wildly and his face was dark with vexation and wrath
His temper was displayed with more clearness by the way in which he managed his
horse He jerked and wrenched savagely at his bridle stopping the
hardbreathing animal with a furious pull near the colonel of the regiment He
immediately exploded in reproaches which came unbidden to the ears of the men
They were suddenly alert being always curious about black words between
officers
»Oh thunder MacChesnay what an awful bull you made of this thing« began
the officer He attempted low tones but his indignation caused certain of the
men to learn the sense of his words »What an awful mess you made Good Lord
man you stopped about a hundred feet this side of a very pretty success If
your men had gone a hundred feet further you would have made a great charge but
as it is what a lot of muddiggers youve got anyway«
The men listening with bated breath now turned their curious eyes upon the
colonel They had a ragamuffin interest in this affair
The colonel was seen to straighten his form and put one hand forth in
oratorical fashion He wore an injured air it was as if a deacon had been
accused of stealing The men were wiggling in an ecstasy of excitement
But of a sudden the colonels manner changed from that of a deacon to that
of a Frenchman He shrugged his shoulders »Oh well general we went as far as
we could« he said calmly
»As far as you could Did you bGawd« snorted the other »Well that
wasnt very far was it« he added with a glance of cold contempt into the
others eyes »Not very far I think You were intended to make a diversion in
favor of Whiterside How well you succeeded your own ears can now tell you« He
wheeled his horse and rode stiffly away
The colonel bidden to hear the jarring noises of an engagement in the woods
to the left broke out in vague damnations
The lieutenant who had listened with an air of impotent rage to the
interview spoke suddenly in firm and undaunted tones »I dont care what a man
is whether he is a general or what if he says th boys didnt put up a good
fight out there hes a damned fool«
»Lieutenant« began the colonel severely »this is my own affair and Ill
trouble you «
The lieutenant made an obedient gesture »All right colonel all right« he
said He sat down with an air of being content with himself
The news that the regiment had been reproached went along the line For a
time the men were bewildered by it »Good thunder« they ejaculated staring at
the vanishing form of the general They conceived it to be a huge mistake
Presently however they began to believe that in truth their efforts had
been called light The youth could see this conviction weigh upon the entire
regiment until the men were like cuffed and cursed animals but withal
rebellious
The friend with a grievance in his eye went to the youth »I wonder what
he does want« he said »He must think we went out there an played marbles I
never see sech a man«
The youth developed a tranquil philosophy for these moments of irritation
»Oh well« he rejoined »he probably didnt see nothing of it at all and got
mad as blazes and concluded we were a lot of sheep just because we didnt do
what he wanted done Its a pity old Grandpa Henderson got killed yesterday he
would have known that we did our best and fought good Its just our awful luck
thats what«
»I should say so« replied the friend He seemed to be deeply wounded at an
injustice »I should say we did have awful luck Theres no fun in fightin fer
people when everything yeh do no matter what aint done right I have a
notion t stay behind next time an let em take their ol charge an go t th
devil with it«
The youth spoke soothingly to his comrade »Well we both did good Id like
to see the fool whatd say we both didnt do as good as we could«
»A course we did« declared the friend stoutly »An Id break th
fellers neck if he was as big as a church But were all right anyhow fer I
heared one feller say that we two fit th best in th regment an they had a
great argyment bout it Another feller a course he had t up an say it was
a lie he seen all what was goin on an he never seen us from th beginnin t
th end An a lot more struck in an ses it wasnt a lie we did fight like
thunder an they give us quite a sendoff But this is what I cant stand
these everlastin ol soldiers titterin an laughin an then that general
hes crazy«
The youth exclaimed with sudden exasperation »Hes a lunkhead He makes me
mad I wish hed come along next time Wed show him what «
He ceased because several men had come hurrying up Their faces expressed a
bringing of great news
»Oh Flem yeh jest oughta heard« cried one eagerly
»Heard what« said the youth
»Yeh jest oughta heard« repeated the other and he arranged himself to tell
his tidings The others made an excited circle »Well sir th colonel met your
lieutenant right by us it was damndest thing I ever heard an he ses Ahem
ahem he ses Mr Hasbrouck he ses by th way who was that lad what carried
th flag he ses There Flemin what d yeh think a that Who was th lad
what carried th flag he ses an th lieutenant he speaks up right away
Thats Flemin an hes a jimhickey he ses right away What I say he did A
jimhickey he ses thoser his words He did too I say he did If you kin
tell this story better than I kin go ahead an tell it Well then keep yer
mouth shet Th lieutenant he ses Hes a jimhickey an th colonel he ses
Ahem ahem he is indeed a very good man t have ahem He kep th flag way t
th front I saw im Hes a good un ses th colonel You bet ses th
lieutenant he an a feller named Wilson was at th head a th charge an
howlin like Indians all th time he ses Head a th charge all th time he
ses A feller named Wilson he ses There Wilson m boy put that in a letter
an send it hum t yer mother hey A feller named Wilson he ses An th
colonel he ses Were they indeed Ahem ahem My sakes he ses At th head a
th regment he ses They were ses th lieutenant My sakes ses th colonel
He ses Well well well he ses those two babies They were ses th
lieutenant Well well ses th colonel they deserve t be majorgenerals he
ses They deserve t be majorgenerals«
The youth and his friend had said »Huh« »Yer lyin Thompson« »Oh go t
blazes« »He never sed it« »Oh what a lie« »Huh« But despite these youthful
scoffings and embarrassments they knew that their faces were deeply flushing
from thrills of pleasure They exchanged a secret glance of joy and
congratulation
They speedily forgot many things The past held no pictures of error and
disappointment They were very happy and their hearts swelled with grateful
affection for the colonel and the lieutenant
Chapter XXII
When the woods again began to pour forth the darkhued masses of the enemy the
youth felt serene selfconfidence He smiled briefly when he saw men dodge and
duck at the long screechings of shells that were thrown in giant handfuls over
them He stood erect and tranquil watching the attack begin against a part of
the line that made a blue curve along the side of an adjacent hill His vision
being unmolested by smoke from the rifles of his companions he had
opportunities to see parts of the hard fight It was a relief to perceive at
last from whence came some of these noises which had been roared into his ears
Off a short way he saw two regiments fighting a little separate battle with
two other regiments It was in a cleared space wearing a setapart look They
were blazing as if upon a wager giving and taking tremendous blows The firings
were incredibly fierce and rapid These intent regiments apparently were
oblivious of all larger purposes of war and were slugging each other as if at a
matched game
In another direction he saw a magnificent brigade going with the evident
intention of driving the enemy from a wood They passed in out of sight and
presently there was a most aweinspiring racket in the wood The noise was
unspeakable Having stirred this prodigious uproar and apparently finding it
too prodigious the brigade after a little time came marching airily out again
with its fine formation in no wise disturbed There were no traces of speed in
its movements The brigade was jaunty and seemed to point a proud thumb at the
yelling wood
On a slope to the left there was a long row of guns gruff and maddened
denouncing the enemy who down through the woods were forming for another attack
in the pitiless monotony of conflicts The round red discharges from the guns
made a crimson flare and a high thick smoke Occasional glimpses could be
caught of groups of the toiling artillerymen In the rear of this row of guns
stood a house calm and white amid bursting shells A congregation of horses
tied to a long railing were tugging frenziedly at their bridles Men were
running hither and thither
The detached battle between the four regiments lasted for some time There
chanced to be no interference and they settled their dispute by themselves They
struck savagely and powerfully at each other for a period of minutes and then
the lighterhued regiments faltered and drew back leaving the darkblue lines
shouting The youth could see the two flags shaking and laughing amid the
smokeremnants
Presently there was a stillness pregnant with meaning The blue lines
shifted and changed a trifle and stared expectantly at the silent woods and
fields before them The hush was solemn and churchlike save for a distant
battery that evidently unable to remain quiet sent a faint rolling thunder
over the ground It irritated like the noises of unimpressed boys The men
imagined that it would prevent their perched ears from hearing the first words
of the new battle
Of a sudden the guns on the slope roared out a message of warning A
spluttering sound had begun in the woods It swelled with amazing speed to a
profound clamor that involved the earth in noises The splitting crashes swept
along the lines until an interminable roar was developed To those in the midst
of it it became a din fitted to the universe It was the whirring and thumping
of gigantic machinery complications among the smaller stars The youths ears
were filled cups They were incapable of hearing more
On an incline over which a road wound he saw wild and desperate rushes of
men It was perpetually backward and forward in riotous surges These parts of
the opposing armies were two long waves that pitched upon each other madly at
dictated points To and fro they swelled Sometimes one side by its yells and
cheers would proclaim decisive blows but a moment later the other side would
be all yells and cheers Once the youth saw a spray of light forms go in
houndlike leaps toward the waving blue lines There was much howling and
presently it went away with a vast mouthful of prisoners Again he saw a blue
wave dash with such thunderous force against a grey obstruction that it seemed
to clear the earth of it and leave nothing but trampled sod And always in
these swift and deadly rushes to and fro the men screamed and yelled like
maniacs
Particular pieces of fence or secure positions behind collections of trees
were wrangled over as gold thrones or pearl bedsteads There were desperate
lunges at these chosen spots seemingly every instant and most of them were
bandied like light toys between the contending forces The youth could not tell
from the battleflags flying like crimson foam in many directions which color
of cloth was winning
His emaciated regiment bustled forth with undiminished fierceness when its
time came When assaulted again by bullets the men burst out in a barbaric cry
of rage and pain They bended their heads in aims of intent hatred behind the
projected hammers of their guns Their ramrods clanged loud with fury as their
eager arms pounded the cartridges into the riflebarrels The front of the
regiment was a smokewall penetrated by the flashing points of yellow and red
Wallowing in the fight they were in an astonishingly short time
resmudged They surpassed in stain and dirt all their previous appearances
Moving to and fro with strained exertion jabbering the while they were with
their swaying bodies black faces and glowing eyes like strange and ugly fiends
jigging heavily in the smoke
The lieutenant returning from a tour after a bandage produced from a
hidden receptacle of his mind new and portentous oaths suited to the emergency
Strings of expletives he swung lashlike over the backs of his men And it was
evident that his previous efforts had in no wise impaired his resources
The youth still the bearer of the colors did not feel his idleness He was
deeply absorbed as a spectator The crash and swing of the great drama made him
lean forward intenteyed his face working in small contortions Sometimes he
prattled words coming unconsciously from in him in grotesque exclamations He
did not know that he breathed that the flag hung silently over him so absorbed
was he
A formidable line of the enemy came within dangerous range They could be
seen plainly tall gaunt men with excited faces running with long strides
toward a wandering fence
At sight of this danger the men suddenly ceased their cursing monotone
There was an instant of strained silence before they threw up their rifles and
fired a plumping volley at the foes There had been no order given the men upon
recognizing the menace had immediately let drive their flock of bullets without
waiting for word of command
But the enemy were quick to gain the protection of the wandering line of
fence They slid down behind it with remarkable celerity and from this position
they began briskly to slice up the blue men
These latter braced their energies for a great struggle Often white
clenched teeth shone from the dusky faces Many heads surged to and fro
floating upon a pale sea of smoke Those behind the fence frequently shouted and
yelped in taunts and gibelike cries but the regiment maintained a stressed
silence Perhaps at this new assault the men recalled the fact that they had
been named muddiggers and it made their situation thrice bitter They were
breathlessly intent upon keeping the ground and thrusting away the rejoicing
body of the enemy They fought swiftly and with a despairing savageness denoted
in their expressions
The youth had resolved not to budge whatever should happen Some arrows of
scorn that had buried themselves in his heart had generated strange and
unspeakable hatreds It was clear to him that his final and absolute revenge was
to be achieved by his dead body lying torn and guttering upon the field This
was to be a poignant retaliation upon the officer who had said muledriver and
later muddigger For in all the wild graspings of his mind for a unit
responsible for his sufferings and commotions he always seized upon the man who
had dubbed him wrongly And it was his idea vaguely formulated that his corpse
would be for those eyes a great and salt reproach
The regiment bled extravagantly Grunting bundles of blue began to drop The
orderlyserjeant of the youths company was shot through the cheeks Its
supports being injured his jaw hung afar down disclosing in the wide cavern of
his mouth a pulsing mass of blood and teeth And with it all he made attempts
to cry out In his endeavor there was a dreadful earnestness as if he conceived
that one great shriek would make him well
The youth saw him presently go rearward His strength seemed in no wise
impaired He ran swiftly casting wild glances for succor
Others fell down about the feet of their companions Some of the wounded
crawled out and away but many lay still their bodies twisted into impossible
shapes
The youth looked once for his friend He saw a vehement young man
powdersmeared and frowsled whom he knew to be him The lieutenant also was
unscathed in his position at the rear He had continued to curse but it was now
with the air of a man who was using his last box of oaths
For the fire of the regiment had begun to wane and drip The robust voice
that had come strangely from the thin ranks was growing rapidly weak
Chapter XXIII
The colonel came running along back of the line There were other officers
following him »We must charge m« they shouted »We must charge m« They
cried with resentful voices as if anticipating a rebellion against this plan by
the men
The youth upon hearing the shouts began to study the distance between him
and the enemy He made vague calculations He saw that to be firm soldiers they
must go forward It would be death to stay in the present place and with all
the circumstances to go backward would exalt too many others Their hope was to
push the galling foes away from the fence
He expected that his companions weary and stiffened would have to be
driven to this assault but as he turned toward them he perceived with a certain
surprise that they were giving quick and unqualified expressions of assent
There was an ominous clanging overture to the charge when the shafts of the
bayonets rattled upon the riflebarrels At the yelled words of command the
soldiers sprang forward in eager leaps There was new and unexpected force in
the movement of the regiment A knowledge of its faded and jaded condition made
the charge appear like a paroxysm a display of the strength that comes before a
final feebleness The men scampered in insane fever of haste racing as if to
achieve a sudden success before an exhilarating fluid should leave them It was
a blind and despairing rush by the collection of men in dusty and tattered blue
over a green sward and under a sapphire sky toward a fence dimly outlined in
smoke from behind which spluttered the fierce rifles of enemies
The youth kept the bright colors to the front He was waving his free arm in
furious circles the while shrieking mad calls and appeals urging on those that
did not need to be urged For it seemed that the mob of blue men hurling
themselves on the dangerous group of rifles were again grown suddenly wild with
an enthusiasm of unselfishness From the many firings starting toward them it
looked as if they would merely succeed in making a great sprinkling of corpses
on the grass between their former position and the fence But they were in a
state of frenzy perhaps because of forgotten vanities and it made an
exhibition of sublime recklessness There was no obvious questionings nor
figurings nor diagrams There was apparently no considered loopholes It
appeared that the swift wings of their desires would have shattered against the
iron gates of the impossible
He himself felt the daring spirit of a savage religionmad He was
capable of profound sacrifices a tremendous death He had no time for
dissections but he knew that he thought of the bullets only as things that could
prevent him from reaching the place of his endeavor There were subtle flashings
of joy within him that thus should be his mind
He strained all his strength His eyesight was shaken and dazzled by the
tension of thought and muscle He did not see anything excepting the mist of
smoke gashed by the little knives of fire but he knew that in it lay the aged
fence of a vanished farmer protecting the snuggled bodies of the grey men
As he ran a thought of the shock of contact gleamed in his mind He
expected a great concussion when the two bodies of troops crashed together This
became a part of his wild battlemadness He could feel the onward swing of the
regiment about him and he conceived of a thunderous crushing blow that would
prostrate the resistance and spread consternation and amazement for miles The
flying regiment was going to have a catapultian effect This dream made him run
faster among his comrades who were giving vent to hoarse and frantic cheers
But presently he could see that many of the men in grey did not intend to
abide the blow The smoke rolling disclosed men who ran their faces still
turned These grew to a crowd who retired stubbornly Individuals wheeled
frequently to send a bullet at the blue wave
But at one part of the line there was a grim and obdurate group that made no
movement They were settled firmly down behind posts and rails A flag ruffled
and fierce waved over them and their rifles dinned fiercely
The blue whirl of men got very near until it semed that in truth there would
be a close and frightful scuffle There was an expressed disdain in the
opposition of the little group that changed the meaning of the cheers of the
men in blue They became yells of wrath directed personal The cries of the
two parties were now in sound an interchange of scathing insults
They in blue showed their teeth their eyes shone all white They launched
themselves as at the throats of those who stood resisting The space between
dwindled to an insignificant distance
The youth had centred the gaze of his soul upon that other flag Its
possession would be high pride It would express bloody minglings near blows
He had a gigantic hatred for those who made great difficulties and
complications They caused it to be as a craved treasure of mythology hung amid
tasks and contrivances of danger
He plunged like a mad horse at it He was resolved it should not escape if
wild blows and darings of blows could seize it His own emblem quivering and
aflare was winging toward the other It seemed there would shortly be an
encounter of strange beaks and claws as of eagles
The swirling body of blue men came to a sudden halt at close and disastrous
range and roared a swift volley The group in grey was split and broken by this
fire but its riddled body still fought The men in blue yelled again and rushed
in upon it
The youth in his leapings saw as through a mist a picture of four or five
men stretched upon the ground or writhing upon their knees with bowed heads as
if they had been stricken by bolts from the sky Tottering among them was the
rival colorbearer whom the youth saw had been bitten vitally by the bullets of
the last formidable volley He perceived this man fighting a last struggle the
struggle of one whose legs are grasped by demons It was a ghastly battle Over
his face was the bleach of death but set upon it was the dark and hard lines of
desperate purpose With this terrible grin of resolution he hugged his precious
flag to him and was stumbling and staggering in his design to go the way that
led to safety for it
But his wounds always made it seem that his feet were retarded held and he
fought a grim fight as with invisible ghouls fastened greedily upon his limbs
Those in advance of the scampering blue men howling cheers leaped at the
fence The despair of the lost was in his eyes as he glanced back at them
The youths friend went over the obstruction in a tumbling heap and sprang
at the flag as a panther at prey He pulled at it and wrenching it free swung
up its red brilliancy with a mad cry of exultation even as the colorbearer
gasping lurched over in a final throe and stiffening convulsively turned his
dead face to the ground There was much blood upon the grassblades
At the place of success there began more wild clamorings of cheers The men
gesticulated and bellowed in an ecstasy When they spoke it was as if they
considered their listener to be a mile away What hats and caps were left to
them they often slung high in the air
At one part of the line four men had been swooped upon and they now sat as
prisoners Some blue men were about them in an eager and curious circle The
soldiers had trapped strange birds and there was an examination A flurry of
fast questions was in the air
One of the prisoners was nursing a superficial wound in the foot He cuddled
it babywise but he looked up from it often to curse with an astonishing utter
abandon straight at the noses of his captors He consigned them to red regions
he called upon the pestilential wrath of strange gods And with it all he was
singularly free from recognition of the finer points of the conduct of
prisonersofwar It was as if a clumsy clod had trod upon his toe and he
conceived it to be his privilege his duty to use deep resentful oaths
Another who was a boy in years took his plight with great calmness and
apparent goodnature He conversed with the men in blue studying their faces
with his bright and keen eyes They spoke of battles and conditions There was
an acute interest in all their faces during this exchange of viewpoints It
seemed a great satisfaction to hear voices from where all had been darkness and
speculation
The third captive sat with a morose countenance He preserved a stoical and
cold attitude To all advances he made one reply without variation »Ah go t
hell«
The last of the four was always silent and for the most part kept his face
turned in unmolested directions From the views the youth received he seemed to
be in a state of absolute dejection Shame was upon him and with it profound
regret that he was perhaps no more to be counted in the ranks of his fellows
The youth could detect no expression that would allow him to believe that the
other was giving a thought to his narrowed future the pictured dungeons
perhaps and starvations and brutalities liable to the imagination All to be
seen was shame for captivity and regret for the right to antagonize
After the men had celebrated sufficiently they settled down behind the old
rail fence on the opposite side to the one from which their foes had been
driven A few shot perfunctorily at distant marks
There was some long grass The youth nestled in it and rested making a
convenient rail support the flag His friend jubilant and glorified holding
his treasure with vanity came to him there They sat side by side and
congratulated each other
Chapter XXIV
The roarings that had stretched in a long line of sound across the face of the
forest began to grow intermittent and weaker The stentorian speeches of the
artillery continued in some distant encounter but the crashes of the musketry
had almost ceased The youth and his friend of a sudden looked up feeling a
deadened form of distress at the waning of these noises which had become a part
of life They could see changes going on among the troops There were marchings
this way and that way A battery wheeled leisurely On the crest of a small hill
was the thick gleam of many departing muskets
The youth arose »Well what now I wonder« he said By his tone he seemed
to be preparing to resent some new monstrosity in the way of dins and smashes
He shaded his eyes with his grimy hand and gazed over the field
His friend also arose and stared »I bet were goin t git along outa this
an back over th river« said he
»Well I swan« said the youth
They waited watching Within a little while the regiment received orders
to retrace its way The men got up grunting from the grass regretting the soft
repose They jerked their stiffened legs and stretched their arms over their
heads One man swore as he rubbed his eyes They all groaned »Oh Lord« They
had as many objections to this change as they would have had to a proposal for a
new battle
They tramped slowly back over the field across which they had run in a mad
scamper
The regiment marched until it had joined its fellows The reformed brigade
in column aimed through a wood at the road Directly they were in a mass of
dustcovered troops and were trudging along in a way parallel to the enemys
lines as these had been defined by the previous turmoil
They passed within view of the stolid white house and saw in front of it
groups of their comrades lying in wait behind a neat breastwork A row of guns
were booming at a distant enemy Shells thrown in reply were raising clouds of
dust and splinters Horsemen dashed along the line of entrenchments
At this point of its march the division curved away from the field and went
winding off in the direction of the river When the significance of this
movement had impressed itself upon the youth he turned his head and looked over
his shoulder toward the trampled and debrisstrewed ground He breathed a breath
of new satisfaction He finally nudged his friend »Well its all over« he
said to him
His friend gazed backward »BGawd it is« he assented They mused
For a time the youth was obliged to reflect in a puzzled and uncertain way
His mind was undergoing a subtle change It took moments for it to cast off its
battleful ways and resume its accustomed course of thought Gradually his brain
emerged from the clogged clouds and at last he was enabled to more closely
comprehend himself and circumstance
He understood then that the existence of shot and countershot was in the
past He had dwelt in a land of strange squalling upheavals and had come
forth He had been where there was red of blood and black of passion and he was
escaped His first thoughts were given to rejoicings at this fact
Later he began to study his deeds his failures and his achievements Thus
fresh from scenes where many of his usual machines of reflection had been idle
from where he had proceeded sheeplike he struggled to marshal all his acts
At last they marched before him clearly From this present viewpoint he
was enabled to look upon them in spectator fashion and to criticise them with
some correctness for his new condition had already defeated certain sympathies
Regarding his procession of memory he felt gleeful and unregretting for
in it his public deeds were paraded in great and shining prominence Those
performances which had been witnessed by his fellows marched now in wide purple
and gold hiding various deflections They went gaily with music It was
pleasure to watch these things He spent delightful minutes viewing the gilded
images of memory
He saw that he was good He recalled with a thrill of joy the respectful
comments of his fellows upon his conduct
Nevertheless the ghost of his flight from the first engagement appeared to
him and danced There were small shoutings in his brain about these matters For
a moment he blushed and the light of his soul flickered with shame
A spectre of reproach came to him There loomed the dogging memory of the
tattered soldier he who gored by bullets and faint for blood had fretted
concerning an imagined wound in another he who had loaned his last of strength
and intellect for the tall soldier he who blind with weariness and pain had
been deserted in the field
For an instant a wretched chill of sweat was upon him at the thought that
he might be detected in the thing As it stood persistently before his vision
he gave vent to a cry of sharp irritation and agony
His friend turned »Whats th matter Henry« he demanded The youths
reply was an outburst of crimson oaths
As he marched along the little branchhung roadway among his prattling
companions this vision of cruelty brooded over him It clung near him always
and darkened his view of the deeds in purple and gold Whichever way his
thoughts turned they were followed by the sombre phantom of the desertion in
the fields He looked stealthily at his companions feeling sure that they must
discern in his face evidences of this pursuit But they were plodding in ragged
array discussing with quick tongues the accomplishments of the late battle
»Oh if a man should come up an ask me Id say we got a dum good lickin«
»Lickin in yer eye We aint licked sonny Were goin down here aways
swing aroun an come in behint em«
»Oh hush with yer comin in behint em Ive seen all a that I wanta
Dont tell me about comin in behint «
»Bill Smithers he ses hed rather been in ten hunderd battles than been in
that heluva hospital He ses they got shootin in th nighttime an shells
dropped plum among em in th hospital He ses sech hollerin he never see«
»Hasbrouck Hes th best offcer in this here regment Hes a Whale«
»Didnt I tell yeh wed come aroun in behint em Didnt I tell yeh so We
«
»Oh shet yer mouth«
For a time this pursuing recollection of the tattered man took all elation
from the youths veins He saw his vivid error and he was afraid that it would
stand before him all of his life He took no share in the chatter of his
comrades nor did he look at them or know them save when he felt sudden
suspicion that they were seeing his thoughts and scrutinizing each detail of the
scene with the tattered soldier
Yet gradually he mustered force to put the sin at a distance And at last
his eyes seemed to open to some new ways He found that he could look back upon
the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly He was gleeful
when he discovered that he now despised them
With this conviction came a store of assurance He felt a quiet manhood
nonassertive but of sturdy and strong blood He knew that he would no more
quail before his guides wherever they should point He had been to touch the
great death and found that after all it was but the great death He was a man
So it came to pass that as he trudged from the place of blood and wrath his
soul changed He came from hotploughshares to prospects of clover tranquility
and it was as if hotploughshares were not Scars faded as flowers
It rained The procession of weary soldiers became a bedraggled train
despondent and muttering marching with churning effort in a trough of liquid
brown mud under a low wretched sky Yet the youth smiled for he saw that the
world was a world for him though many discovered it to be made of oaths and
walkingsticks He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle The sultry
nightmare was in the past He had been an animal blistered and sweating in the
heat and pain of war He turned now with a lovers thirst to images of tranquil
skies fresh meadows cool brooks an existence of soft and eternal peace
Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain
clouds