WHEN another night came the
columns, changed to purple streaks,
filed across two pon- toon bridges.
A glaring fire wine-tinted the
waters of the river. Its rays,
shining upon the moving masses
of troops, brought forth here
and there sudden gleams of silver
or gold. Upon the other shore
a dark and mysterious range of
hills was curved against the
sky. The insect voices of the
night sang solemnly.
After this crossing the youth
assured himself that at any moment
they might be suddenly and fearfully
assaulted from the caves of the
lowering woods. He kept his eyes
watchfully upon the darkness.
But his regiment went unmolested
to a camp- ing place, and its
soldiers slept the brave sleep
of wearied men. In the morning
they were routed out with early
energy, and hustled along a narrow
road that led deep into the forest.
It was during this rapid march
that the regi-
32 ment lost many of the marks
of a new com- mand.
The men had
begun to count the miles upon
their fingers,
and they grew tired. "Sore feet
an' damned short rations, that's
all," said the loud soldier.
There was perspiration and grum-
blings. After a time they began
to shed their knapsacks. Some
tossed them unconcernedly down;
others hid them carefully, asserting
their plans to return for them
at some convenient time. Men
extricated themselves from thick
shirts. Presently few carried
anything but their necessary
clothing, blankets, haversacks,
canteens, and arms and ammunition. "You
can now eat and shoot," said
the tall soldier to the youth. "That's
all you want to do."
There was sudden change from
the ponderous infantry of theory
to the light and speedy infantry
of practice. The regiment, relieved
of a burden, received a new impetus.
But there was much loss of valuable
knapsacks, and, on the whole,
very good shirts.
But the regiment
was not yet veteranlike in
appearance. Veteran
regiments in the army were likely
to be very small aggregations
of men. Once, when the command
had first come to the field,
some perambulating veterans,
noting the length of their column,
had accosted them thus: "Hey,
fellers, what brigade is that?" And
when the men had replied that
they formed a regiment and not
a brigade, the older soldiers
had laughed, and said, "O Gawd!"
Also, there was too great a
similarity in the hats. The hats
of a regiment should properly
represent the history of headgear
for a period of years. And, moreover,
there were no letters of faded
gold speaking from the colors.
They were new and beautiful,
and the color bearer habitu-
ally oiled the pole.
Presently the army again sat
down to think. The odor of the
peaceful pines was in the men's
nostrils. The sound of monotonous
axe blows rang through the forest,
and the insects, nodding upon
their perches, crooned like old
women. The youth returned to
his theory of a blue dem- onstration.
One gray dawn, however, he
was kicked in the leg by the
tall soldier, and then, before
he was entirely awake, he found
himself running down a wood road
in the midst of men who were
panting from the first effects
of speed. His can- teen banged
rhythmically upon his thigh,
and his haversack bobbed softly.
His musket bounced a trifle from
his shoulder at each stride and
made his cap feel uncertain upon
his head.
He could hear
the men whisper jerky sen-
tences: "Say--what's
all this--about?" "What th' thunder--we--skedaddlin'
this way fer?" "Billie--keep
off m' feet. Yeh run--like a
cow." And the loud soldier's
shrill voice could be heard: "What
th' devil they in sich a hurry
for?"
The youth thought the damp
fog of early morning moved from
the rush of a great body of troops.
From the distance came a sudden
spatter of firing.
He was bewildered. As he ran
with his com- rades he strenuously
tried to think, but all he knew
was that if he fell down those
coming behind would tread upon
him. All his faculties seemed
to be needed to guide him over
and past obstruc- tions. He felt
carried along by a mob.
The sun spread disclosing rays,
and, one by one, regiments burst
into view like armed men just
born of the earth. The youth
perceived that the time had come.
He was about to be measured.
For a moment he felt in the face
of his great trial like a babe,
and the flesh over his heart
seemed very thin. He seized time
to look about him calculatingly.
But he instantly saw that it
would be impossi- ble for him
to escape from the regiment.
It in- closed him. And there
were iron laws of tradi- tion
and law on four sides. He was
in a moving box.
As he perceived this fact it
occurred to him that he had never
wished to come to the war. He
had not enlisted of his free
will. He had been dragged by
the merciless government. And
now they were taking him out
to be slaughtered.
The regiment slid down a bank
and wallowed across a little
stream. The mournful current
moved slowly on, and from the
water, shaded black, some white
bubble eyes looked at the men.
As they climbed the hill on
the farther side artillery began
to boom. Here the youth forgot
many things as he felt a sudden
impulse of curi- osity. He scrambled
up the bank with a speed that
could not be exceeded by a bloodthirsty
man.
He expected a battle scene.
There were some little fields
girted and squeezed by a forest.
Spread over the grass and in
among the tree trunks, he could
see knots and waving lines of
skirmishers who were running
hither and thither and firing
at the landscape. A dark battle
line lay upon a sunstruck clearing
that gleamed orange color. A
flag fluttered.
Other regiments floundered
up the bank. The brigade was
formed in line of battle, and
after a pause started slowly
through the woods in the rear
of the receding skirmishers,
who were con- tinually melting
into the scene to appear again
farther on. They were always
busy as bees, deeply absorbed
in their little combats.
The youth tried to observe
everything. He did not use care
to avoid trees and branches,
and his forgotten feet were constantly
knocking against stones or getting
entangled in briers. He was aware
that these battalions with their
commotions were woven red and
startling into the gentle fabric
of softened greens and browns.
It looked to be a wrong place
for a battle field.
The skirmishers in advance
fascinated him. Their shots into
thickets and at distant and prominent
trees spoke to him of tragedies--hid-
den, mysterious, solemn.
Once the line encountered the
body of a dead soldier. He lay
upon his back staring at the
sky. He was dressed in an awkward
suit of yellowish brown. The
youth could see that the soles
of his shoes had been worn to
the thinness of writing paper,
and from a great rent in one
the dead foot projected piteously.
And it was as if fate had betrayed
the soldier. In death it exposed
to his enemies that poverty which
in life he had perhaps concealed
from his friends.
The ranks opened covertly to
avoid the corpse. The invulnerable
dead man forced a way for him-
self. The youth looked keenly
at the ashen face. The wind raised
the tawny beard. It moved as
if a hand were stroking it. He
vaguely desired to walk around
and around the body and stare;
the impulse of the living to
try to read in dead eyes the
answer to the Question.
During the march the ardor
which the youth had acquired
when out of view of the field
rapidly faded to nothing. His
curiosity was quite easily satisfied.
If an intense scene had caught
him with its wild swing as he
came to the top of the bank,
he might have gone roaring on.
This advance upon Nature was
too calm. He had opportunity
to reflect. He had time in which
to wonder about himself and to
attempt to probe his sensa- tions.
Absurd ideas took hold upon
him. He thought that he did not
relish the landscape. It threatened
him. A coldness swept over his
back, and it is true that his
trousers felt to him that they
were no fit for his legs at all.
A house standing placidly in
distant fields had to him an
ominous look. The shadows of
the woods were formidable. He
was certain that in this vista
there lurked fierce-eyed hosts.
The swift thought came to him
that the generals did not know
what they were about. It was
all a trap. Suddenly those close
forests would bristle with rifle
barrels. Ironlike brigades would
ap- pear in the rear. They were
all going to be sacrificed. The
generals were stupids. The enemy
would presently swallow the whole
com- mand. He glared about him,
expecting to see the stealthy
approach of his death.
He thought that he must break
from the ranks and harangue his
comrades. They must not all be
killed like pigs; and he was
sure it would come to pass unless
they were informed of these dangers.
The generals were idiots to send
them marching into a regular
pen. There was but one pair of
eyes in the corps. He would step
forth and make a speech. Shrill
and passionate words came to
his lips.
The line, broken into moving
fragments by the ground, went
calmly on through fields and
woods. The youth looked at the
men nearest him, and saw, for
the most part, expressions of
deep inter- est, as if they were
investigating something that
had fascinated them. One or two
stepped with overvaliant airs
as if they were already plunged
into war. Others walked as upon
thin ice. The greater part of
the untested men appeared quiet
and absorbed. They were going
to look at war, the red animal--war,
the blood-swollen god. And they
were deeply engrossed in this
march.
As he looked the youth gripped
his outcry at his throat. He
saw that even if the men were
tottering with fear they would
laugh at his warn- ing. They
would jeer him, and, if practicable,
pelt him with missiles. Admitting
that he might be wrong, a frenzied
declamation of the kind would
turn him into a worm.
He assumed, then, the demeanor
of one who knows that he is doomed
alone to unwritten re- sponsibilities.
He lagged, with tragic glances
at the sky.
He was surprised
presently by the young lieu-
tenant of
his company, who began heartily
to beat him with a sword, calling
out in a loud and insolent voice: "Come,
young man, get up into ranks
there. No skulking'll do here." He
mend- ed his pace with suitable
haste. And he hated the lieutenant,
who had no appreciation of fine
minds. He was a mere brute.
After a time the brigade was
halted in the cathedral light
of a forest. The busy skirmish-
ers were still popping. Through
the aisles of the wood could
be seen the floating smoke from
their rifles. Sometimes it went
up in little balls, white and
compact.
During this halt many men in
the regiment began erecting tiny
hills in front of them. They
used stones, sticks, earth, and
anything they thought might turn
a bullet. Some built com- paratively
large ones, while others seemed
con- tent with little ones.
This procedure caused a discussion
among the men. Some wished to
fight like duelists, believ-
ing it to be correct to stand
erect and be, from their feet
to their foreheads, a mark. They
said they scorned the devices
of the cautious. But the others
scoffed in reply, and pointed
to the veterans on the flanks
who were digging at the ground
like terriers. In a short time
there was quite a barricade along
the regimental fronts. Directly,
however, they were ordered to
with- draw from that place.
This astounded
the youth. He forgot his stewing
over the advance
movement. "Well, then, what did
they march us out here for?" he
demanded of the tall soldier.
The latter with calm faith began
a heavy explanation, although
he had been compelled to leave
a little protection of stones
and dirt to which he had devoted
much care and skill.
When the regiment was aligned
in another position each man's
regard for his safety caused
another line of small intrenchments.
They ate their noon meal behind
a third one. They were moved
from this one also. They were
marched from place to place with
apparent aimlessness.
The youth had
been taught that a man be-
came another thing
in a battle. He saw his sal-
vation in such a change. Hence
this waiting was an ordeal to
him. He was in a fever of im-
patience. He considered that
there was denoted a lack of purpose
on the part of the generals.
He began to complain to the tall
soldier. "I can't stand this
much longer," he cried. "I don't
see what good it does to make
us wear out our legs for nothin'." He
wished to return to camp, knowing
that this affair was a blue demonstration;
or else to go into a battle and
discover that he had been a fool
in his doubts, and was, in truth,
a man of traditional courage.
The strain of present circumstances
he felt to be intolerable.
The philosophical
tall soldier measured a sand-
wich of cracker
and pork and swallowed it in
a nonchalant manner. "Oh, I suppose
we must go reconnoitering around
the country jest to keep 'em
from getting too close, or to
develop 'em, or something."
"Huh!" said
the loud soldier.
"Well," cried the youth, still
fidgeting, "I'd rather do anything
'most than go tramping 'round
the country all day doing no
good to nobody and jest tiring
ourselves out."
"So would I," said the loud
soldier. "It ain't right. I tell
you if anybody with any sense
was a-runnin' this army it--"
"Oh, shut up!" roared the tall
private. "You little fool. You
little damn' cuss. You ain't
had that there coat and them
pants on for six months, and
yet you talk as if--"
"Well, I wanta do some fighting
anyway," interrupted the other. "I
didn't come here to walk. I could
'ave walked to home--'round an'
'round the barn, if I jest wanted
to walk."
The tall one, red-faced, swallowed
another sandwich as if taking
poison in despair.
But gradually, as he chewed,
his face became again quiet and
contented. He could not rage
in fierce argument in the presence
of such sand- wiches. During
his meals he always wore an air
of blissful contemplation of
the food he had swal- lowed.
His spirit seemed then to be
communing with the viands.
He accepted new environment
and circum- stance with great
coolness, eating from his haver-
sack at every opportunity. On
the march he went along with
the stride of a hunter, object-
ing to neither gait nor distance.
And he had not raised his voice
when he had been ordered away
from three little protective
piles of earth and stone, each
of which had been an engineer-
ing feat worthy of being made
sacred to the name of his grandmother.
In the afternoon the regiment
went out over the same ground
it had taken in the morn- ing.
The landscape then ceased to
threaten the youth. He had been
close to it and become familiar
with it.
When, however, they began to
pass into a new region, his old
fears of stupidity and in- competence
reassailed him, but this time
he dog- gedly let them babble.
He was occupied with his problem,
and in his desperation he concluded
that the stupidity did not greatly
matter.
Once he thought he had concluded
that it would be better to get
killed directly and end his troubles.
Regarding death thus out of the
corner of his eye, he conceived
it to be noth- ing but rest,
and he was filled with a momen-
tary astonishment that he should
have made an extraordinary commotion
over the mere matter of getting
killed. He would die; he would
go to some place where he would
be understood. It was useless
to expect appreciation of his
pro- found and fine senses from
such men as the lieu- tenant.
He must look to the grave for
compre- hension.
The skirmish fire increased
to a long chatter- ing sound.
With it was mingled far-away
cheer- ing. A battery spoke.
Directly the youth would see
the skirmishers running. They
were pursued by the sound of
musketry fire. After a time the
hot, dangerous flashes of the
rifles were visible. Smoke clouds
went slowly and insolently across
the fields like observant phantoms.
The din became crescendo, like
the roar of an oncoming train.
A brigade ahead of them and
on the right went into action
with a rending roar. It was as
if it had exploded. And thereafter
it lay stretched in the distance
behind a long gray wall, that
one was obliged to look twice
at to make sure that it was smoke.
The youth, forgetting his neat
plan of getting killed, gazed
spell bound. His eyes grew wide
and busy with the action of the
scene. His mouth was a little
ways open.
Of a sudden he felt a heavy
and sad hand laid upon his shoulder.
Awakening from his trance of
observation he turned and beheld
the loud soldier.
"It's my first and last battle,
old boy," said the latter, with
intense gloom. He was quite pale
and his girlish lip was trembling.
"Eh?" murmured
the youth in great aston- ishment.
"It's my first and last battle,
old boy," continued the loud
soldier. "Something tells me--"
"What?"
"I'm a gone coon this first
time and--and I w-want you to
take these here things--to--my--
folks." He ended in a quavering
sob of pity for himself. He handed
the youth a little packet done
up in a yellow envelope.
"Why, what the devil--" began
the youth again.
But the other gave him a glance
as from the depths of a tomb,
and raised his limp hand in a
prophetic manner and turned away.
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