The Little Regiment

; but they did not abuse it at length, because the streets of the town now contained enough galloping a

ad furnished them in more careless moments with an agreeable topic. They avoided it now as condemned men do the subject

was inevitable that a bloody battle was to be fought, and they wanted to get it off their minds. They were, however, doomed again

he roar of guns resounded from every hill. The endless cracking of the skirmishers swelled to rolling crashes of musketry. Shells scr

These cries pricked like spurs. The masses of men vibrated from the suddenness with which they were plunged

f men and horses that lay in the town. Regiment after regiment

the cloak which disguises the king of drama. It was now put aside, and

ty pageant. But as the column moved steadily to their positions, the guns, matter-of-fact warriors, doubled their number, and shells burst with red thrilling tumult on the crowded plain. One came into the ranks o

one intention. The recruits carried themselves heedlessly. At the rear was an idle battery, and three artillerymen in a foolish row on a caisson nudged each other and grinned at the recruits. "You'll catch it pretty soon," they called out. They were impersonally gleeful, as if they themselv

ck of the plain was the ridge. There was no time left for considerations. The men were staring at the plain, mightily wonderin

capable of dying, flashed in the faces of the men like coloured lights, and made them resemble leashed animals, eage

hen into the minds of the men and developed until it was a madness. The field,

ight have been swimmers. Before them the ridge, the shore of this grey sea, was outlined, crossed, an

herd of wounded horses, went over a field that wa

of men down upon him. It seemed to occur to him that he was to be trampled; he made a desperate, piteous effort to escape; then finally huddled in a waiting heap. Dan and the soldier nea

came upon the wreck of the brigade that had preceded them, a flo

but the line with muscular spasm hurled itself over this wreckage and onward, until men were

if they had come to a wall. The wave halted, shuddered in an agony from the quick struggl

re of the charge, the battle, could not make the veterans forget their business. With a last throe, the band of maniacs drew itself up and blazed a volley at the hi

men renamed their com

e Reg