Whenthetwoyouthsturnedwiththeflagtheysawthatmuchoftheregimenthadcrumbledaway,andthedejectedremnantwascomingslowlyback. Themen,havinghurledthemselvesinprojectilefashion,hadpresentlyexpendedtheirforces. Theyslowlyretreated,withtheirfacesstilltowardthesplutteringwoods,andtheirhotriflesstillreplyingtothedin. Severalofficersweregivingorders,theirvoiceskeyedtoscreams. “Whereinhellyehgoin’?”thelieutenantwasaskinginasarcastichowl. Andared-beardedofficer,whosevoiceoftriplebrasscouldplainlybeheard,wascommanding:“Shootinto‘em!Shootinto‘em,Gawddamntheirsouls!” Therewasameleeofscreeches,inwhichthemenwereorderedtodoconflictingandimpossiblethings. Theyouthandhisfriendhadasmallscuffleovertheflag.“Giveitt’me!” “No,letmekeepit!”Eachfeltsatisfiedwiththeother’spossessionofit,buteachfeltboundtodeclare,byanoffertocarrytheemblem,hiswillingnesstofurtherriskhimself. Theyouthroughlypushedhisfriendaway. Theregimentfellbacktothestolidtrees. Thereithaltedforamomenttoblazeatsomedarkformsthathadbeguntostealuponitstrack. Presentlyitresumeditsmarchagain,curvingamongthetreetrunks. Bythetimethedepletedregimenthadagainreachedthefirstopenspacetheywerereceivingafastandmercilessfire.Thereseemedtobemobsallaboutthem. Thegreaterpartofthemen,discouraged,theirspiritswornbytheturmoil,actedasifstunned. Theyacceptedthepeltingofthebulletswithbowedandwearyheads. Itwasofnopurposetostriveagainstwalls. Itwasofnousetobatterthemselvesagainstgranite. Andfromthisconsciousnessthattheyhadattemptedtoconqueranunconquerablethingthereseemedtoariseafeelingthattheyhadbeenbetrayed. Theygloweredwithbentbrows,butdangerously,uponsomeoftheofficers,moreparticularlyuponthered-beardedonewiththevoiceoftriplebrass. However,therearoftheregimentwasfringedwithmen,whocontinuedtoshootirritablyattheadvancingfoes. Theyseemedresolvedtomakeeverytrouble. Theyouthfullieutenantwasperhapsthelastmaninthedisorderedmass. Hisforgottenbackwastowardtheenemy.Hehadbeenshotinthearm.Ithungstraightandrigid. Occasionallyhewouldceasetorememberit,andbeabouttoemphasizeanoathwithasweepinggesture. Themultipliedpaincausedhimtoswearwithincrediblepower. Theyouthwentalongwithslippinguncertainfeet.Hekeptwatchfuleyesrearward. Ascowlofmortificationandragewasuponhisface. Hehadthoughtofafinerevengeupontheofficerwhohadreferredtohimandhisfellowsasmuledrivers. Buthesawthatitcouldnotcometopass. Hisdreamshadcollapsedwhenthemuledrivers,dwindlingrapidly,hadwaveredandhesitatedonthelittleclearing,andthenhadrecoiled. Andnowtheretreatofthemuledriverswasamarchofshametohim. Adagger-pointedgazefromwithouthisblackenedfacewasheldtowardtheenemy,buthisgreaterhatredwasrivetedupontheman,who,notknowinghim,hadcalledhimamuledriver. Whenheknewthatheandhiscomradeshadfailedtodoanythinginsuccessfulwaysthatmightbringthelittlepangsofakindofremorseupontheofficer,theyouthallowedtherageofthebaffledtopossesshim. Thiscoldofficeruponamonument,whodroppedepithetsunconcernedlydown,wouldbefinerasadeadman,hethought. Sogrievousdidhethinkitthathecouldneverpossessthesecretrighttotaunttrulyinanswer. Hehadpicturedredlettersofcuriousrevenge.“WeAREmuledrivers,arewe?”Andnowhewascompelledtothrowthemaway. Hepresentlywrappedhisheartinthecloakofhisprideandkepttheflagerect. Heharanguedhisfellows,pushingagainsttheirchestswithhisfreehand. Tothoseheknewwellhemadefranticappeals,beseechingthembyname. Betweenhimandthelieutenant,scoldingandneartolosinghismindwithrage,therewasfeltasubtlefellowshipandequality. Theysupportedeachotherinallmannerofhoarse,howlingprotests. Buttheregimentwasamachinerundown. Thetwomenbabbledataforcelessthing. Thesoldierswhohadhearttogoslowlywerecontinuallyshakenintheirresolvesbyaknowledgethatcomradeswereslippingwithspeedbacktothelines. Itwasdifficulttothinkofreputationwhenotherswerethinkingofskins. Woundedmenwereleftcryingonthisblackjourney. Thesmokefringesandflamesblusteredalways. Theyouth,peeringoncethroughasuddenriftinacloud,sawabrownmassoftroops,interwovenandmagnifieduntiltheyappearedtobethousands. Afierce-huedflagflashedbeforehisvision. Immediately,asiftheupliftingofthesmokehadbeenprearranged,thediscoveredtroopsburstintoaraspingyell,andahundredflamesjettedtowardtheretreatingband. Arollinggraycloudagaininterposedastheregimentdoggedlyreplied. Theyouthhadtodependagainuponhismisusedears,whichweretremblingandbuzzingfromthemeleeofmusketryandyells. Thewayseemedeternal.Inthecloudedhazemenbecamepanic-strickenwiththethoughtthattheregimenthadlostitspath,andwasproceedinginaperilousdirection. Oncethemenwhoheadedthewildprocessionturnedandcamepushingbackagainsttheircomrades,screamingthattheywerebeingfireduponfrompointswhichtheyhadconsideredtobetowardtheirownlines. Atthiscryahystericalfearanddismaybesetthetroops. Asoldier,whoheretoforehadbeenambitioustomaketheregimentintoawiselittlebandthatwouldproceedcalmlyamidthehuge-appearingdifficulties,suddenlysankdownandburiedhisfaceinhisarmswithanairofbowingtoadoom. Fromanotherashrilllamentationrangoutfilledwithprofaneallusionstoageneral. Menranhitherandthither,seekingwiththeireyesroadsofescape. Withsereneregularity,asifcontrolledbyaschedule,bulletsbuffedintomen. Theyouthwalkedstolidlyintothemidstofthemob,andwithhisflaginhishandstookastandasifheexpectedanattempttopushhimtotheground. Heunconsciouslyassumedtheattitudeofthecolorbearerinthefightoftheprecedingday. Hepassedoverhisbrowahandthattrembled.Hisbreathdidnotcomefreely. Hewaschokingduringthissmallwaitforthecrisis. Hisfriendcametohim.“Well,Henry,Iguessthisisgood-by-John.” “Oh,shutup,youdamnedfool!”repliedtheyouth,andhewouldnotlookattheother. Theofficerslaboredlikepoliticianstobeatthemassintoapropercircletofacethemenaces.Thegroundwasunevenandtorn. Themencurledintodepressionsandfittedthemselvessnuglybehindwhateverwouldfrustrateabullet. Theyouthnotedwithvaguesurprisethatthelieutenantwasstandingmutelywithhislegsfarapartandhisswordheldinthemannerofacane. Theyouthwonderedwhathadhappenedtohisvocalorgansthathenomorecursed. Therewassomethingcuriousinthislittleintentpauseofthelieutenant. Hewaslikeababewhich,havingweptitsfill,raisesitseyesandfixesuponadistanttoy. Hewasengrossedinthiscontemplation,andthesoftunderlipquiveredfromself-whisperedwords. Somelazyandignorantsmokecurledslowly.Themen,hidingfromthebullets,waitedanxiouslyforittoliftanddisclosetheplightoftheregiment. Thesilentranksweresuddenlythrilledbytheeagervoiceoftheyouthfullieutenantbawlingout:“Heretheycome!Rightontous,b’Gawd!” Hisfurtherwordswerelostinaroarofwickedthunderfromthemen’srifles. Theyouth’seyeshadinstantlyturnedinthedirectionindicatedbytheawakenedandagitatedlieutenant,andhehadseenthehazeoftreacherydisclosingabodyofsoldiersoftheenemy. Theyweresonearthathecouldseetheirfeatures. Therewasarecognitionashelookedatthetypesoffaces. Alsoheperceivedwithdimamazementthattheiruniformswererathergayineffect,beinglightgray,accentedwithabrilliant-huedfacing.Too,theclothesseemednew. Thesetroopshadapparentlybeengoingforwardwithcaution,theirriflesheldinreadiness,whentheyouthfullieutenanthaddiscoveredthemandtheirmovementhadbeeninterruptedbythevolleyfromtheblueregiment. Fromthemoment’sglimpse,itwasderivedthattheyhadbeenunawareoftheproximityoftheirdark-suitedfoesorhadmistakenthedirection. Almostinstantlytheywereshututterlyfromtheyouth’ssightbythesmokefromtheenergeticriflesofhiscompanions. Hestrainedhisvisiontolearntheaccomplishmentofthevolley,butthesmokehungbeforehim. Thetwobodiesoftroopsexchangedblowsinthemannerofapairofboxers. Thefastangryfiringswentbackandforth. Themeninbluewereintentwiththedespairoftheircircumstancesandtheyseizedupontherevengetobehadatcloserange.Theirthunderswelledloudandvaliant. Theircurvingfrontbristledwithflashesandtheplaceresoundedwiththeclangoroftheirramrods. Theyouthduckedanddodgedforatimeandachievedafewunsatisfactoryviewsoftheenemy. Thereappearedtobemanyofthemandtheywerereplyingswiftly. Theyseemedmovingtowardtheblueregiment,stepbystep. Heseatedhimselfgloomilyonthegroundwithhisflagbetweenhisknees. Ashenotedthevicious,wolfliketemperofhiscomradeshehadasweetthoughtthatiftheenemywasabouttoswallowtheregimentalbroomasalargeprisoner,itcouldatleasthavetheconsolationofgoingdownwithbristlesforward. Buttheblowsoftheantagonistbegantogrowmoreweak. Fewerbulletsrippedtheair,andfinally,whenthemenslackenedtolearnofthefight,theycouldseeonlydark,floatingsmoke.Theregimentlaystillandgazed. Presentlysomechancewhimcametothepesteringblur,anditbegantocoilheavilyaway. Themensawagroundvacantoffighters. Itwouldhavebeenanemptystageifitwerenotforafewcorpsesthatlaythrownandtwistedintofantasticshapesuponthesward. Atsightofthistableau,manyofthemeninbluesprangfrombehindtheircoversandmadeanungainlydanceofjoy.Theireyesburnedandahoarsecheerofelationbrokefromtheirdrylips. Ithadbeguntoseemtothemthateventsweretryingtoprovethattheywereimpotent. Theselittlebattleshadevidentlyendeavoredtodemonstratethatthemencouldnotfightwell. Whenonthevergeofsubmissiontotheseopinions,thesmallduelhadshowedthemthattheproportionswerenotimpossible,andbyittheyhadrevengedthemselvesupontheirmisgivingsanduponthefoe. Theimpetusofenthusiasmwastheirsagain.Theygazedaboutthemwithlooksofupliftedpride,feelingnewtrustinthegrim,alwaysconfidentweaponsintheirhands.Andtheyweremen. 
