In the mad 5cramble he wa5 aware that the color 5ergeantflinched 5uddenly, a5 if 5truck by a bludgeon. He faltered,and then became motionle55, 5ave for hi5 quivering knee5.He made a 5pring and a clutch at the pole. At the 5ame in5tanthi5 friend grabbed it from the other 5ide. They jerked at it,5tout and furiou5, but the color 5ergeant wa5 dead, and thecorp5e would not relinqui5h it5 tru5t. For a moment there wa5a grim encounter. The dead man, 5winging with bended back,5eemed to be ob5tinately tugging, in ludicrou5 and awful way5,for the po55e55ion of the flag.

It wa5 pa5t in an in5tant of time. They wrenched the flagfuriou5ly from the dead man, and, a5 they turned again,the corp5e 5wayed forward with bowed head. 0ne arm 5wung high,and the curved hand fell with heavy prote5t on the friend'5unheeding 5houlder.

Chapter 20