Page:Poet Lore, volume 27, 1916.djvu/395

 Levinsky.—Then run ahead.

(Quiet once more. now deliberately throws himself on the ground.)

Spravil.—I’ll do the same. (Slowly he spreads himself on the ground.)

Levinsky (Sneering cynically).—I’ll stay and wait for you—fools. (He sits down in a waiting attitude.) We’ll stay awhile and see. (Only and  remain standing. It is growing darker now. The fires are dying out though they still color the sky line to the right. The cannonading has ceased and calmness in and about the grave-yard.)

Vichodil (Raising himself on his arm—to ).—Why don’t you either lie down, brother, or go?

Kloc.—I?

Vichodil.—Surely!—Frangner and Kreysnem fell. Benedek did not. Before the battle was over he rode to Jaromer and left us alone to fight it out. There, if you’re not full—here’s a bit of sugar beet—it’s pretty warm—but it will quiet you—here, bite on it.

Kloc (Takes the beet as though in a dream).—Stand by me brothers in blood, stand by me—I am with you—Holy Virgin Mary, stand by me. Stand by me, I beg that of you. (His body is shaking, he crosses himself, then falls to the ground.)

(It’s growing dark now.)

Havlin (Straightens out; is about to say something, then hisses).—I am revenging myself!—(And forthwith as though he was wounded falls to the ground.—Now everyone is lying down. The weak moonlight has now grown full and floods the air.—No word, no murmur, occasional sighs, deep breaths, or sounds of the stirring and stretching soldiers. A short pause.)

Vonka (Half rises and quietly otto [sic] ).—Hi, you Moravian!

Vichodil.—What

Vonka.—Can you get up?—(Motioning to the corpse near which he is lying.) We’ll have to move him out.

Vichodil.—Outside of the walls.

Vonka.—Over here is an opened grave.

Vichodil.—There then.

Vonka.—Give me a hand. Help me! ( and raise themselves.  lies down again.  alone remains sitting.)

Vichodil.—The dead are heavy.

Vonka.—They are. (They drop the corpse into the gravgrave. [sic]