The General’s orders were to hold the border, but Thomas was beginning to feel it was a lost cause. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the tip of his bayonet, giving himself a slight gash as he did so.
One of his men came running up the trench.
“Captain Lewis!” The soldier cried. “The enemy’s been spotted over the ridge!”
“Prepare the cannons.” Thomas declared, tasting a trickle of his own blood.
“Nasty cut you’ve got there, Captain.”
“Damn it, Clancy! There is an entire army marching here to devour us alive! Get. Those. Cannons!” Clancy scurried off, leaving Thomas alone with the feeling of impending doom.
The surviving soldiers were later commended for their bravery and unlikely victory that fateful day. Captain Lewis, however, perished shortly after the battle – blood poisoning from a small wound sustained to the head – and was forced to accept his medal posthumously.
Jess
