The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-08-08


house. had been fortified by the Aus.
trians. Two batteries. stationed
there. poured q deadly fire Own the
incline on the thir.! army corps. that
was attempting to join tie havarjan
forces. and thus close fast the lion
circle around the emery. Hardly a
quarter Of a mile intervclei between
these two ends OF the German ~rmy,
but this space. small as It was. stiil
afforded to the cucn- an easy escape,
unless tie gu trim pa; tsries on the
hills were silen"ed at once.
Won Lingen's regiment had not
been brought into action as yet, and
he was talking with his colonel when
an orderly galloped up and delivered
the colonel q written order. The OLD
officer handed the order to the lieu
tenant, and ordered him to his post.
The hill must be taken, even If q
brigade were sacrificed.
A. v. Lingen was riding to his
company he heard the beat of hoofs
behind him. and Karl came gallop-
ing past. He waved his hand to-
ward the hill as he rode by. There
is my home" he shouted back over
his shoulder. ..Vive Ia guerrem
v. Lingen refined in his horse SO alb
ruptly that the animal recoiled on its
launches. This. then, was the peace
full house he had dreamed of last
night. Perhaps she was there behind
the Austrian batteries, and his heart
beat faster at the very thought of
being near her. He had little time
for thought, however. for the troops
soon deplOyed on to the open and be-
gan the ascent of the hill. Half way
up a shell struck his horse in tho
chest, and he only had time to swing
himself from the saddle as the ami
NAL reared and came down on its
back. Tearing of his useless belt
and scabbard, he rushed on on foot
The guns moved great gaps in the
ranks, but the men behind pushed
on. filed up the empty spaces. and
trsmpled under foot their wounded
comrades.
reach the batteries He sprang upon
Q cannon. and made q desperate
thrust at the gunner. who was about
to fire his piece. The man PARTED
the blow with his naked hand. and
Selling the blade as it passed. he
snapped it with q tremendous effort
of his wrist. leaving the hilt with q
Jew inches of steel in v. Lingen's
hand. The officer recovering him
self dashed his useless sword in his
enemy's face and rushed on.
The Prussians were coming up the
hill in great numbers and almost all
the cannon had been taken. But
although the batteries had been
silenced. the Austri9ns, having
barricaded the house, were keeping
up murderous fire from the windows.
The front door stood at the bottom
Of the three-sided court. and was
defended on all sides by men in the
second and third stories of the house.
It was the only practical entrance,
and ivolunteers were called to force
1t. Some twenty men rushed forward
and threw themselves against the
oaken panels. but the door was held
by great bolts inside, and their
efforts were useless. Before they
could make second attempt almost
all of them had fallen under the
tremendous fire poured down upon
them from the windows.
The regiment was in q dangerous
position. After having captured the
batteries, 1t was exposed to almost az
fatal q fusilade from the barricaded
house. There was q moment OF in
decision. Suddenly . squad OF men,
headed by v. Lingen. ran forward.
carrying . great beam on their
shoulders. The door resounded under
tho repeated attacks of this bsttering
ram, but one by one the men fell.
and the icon bolts still held. Won
Lingen still grasping his broken
sword. urgel tho mon on. waving his
arms and shouting words of encour-
agement Moment by moment the
blows Of the ram grew weaker until
finally It dropped from the hands Of
tho last unwounded man. Won Lingen
stood there alone Leaping up the
steps. he threw his weight against
tho door and beat upon it with his
sword hilt
Weakened by repeated attacks. the
bolts suddenly gave way. and the
great door fell inwards. crushing from
its hinges. The room WAS black with
smoke and the figure Of the officer
stood out in bold relief against the
darkness When Y. Lingen saw
nothing but the smoky interior of the
room. and could not tell whether
there was any one in it or not, he
raised his voice and cried:
'Marie. Marie"
At first there was no answer. but
rs he called again, he seemed to hear
. voice, her voice, answering him out
of the depths OF the low. dark room:
20 hospes salve."
Grasping the door-post with one