Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-10

der similar to our Forward or
'Ready!'
"on they moved with dreadful, fas-
cinatins precision. They were as yet
far beyond the range of any OF the
weapons of the main army and seemed
to pay no attention to the fusilade
that our skirmishers and outposts. To-
Gated far in advance, sent among them.
The smoke of their friendly arms
| could be seen readily. but their report
could hardly be distinguished on ac-
count of the distance.
AT last the Irresistible advance
swept over these devoted lines of Skin
misherS, and with direful siyniticance
TO our main army, still too far back to
use or waste its ammunition the smoke
of their hopeless resistance died AWAY
only to show the continued onward and
unchecked movement of the barba-
rians.
And now another signal was made
by the central chief, and duly repeated
right and left as Tar as the eye could
reach. At this signal each Celestial,
without in the least altering his pecu-
liarly swinging gait. that could now be
almost individually distinguished by
the motion of the whole mass, turned
to his weapon and borne upon the air
toward us was heard Il final murmur
like the word ching, repeated in uni
son by the myriads of the host before us.
With every step they took. this word
was, uttered-'ChinS, Ching, Ching,
Ching!
AT the next signal from the man
DARN the line of pigtails in his imme-
diate vicinity opened fire into the air.
This peculiar tactics was astonishing.
but soon explained itself. The firing
line was just far enough in the rear
| to sweep Il zone commencing about
eight hundred yards in front of the
most advanced line OF the defending
army. This zone had, from the dis
tinctly visible fall of the projectiles, q
dangerous width of some 500 yards eH-
tended back.
Again a signal was given, at which
another line. the next i'll front took up
this fire and then the next, and next,
and with each successive addition to
the widening firing line the belt OF
| dangerous space leaped, as 1T were, to-
ward us almost by bounds, while the
whole are IL swept by the Spatter OF
! that rain of death kept constantly
approaching with the onward motion
of their advance.
"As the nearest ranks opened fire we
could distinguish indistinctly the ma
ture of their weapons. and excited inn
agination filled UP the description. 1t
flashed upon our lines, almost at once.
They all have Gatlings,' was the sub
dued remark muttered along the front.
Then came the order, passed along our
lines. to hold fire until the now rapidly
| approaching zone should get within 100
yards. Word was also passed along to
| encourage us that their ammunition
mid awful strain. we held our fire and
waited.
NEW CHANGE IN TACTICS.
but a new change in their tactics
now appeared. and one of boding sig
niiicance. The widening belt OF their
firing line had barely reached the front
rank of their army, when these ranks
halted. continuing, however, their fire
undated. Rearward on the distant
hill-tops we could see that the motion
did not cease, but the low-lyinS smoke
concealed the movements going on i'm
mediately behind the front and now
stationary lines of Mongolians.
"At last some one in our ranks,
catching the purport OF their tactics.
and assisted by the wind. which, for
moment carried the smoke from Off a
part of the fed. exclaimed: They are
effcCtng a passage of lines" And.
surely enough, we soon saw, advancing
between the stationary mouths OF flame
that marked each halted Celestial.
other mouths in motion. At length the
new lines emerged from the intervals,
continued the deadly advance as at the
first, and those relieved fell back to re-
plenish their ammunition, or TO be in
turn relieved by others further back,
as the vast process of unrolling should
reach them.
1.-The zone of death now crept toward
us: the air was disturbed as by n
cyclone. and the sward sank beneath
the hail of lead as though before q
scytEe. Our lines could be restrained
no longer; instnctively they opened
fire. 1t was none TOO soon, for, With n
rush like that of n tornado. the hostile
fire reached our ranks. The observer.
stationed with Il group OF staff officers
in the rear. could see the front line
wither n t its guns. The gaps their
feeble efforts made in the ranks of the
enemy were quickly filled by those con-
tinually pressing to the front, and, ms
the remnants of our first line at length
fell back upon the second, il too, in
useless effort piled the advancing
hosts with shot and shell, with mus
kerry and mitraille, and yet, amid the
iir7t7oc tit1Tt 1T wrought, It sUrrrTed
worse. The wild frenzy OF the battle
now reached the third line Here she
same scenes were enacted. and the
same relentless fate doomed all it's
efforts useless-there were no other
lines left, and no reserves
Bleeding beneath II gun where he
had fallen. the narrator lay in semi
conscious state. and heard at length
the onward tread around him of the
foe. heard the monotonous Ching.
Ching, Ching with which they still
kept unison TO march and fire. and
consciousness left him"
A PROPHETIC PART.
In this dream. the prophetic part is
hardly to be put upon that which re-
lates to q Battle of Dorking" with the
much-abused Monaghan; but. who
shall say it may not family grasp
some OF the tactical possibilities of that
awful warfare of the future. whose
deadly arms, inexhaustible supplies
and relentless control of electricity
and the higher eXniOSiNn and whose