The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-05-21

branch and brentwood ere they can
force one step forward.
The CLEAN OF dawn spread In one
golden glow Of morning, and the day
rose radiant over the world. They staid
not FOR Its beauty OF IFS peace. The
carnage went on hodf upon hotir. Men
began to grow drunk with slaughter as
with raki.
1t was bitter. stifiug. cruel work.
with their moths cboked with sand,
with their threats chked with thirst.
with their eyes blind with smoke.
trnmped ~ In q wise, scorched with
the blaze Of powder. covered with bEeod
and with dust. while the steel was
thrust through nerve and sinew or the
shot plowed through bone and flesh.
The answering fire Of the ouave and
tirailleurs kept the Arabs farther at
bay and moved them faster down, but
IN the chasseurs' quarter OF the field,
parted from the rest Of their comrades
rs they had been by the rush Of that
broken charge with which they had
sought to save the camp and arrest the
foe. the worst pressure Of the attack
was felt and the hercest Of the slatgh.
ter fell.
The comriander 6f the chasseufs had
beeff shot dead NJ they had flfst swept
cut to encounter the advance OF the
desert h~orsehneh. One by one the oGi-
GERS had been cut down. singled out by
the keen eyes Of their enemies and
throwing themselves into the deadiiest
Of the carnage with the impetuous self
devotion characteristic Of their service.
At the last there remained but a mere
handful out OF all the brilliant squad.
f6t that had galloped down in the gray
u the dawn to meet the whirlwihd Of
Arab fury. At their head was Cecil.
Two horses had been killed under
Tim. and he had thrown himself afresh
across unwounded charges whose rid
ers had fallen In the melee and 1t
whose brides he had caught rs he
shook himself free Of the dead AMI
mails stirrups. HIS head was uncoy-
cred; his uniform, hurrIedly thrown on.
had been torn aside. and his chest was
bare to the red folds Of his sash. He
was drehched with blood. not his own.
that had ralned on him as he fought.
and hls face and HIS hands were black
with smoke and with powder. He
tould hot see = yard In fr6ft Of him.
He could not tell how the day went
anywhere sdte IN that corner where
MA c-u t~c~SV~ ~~~a horurraJ Ia A. tr,t
~ they beat the Arabs back and fore.
I'd themselves some cledret space. 30
fast the Tribes closed In afresh. No or.
ders reached him from the general of
brigade 10 commahd; except for the
well known war shouts Of the
that etee and again rang above the
din be could dot tell whether the
Fretch battalions were hot cut utterly
II pieces thdet the immetse numerical
superiority u their foes. All be could
see was that every officer OF chasseurs
was down. ana that Unless he took the
place and rallied them together
the few bcore troopers that were still
left would scatter. confused and de-
as the best soldiers will al
times when they can see no chief to
follow.
= He spurred the horse he Ind just
mounted against the dense cro~d op
him. against the hard. black
wall Of dust And smoks and steel Ind
savage faces and lean. swarthy urms.
which were all that hts eyes codld see
and that seemed impenetrable as gran.
tie. moving and changing though II
was. He thrust the gray against II.
while he waved bis sword above his
head.
Charge. my brother! France.
France! trancer"
His voice. well known. well loved.
the hearts Of his comrades.
and brought them together like n truth.
pet call. They had gone with hin
many q time into the hell OF iat,lt.
Into the jaws OF death. They sufsel
about him now. striking. thrusting.
with BLOWS OF their sabers or
theit lances. and blows Of their beasts
ore feet. a passage n to anUtipr. until
they were reunited once fiiore rs one
tru0p. They loved him, he bad called
them his brethren. they were like
lambs for him to lead. like tigers for
him to incite. They could see him lift
Aioft the eagle be had caught from the
last hand that hhd borne 1t. the golden
Eieam OF the tUung morning flashing
Ike flame tiijUn the brazen wings and
they shUtted. a. with one throat:
-Maxagran! Mazagranr' Az the battal-
lon Of Maxagran had died keeping the
through the whole Of the
day. while the fresh hcrdes
down on them like ceaseless
torrents. snow fed and exhaustless. 80
they were ready to hold the ground
here until Of all their number there
should be left not one living man.
He glanced back on them. guarding
iis head the while from the lances that
we're rained on him. and he lifted the
higher and higher. till out Of
ruck and the thrbng the brazen
bird caught afresh the rays Of the