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


He gazed keenly southsDord.
gle's wings and 4 swoop Ike an eagles
seizure. the Arabs whirled down upon
them. met a few yards in advance by
the answering charge Of the light cav
airy.
There was a crash as II rock ~efe
hurled upon rock as the chhssturs.
scarce scated In Tile saddle. fisied fUt-
ward to safe the bicketS; to ehcdtfitef
the first blind force Of the attdek and
to give the infantry. farther III. more
time FOR harness and defefsc. Out Of
the cayerns Of the night In ARMED mul.
titude seemed to have suddenly poured.
A moment ago they ria slept in Sect
rity; now Thousands on Thousands.
whom they could not number. whom
they could but difhly even perceive.
were thrown on them In immeasunble
hosts. which the encircling cloud Of
dust serted but tt render vaster. Shast-
lier and more majestic. The Arab line
stretched out With wings that seemed
to extend on and on without end. TIE
line 6f the chasseurs was hot one-half
Its length: they were but . single
squadron dung In their stifrups. scarce
ly clothed. knowing only that the foe
was upon them, caring only that their
sword hands we're hard on their weap-
ons. With ali the elan Of France they
launched themselves forward TO break
the rush Of the desert horses. They
met with terrible sound. like fAilitG
trees. like clashinG metal
The hoofs Of the rearing chtrGets
struck each others breasts. and these
bit and tore at eiGh others names
while their riders relied down dead.
Frank and Arab we're blended In one
inextricable a as the charging
squadrons encountered. The outer
wings of the tribes were spared the
shock and swept cd to meet the bayo-
nets Of xouaves and Turcos. The cav
airy was developed III the overwbelm-
ing nufhbers Of the center. and the
tanks seemed to cover the xouhves and
tirailleurs as some great settling mist
may cover the cattle who move be-
meath II.
1t was not 4 battle; II was Z flight
full tangling Of men And bfutes: no
contest Of modern warfare. such ~
commence and eonqders by a duel Of
artillery ahd s6fhetmes gives the vic
tory to ~whosoeSer has the superiority
OF ordnance. but . conflict. hand to
kand. breast to breast. life for life. q
Homeric combat Of spear hnd Of sword
even while the nrst volleys Of the an
swering musketry pealed over the
plain
For once the desert avenged in 1.-The
that terrible inexhausubllity Of SUPPLY
wherewith the Empire 20 lofig had
crushed It beneath the overwhelming
dlferehce OF Numbers. It WIS the
day Of Maxagran once more a. the
light Of the tiUrnihE broke. gray. sii-
vered. beautiful. III the far. dim dis
lance beyond the tRkn5 sets OF reeds.
Smoke and sand soon densely rose
above the struggle. white. hot. blind
ing. but out from It the lean. dark Bed.
ouin faces. the snowy haicks. the red
burnoose. the CLEAN Of the Tunisian
fnuskets. the flash of silver hilted yat-
aghans. were seen fused in . mAss
with the brawny naked necks Of the
with the shine of the Frehch
bayonets. With the tossing manes and
glowing nostrils OF the chassebrs'
horses. with the torn, stained silk Of
the raised tsicolor. through which the
storm Of balls dew thick and fast ~
hail. yet whose folds were never suf-
fered TO fall. though again and again
the hand What held Its stnR vas cut
away or was unloosened In death. yet
ever found another to tale its charge
before the dag could once have trem-
bled 10 the enemy's sight
The chasseurs could not charge.
They were hemmed In. packed between
bodies OF horserien that pressed tliem
together az between iron plates. Nov
and then they could cut their way
through clear enough to reach their
comrades of the infantry. but as often
as they did so SO often the overwhclm-
ing numbers OF the Arabs surged in Cd
them Afrcsh like a food and closed
upon them and drove them back.
Every soldier in the squadron that
lived kept his life by sheer breathless.
ceaseless. hand to hand sword play.
hewing right and left. front aud rear.
without pause. ~ In the great tangled
forests Of the west men hew a sIds