Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-06-07

with incredible Indifference to the fire
the Japanese were aiming at them.
The gunners had not yet seen them
and it seemed very long time before
they were discovered.
1 did not look at my watch, but 1t
seemed like ten minutes; perhaps II
was half that Suddenly pun OF
white smoke appeared in the air d.
Irectly above the knob, and 1t was eV-
ident that some gunner had sent a
shrapnel at the men who were cross
ling it. Immediately others followed.
Then a common shell struck the race
Of the hill and exploded, sending up
clouds of dust and smoke. Now dozen
twenty, thirty, guns were aimed at the
same mark. For a few minutes the
range was wild. 1t was a difficult tar
get. and especially for the guns on the
island so far below the hill.
1t took longer to find the exact range
than any other at which I had seen the
Japanese try. But they found it, and
then that hill received such a rain
of fire as had not been poured upon
any spot at any time before. They told
me that morning as I came Into Wi1u
that in the artillery duel the day be-
fore they fired thirty shells to one
fired by the Russians. Now the fire
was even faster than it had been then.
The common shells were pounding the
earth all along the knob and overhead
the shrapnel was bursting In cloud.
The bay had become fine and clear,
but soon there hung over the knob
pail Of smoke from the bursting shells.
Yet through it all the Russians kept
coming, coming. steadily coming on
into their trench. In groups Of from
a dozen to twenty they appeared on
the far slope, came boldly out into the
open on the sky line, and sauntered
across the bald knob, disappearing In
the brush that covered the near slope
and led to the trench. 1t seemed that
not a foot Of ground escaped the terri
BILE fire of the Japanese guns. Again
and again we saw men fall.
Once a common shell struck square,
ly among a group that had almost
reached the cover and threw them all
headlong down the hill. But still they
came on and on, as If they had not had
enough in crossing.
Several times men ran back to pick
up comrades who had been knocked
down and could not get away. NO
finer gallantry will be shown in all
the war than was exhibited by those
Russians on that bald knob yesterday
morning.
When we saw General Kuroki at
his new headquarters here last night
after the fight was ended he was very
warm in his praise Of their bravery.
They had fought with the highest
courage, he said, and had been an hon.
or to their country. Poor fellows;
many a man Of them lies tonight where
he fell, with few spadefuls Of earth
thrown over him by the japanese, and
many another lies MANNED and shat
tered by fragments of shell in the Jap
anese hospitals desperately trying to
keep back the groans Of pain that rise
to his lips.
Russians as Brave as Japanese.
How Russian it was! There was not
a question with them, you may be
sure. 1t was an order to go into the
trench and theirs was only to obey.
They did the best they could, and II
that was not enough theirs was not
the fault.
It was nearly eight o'clock when the
last of them reached the trench. How
many there were / do not know. They
manned the line for less than half
mile.
The fight had been on for almost two
hours, and the Japanese line was still
out on the sand, slowly but steadily
forcing its way into the hills. The
new men In the trench on the hill
crest added enormously to the rifle
fire the Japanese had to meet. They
poured the bullets down on their en-
emy in never ending showers; but II
the Russian Is brave, so, too, Is the
Japanese.
Examine the long line out there In
the open, without the sign OF cover
of any sort, as closely as you Will, ana
when the order comes to get up and go
you will not see a single straggler. The
man who does not heed the call lies
where he Is, because he cannot re-
spond. Some Russian bullet has de-
prived him Of the power to command
his own muscles. His will Is ready and
the spirit, If it has not fled forever, IS
as willing as it has ever been, but
he has lost control Of his own motions
and he cannot go.
Many a dark spot left thus on the
sand when the line advanced told OF
the manner in which the Russians were
doing their work.
| 1t was a most difficult range for RI
f1emen. One was firing down steep
hill, with its tendency to shoot over;
the other was firing up the same nil,
with nothing at all to guide his aim
or tell him whether his bullet went too
high or not. Only a row of dark heads
above the ridge Of earth was his mark,
a small target for man spent ana
blown with rapid advancing over the
soft footing Of the yellow sands or
lying prone and working his rifle IN
front of him.
Nearing the Goal.
The wide strip Of cleaning sand was
crossed at last. The Japanese were
nearing their goal. They would not
be denied. Fire as they might the
Russians could not stop them. The
shells fell about them in perfect hail
and many a one found its mark-but on
went the line with never waver to
show that it felt or thought Of the ter
rible walk before it. Now came the
wide stream of the Al river, with It's
swift current. There was no time to
stop to consider. On they plunged, and
as fast as they could started across.
No man had opportunity to pick his
way. He went where his fate sent