The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-23
"BANZAI." !"
BY H. s. CANFIEI.D, JR.

nA He Ss OANEh 14eS
 Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pulp
 fishing Co.,
 For days the tired forces had fought over the same ground. advancing and retreating, tasting victory and then de- feat The big guns all along the front kept up a continuous roar as the Japs poured in a remorseless rain of shells. The Russians stubobrnly contesting ev- cry inch of ground, every trench and hill. were being slowly driven back. leaving their dead in scores. The rows of silent bodies in the captured trench es told a story of dogged resistance.
 One position alone withstood the reckless attacks of the Japanese. Time after time Kuroki had hurled his regi- ments up the slope. to have them re- treat broken and shattered. It was the key to the enemy's position, and if taken, would turn an orderly retreat into a rout. Full well this was real fixed, and that morning came the order from headquarters to take the position at any cost Sks The weary, powder-begrimed rem nant gave place to fresh regiments of little brown men in khaki. Prepara- tions for the assault had begun from both sides the firing became desultory and then ceased altogether. It was the Hull before the storm. and the only sound that broke the stiffness was the occasional murmur from the trenches and the tramp of a column as it moved into line.
 Among the reserves. arriving from the south the night before, was the battalion from Dayo zaka; fresh young fellows with a scattering of toughened veterans, whose little eyes danced as they got a foretaste of the battle that was to come. with the whir of bullets and the clash of steel.
 Lynx-eyed, the solemn faced officers squatted behind the line. and talked in monosyllabIes to the men: now and then they grunted out a few gruff words of encouragement, as some young fellow, counting his chances of survival. grew nervous under the strain. Among these was little Amano Jim suke. With his round baby face and great brown eyes, guilelessness shi- ming from them. he became at once the butt for all teasing, and the gem eral favorite of the men. With his quiet manners he had soon put stop | to the chafflng. except now and then the grizzled sergeant who led his pla- l toon, could not resist the temptation to tell him some narrowing tale of bloody skirmishes or fierce assaults. just to see his eyes grow larger with l wonder and fear.
 As he lay at full length. waiting the general order for the advance. his thoughts turned to his home in far -off sunny Japan. His eyes filled with tears as he saw his aged father and his tiny sister anxiously awaiting tid- ings from the front; as for Onoto, the gentle little sweetheart who had so bravely bade him go-he brushed his hand fiercely across his eyes. and stared hard at the lines and lines of barbed wire stretching across the brown face of the hill.
 The sergeant saw his gesture. and understanding. gripped his arm in a friendly pressure.
 The advance sounded and the long line arose and crept forward, the big guns took up the fight, and the bullets from the hill-crest dipped through the air. Again the order was given to lie down, and while the center halted and welded itself with the damp earth, the