The daily tribune., 1906-05-11
RON NQTESAND 0BdHHIfON.
Compiled ~ wm-RMackril.

when l became conscious of a faint.
rumbling sound to the south. held my
hand to my ear, straining to hear m and Inter,
the. same mcment. He gripped my. arm.
Listen he said. :" 1t Is the French can
non coming north.
keen suspense. breeze blew lightly
from the south. rustlIng the tree tops. The
| sound came ngnin---a low. well-denned roll.
as Of heavy wheels on hard road. For
full a minute we heard 1t plainly: then II
died away as the breeze fell.
They are not less than five miles away
said Lowenbers. God, how they creep!
Well, let us move down..
We descended through the forest, aud
reaching the end of the woods worked
south. After advancing Il couple of miles
the lines reformed and awaited the APP
proach OF the unsuspecting Gauls Scouts
| reported the road two hundred yards u
way. Later came the lancer sklrmishers.
They had seen the French--a division of
cavalry, followed by infantry and field
batteries-twenty thousand men, more or
less They were covering about six miles
an hour.
1t was trying wait. Lowcnberg con-
ferred with his officers, and l could but
stand there beside Fleischmann. Iuivering
with excitement: l wondered what l
should do when the crisis arrived. / WAS
armed with revolver and sabre, but ] did
not wish to fight, for was friendly to the
French. Yet knew that | could not now
withdraw; that they would strike ut me,
and that must strike back or go down.
Finally the clatter Of hoofs sounded
around bend in the road, and minute
and trappings flashing In the pale moon
light they thundered by. n stream OF horse
men a mile long. hurrying forward to select
camp, for it lacked but two hours of day
light. and the troops were hungry after
their night march.
long interval of silence-then the tramp
Of infantry. steady and regular. like the
throbbing OF a great engine. AS the sky
llghtened to slckly. grayish yellow, they
came In sight, advancing In columns Of
four. We waited until they were well a
had passed. saw Lowcnberg draw his re-
yolver-the critical moment had arrived.
Our front was easily half mile long.
We were In two lines, each line four men
deep, with space of ten yards between.
The hussars formed the center. with Low
enberg, Fleischmnnn and myself close be-
hind.
As the shot rang out our whole line
moved into the open field, broke into trot,
then into gallop. Eight thousand German
Voices, Voices Joined In one mighty cry Of battle;
rah. Preussen. Vorwaerts"'
Down We swept with thunder of hoofs.
Cheer after cheer echoed back from the
high hills. Fifty yards-a hundred yards
standards. shouting and gestculnting In
great confusion. Some leveled their rifles.
and patter Of bullets angered the Ger
mans. who opened with their carbines and
let loose hail OF lead.
] can recall little OF that mad rush. My
horse was running away. | could not have
held him II / would. The bullets flew
thicker. The French were forming kncel-
Ing at the roadside and firing as rapidly rs
they could work their guns Others were
running. All. It was no use either to run
or to IRE. That solid wall Of men and
horses slid like an avalanche down the
grassy hill. 1t brushed the French back; 1t
hattened them; II crushed them into mass
of shrieking. curslng humanity. My horse
reared and came down in their midst. his
great hoofs crushing the skulls OF two who
were struggling to their feet My very soul
slckened at the horrid smash OF iron on
skull. On we went, straight through the
seething mass Of men. and wheeling sharply
In the field beyond the road came back In
another mad charge.
Suddenly LoweBberg' horse stumbled.
wnvered, and went down with a bullet In
his brain. tleischmann was at the left,
fighting like "A demon his long heavy sabre
playing havoc In the huddlcd groups OF de-
moralized French. But as the Colonel sank
with his steed F1eischmnnn closed In.
seized him by the collar, dragged him out