Amador ledger., 1906-05-11
From N0TESAND OBSERVATIONS
Compiled by wm,RMaclnill.

when became conscious Of a faint,
| rumbling sound to the south. I held my
hand to my ear, straining to hear and inter
pret the sound. Fleischmann heard it al
the same moment. He gripped my arm.
Listen" he said, :" it is the French can
non coming north.''
For some time we stood in attitudes OF
keen suspense. A breeze blew lightly
from the south, rustling the tree tops. The
| sound came again-a low, well-defned roll,
as OF heavy wheels on a hard road. Fol-
full minute we heard it plainly; then ii
died away as the breeze fell.
They are not less than five miles away,
said Lowenberg. God, how they creep!
Well, let us move down.
We descended through the forest, and
| reaching the end Of the woods worked
south. After advancing a couple of miles
the lines reformed and awaited the ap-
proach of the unsuspecting Gauls. Scouts
| reported the road two hundred yards a.
| way. Later came the lancer skirmisherS.
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. Lowenberg con-
ferred with his officers, and 1 could but
stand there beside Fleischmann, quivering
with excitement. 1 wondered what
should do when the crisis arrived. l was
armed with revolver and sabre, but 1 did
not wish to fight, for 1 was friendly to the
French. Yet l knew that 1 could not now
withdraw; that they would strike at me,
and that must strike back or go down.
Finally the clatter of hoofs sounded
around bend in the road, and a minute
later the cavalry appeared. With helmets
and trappings flashing in the pale moon
light they thundered by, a stream of horse
men 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.
A long interval of silence-then the tramp
NJ int frx- cfn fr nj
throbbing Of great engine. AS the sky
lightened to a sickly, grayish yellow, they
came in sight, advancing in columns of
TOUR. We waited until they were well a
had passed I saw Lowenberg draw his re-
volver-the critical moment had arrived.
Our front was easily half a mile long.
We were in two lines, each line four men
The hussars formed the center, with Low
enberg, Fleischmann 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 Joined in one mighty cry of battle:
"Hurrab. Preussenr' And again: "Hur-
rah, Preussen. Vorwaerts!"
Down we swept with thunder of hOofs
Cheer after cheer echoed back from the
high hills. Fifty yards-a hundred yards
the French were rallying around their
standards, shouting and gesticulating in
and patter of bullets angered the Ger
mans, who opened with their carbines and
let loose a hail OF lead.
/ can recall little of that mad rush. My
horse was running away. 1 could not have
held him If l would. The bullets flew
thicker. The French were forming, kneel-
ing at the roadside and firing as rapidly as
they could work their guns Others were
running. All, it was no use either to run
or to fire. That solid wall of men and
horses slid like an avalanche down the
grassy hill. 1t brushed the French back; it
hattened them; it crushed them into mass
of shrieking, cursing 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
sickened 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 Lowenberg's horse stumbled,
wavered, and went down with a bullet in
his brain. Fleischmann was at the left,
fighting like demon, his long heavy sabre
playing havoc in the huddled groups of de-
moralized French. But as the Colonel sank
with his steed Fleischmann closed in,
seized him by the collar, dragged him out