The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-04-19
THE MEETING
OF THE AMAzONS

your order to the general Of the wo-
mans brigade to storm the forts On Tho
bin. but she delays 10 advance"
whats the troub1er
the Geld o61cers of ths different
regiments are engaged In conversation
at the generals headquarters. and It
seems impossible for them to bring
their words to q Close"
do they dare discuss the feasibility
Of an assaultY' asked the general an
griiy.
mo. SIR"
Then what are they talking about?"
They run from one topic to another.
like robins hopping over a newly plow-
Cd field"
"Are there other troops in that VI
cinityT
"Yes. the Fourth brigade OF the Sixth
division, the best men In the army.
They were to attack the enemy's left
wing, but the amazons have blocked
the way.
The general scowled and rubbed his
chin. The problem was q serious one.
but he was full Of resources.
Captain" he said presently, go at
once and inform the general Of the
Woman's brigade that the forts on the
hill command the village Of l. II the
forts are taken the village will fall into
our possession. There are large shops
In L. which will be held exclusively
for the amazons to plumber"
Putting spurs to his horse the aid
galloped away. In half an hour he re-
turned, and. saluting respectfully. said:
1.-The forts are taken. sir"
Good! OF course after the amazons
left clear way the best men In the
army attacked the enemy's left as I
directed"
mo, general"
what! Did this commander disobey
the order?''
mo, general. The men were unable
to move. They had been standing so
long while the amazons talked that
their legs would not support them"
Poor fellows!" muttered the gener-
al direct the commissary to push
forward a dozen barrels of whisky to
revive them"
The aid rode away, and another gal
loped up and addressed the general ex-
citedly:
Eyes, l know that"
ut was q marvellous feat. They
were In danger Of being cut to pieces,
Of having their flank turned and of
falling into an ambush of hundred
masked guns"
"And did they quailT'
"Not at all; they seemed unconscious
Of the danger They took the works In
ten minutes"
"And did they hold them"
That's what I am sent by my gen.
eral to report. Having driven the en-
envy, the amazons rushed wildly down
to the shops, leaving the works they
had taken without even a cOrporars
guard. The enemy have returned and
have turned the guns on the village,
concentrating their fire on the shops"
II hope" said the general angrily.
1.-THE amazons' escape has been cut
off,"
"They do not wish to escape. Their
general ordered them out Of the shops.
but the order was drowned by the
babel OF tongues. The turmoil is great
er than the army has experienced since
the Tenth regiment of men broke into
q wholesale liquor house and drank up
| hundred barrels of rum"
go back and tell your general to
turn his artillery on the shops. Per
haps that, in connection with the enc
my's guns, will restore the women to
their senses"
He has done it, and it has failed"
Him." said the general after some
thought. ~ will order a general ad-
vance Of the army. We will leave the
shops In rear, and when the goods have
been all appropriated perhaps the anna
IONS will return to duty"
With wild huzzas, the men dashed
forward, captured the encircling hills.
and In haaf an hour the enemy were
flying down the opposite declivities.
Sending the Seventh corps darmee in
pursuit, the general surrounded the
shops with the Eighth division. The anna
IONS, seeing that they were about to be
deprived Of their prey before 1t was
all appropriated, rallied on the center
for resistance. All their ammunition
had been expended in their capture OF
the forts, but they fired buttons, hair
pins. buckles. garter clasps-indeed, all
the small articles they found on the
counters. After these were exhausted
they broke up larger articles and fred
the fragments. Their ordnance officer
was proceeding to break the looking
glasses for the same purpose when he
was shot dead by the beautiful colo
mel of the Forty second regiment.
At this juncture the general-in-chief
rode up and, seeing his men needlessly
decimated, gave orders to withdraw
and leave the amazOns to finish their
plundering. At sunset their general or
dered them to form In the main street,
and they did so, each soldier loaded
down with bundles In order to re-
move this plumber they had left their
rifles In the shops. The general-in-
chief, thinking to capture them, readily
ordered the men to surround them, but
the women had armed themselves With
hatpins, with which they charged. en-