The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-06-24

The fears or yesterday. the
tons OF the night. were gone. He
was going to win. and he was going
TO live-for Madeleine.
The impulse to jump from the mud
dy trench and to rush single handed
across the bullet swept eld before
him to the succor of his hero com
rades. who were hand to hand with
the foe. almost controlled him for the
moment-then be gritted his teeth and
mastered himself.
He loaded his hot barreled match
lock. Again and again be laid the
smoke blackened barrel across the
earthen mound and coolly aimed at q
point above the belt line of a red uni
form. He was one OF VOLTS sharp
justify the reputation Of that careful
" picked band OF patriots-men who
could shoot the left eye out OF a wild
turkey at fifty PAGES!
And live up TO that reputation he
did.
Heard suddenly from the lips of
Gilbert's commanding officer was the
cry OF Ready, men,! Form into line.
FIX bayonets! Go At them. boys!
Charge."
Almost before he realized what had
happened Gilbert found himself In the
van OF a wild. triumphant dash across
the open death one that separated the
trenches from the enemy.
The Britishers. having been re-en-
forced by two regiments Of fresh
troops. concealed ip the forest beyond.
had shattered the attacking force Of
Americans. kept their flank from be-
ing turned. had maintained their gen.
oral alignment and held their position.
The utter rout OF the attackers was
imminent unless support arrived
speedily.
Hand to hand. face to face, arm to
arm. man to man, fought the stubborn
grenadiers who won at Waterloo with
the "a wboned. uncOuth. unframed be
roes of the backwoods.
Back. back they surged.
But 1t was not the back wOodsmen.
the fur capped squirrel hunters nor
VOLTS sharpshoters that fell back.
The British grenadiers gave way be-
fore the onslaught of men who. hav-
ing nothing but their lives to offer
their country. freely offered all they
had.
In the fore part Of the supporting
column Gilbert Steele sped headlOng
into the fray. Grasping his musket
by the barrel with both hands, he
welded the stock into the faces Of
his foes. Of a sudden 1t shattered into
pieces against the upraised gun of an
Irish giant. and he drew from his belt
q wicked curved bladed dirk which he
had purchased at "A wharf in New Or
leans from a seaman who had brought
it from Morocco.
On he lunged. distancing his nearest
friend. until he was practically alone
In a struggle in a small group of the
enemy at one side of the main conflict.
Eyes and nostrils dilated. nerves
a-quiver. Gilbert Steele was superman
WuVh oNIoAh ~
where-he could not tell just where
or how-and a great blackness de-
scended over the eyes and the brain OF
the young patriot.
He gasped for breath. clutched at
his bosom and fell choking to his
knees. Then his head bent forward.
and he lay huddled in a motionless
pile beside a dismounted cannon.
A sallow faced. pockmarked Brit
Usher reclaimed from the Whitechapel
slums and who had seen service in
India mopped blood from the side OF
his jaw and mumbled to the man be
SIDE him:
"'E was game. but l broke his neck
with my bare fist"
Thus speaking. he stumbled on. kick
ing vengefuily the PROSTATE body OF
Gilbert Steele as he went