The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-01-04

At the head of the pelting companies X
sare sudden rafting, the sound OF tearlng
cloth and profanity
"The cutters, quick!" painted Morton,
and the wire-cutters shipped spltetully.
The lines punched and then shot forward as 4
the pressure stopped, and six little sprrts OF
flame showed against the black bulk OF the
bluff
"Fasterl" yelled the officers. "They see
us now"
The dark figures breasted the first slopes.
For an instant the protecting shrapnel flew
thicker and then stopped The cautious
Thatcher was taking no chances Of shclling
his own men. The flashes Of fame on the
hill grew thicker, and cracked bugles crowed
sharply. Men stumbled and sprawled
through the tangle Of barbed wire, but they
went on. Once Morton stopped long
enough to assure himself that the din on the
right was still sounding
"My wooden horses still toddle!" he said
to himself
With red angry flash that seemed to
belch from the underworld one OF the
eneny's mines exploded, and in the sudden
food of light the hurrying men could see
dark objects sprawling through the air
which made them shudder. The rattle of
rifles in the trenches above them grcw--but
no searchlight pierced the blackness; one OF
Thatcher's shells had put out the great eye.
The enemy's fire was heavy, but ne han
been fairly caught, and his volleys- jerked
out with nervous haste-went high.
Without firing shot, the clunips, and
lines Of shadowy figures climbed steadily up
the hill The plunging fire Of thcit oppo-
nents came down on them hotter and hotter
as the baffled, frightened defenders swarmcd
back to their trenches; ground.rilincs
crashed into fame on all sides, and the
paralyzing tanglc Of wires grew thicker
Morton tripped over wire and fell sprawl
ing into ditch. His gropIng hands encoun-
tered rifle whose parrel '.a& not, and a
litter Of tinkling empty ,hcl- lie got to
his feet with shout
"Were in TIE first trench.@ lie shouted
above the din. We've got 'eml"
He could see the dim figures about him
spurt forward as he shouted The whistle
of bullets above his head sounded steady as
the scudding of sleet before the wind as the
enemys lines saw the attacking host sweep
closer. The night had become bedlam; the
din of the real attack mingled with the
racket Of the noisy demonstration along the
railroad The muttering storm broke, and
the rumble of thunder and fash OF light
ming fought for supremacy with battery and
searchlight
Shadowy figures, working the bolts Of
their rifles with frenzied fingers fitted be-
fore Morton's eyes, and melted back into
the night. He could hear the painting Of
his own infantry as they commenced using
bayonet and rihe-butt Bugles along the
whole line Of the enemy's position COM
menced Historically sounding the same call
over and over Morton was suddenly sur
prised to find himself on level ground, his
feet clear OF the tange of wires and the pit
falls Of the trenches. About him were
wildly cheering, shouting figures and over
beyond, the dim retreating mass which must
be the enemy. Above the tansl: of figures
he could sec the white points oi light which
marked the city They ia ! taricd the
hills %A
! In the dim light Of early t,o-rihy, That
cher rode at the head OF his trr'ny through
the streets of the captured sc~r, ms am
munition wagons empty, bui =. gu.s freshly
cleaned and spotless. Tnatehc,'s uniform
had been cleaned and bulGedinto semblance
of respectability; he carried l;s saber At the
correct angle, and thc Stec-bowed glasses
sat firmly on the bridga 0: hs long nose. AS
he rode, he peered about 1iri cuviousiy to
note the havoc wrought ~ h:s own guns---
and was mildly disappetn'f-,. Altogether
Thatcher did not QUITE approve n. the siege
The artillery clattercd oa. c.s ehadyrssi-
dence street into little square. fanked by
stores on four sides. in u.e conway ot one
of them stood pair c. stfSusc tixu.cs
looking even stranger IN ;ae dnn, ;lncA..ain
light of early morning. Thatchcrs petslas
glance swung round FROM the foun.Hn
which had been knocked into unsightly Sas
by his own shells, and rested on the pair III
the doorway. He blinked and locked
again.
A rather stubby, round man, hatless--
clad in dirty brown uniform, his sleeves
rolled to the elbow, his trousers and puttees
torn into ribbons, and bloody bandagc at
a rakish angle across his forehead-stoad
holding by the neck fat, trembling Chef,
his white cap pushed crafty onto the back
OF his head, his pop eyes fairly bristling with
terror, his pudgy hands waving frantically
before him. :.
BILLY Thatcher" yelled the disrepu.
table figure in brown, so suddenly that the
artilleryman nearly fell from his no. SC.
for the love o Heaven come in and see me
eat that dinnerl I've held this fat frog jast
as long as canl"