Arizona republican., 1911-10-19

| one hand he felt of his head and with the other he rolled the limp boy be
 hind the shelter of a stump
 Now stay therei" he shouted. And
 for the love O mercy. don't load that gum There's no tellin' when it might go off an hurt somebody"
 The slender force in front of the bulky column was falling back sul- lenly, looking anxiously for their own supports. The brown infantrymen flied at them blindly, but the very volume of the fire told, and the gray uniforms melted back. The sprawling column ran headlong toward the road, only half under control of their off cers.
 "What'd I tell ye?" shouted the tall man gleefully. We got 'em on the run already"
 Burke grunted scornfully.
 You're liable to get hit in the stom- ach if them chaps take to shootin' high he retorted grufiy.
 From the high ground toward which l the column was numbering. an unseen l battery commenced pumping shells. and the steadily increasing hum of ] bullets overhead meant that re-en- l forcements were trickling into the en- emy's lines. Only the sight of the retreating enemy kept the brown wave of men going forward
 How far are we goin' to chase them | fellers?" wheezed the old man
 "Til they turn 'round," grunted Burke, pausing for a snapshot at | gray figure.
 At the edge of the pike the frantic | officers, sweating to carry out orders | from higher up, finally succeeded in checking the blind, headlong rush of the green troops, and got the lines into hand. The exhaustion of the men was enough to temper the flush of their success and they listened to reason
 Well" demanded the tall man de- fantly, what ye got to say now?"
 Burke. forlornly contemplating a hole through his canteen, looked about him and grinned.
 We've got this far without fallin' and breakin' our necks." he admitted. I didn't think we would,"
 Why" chirped the tall soldier. this wars most over. There must have been ten thousand men in front of us, an we killed most of 'em!"
 Burke glared at him in speeches. scorn.
 "Is there goin' to be more?" de- manded the boy.
 'Ain't really got warmed up yet" Burke told him.
 Turning where he squatted, Burke looked back over the country they had crossed, and as far as he could see in each direction. He had the rare gift of being able to estimate large bodies of men, and what he saw did not reassure him.
 Something's slipped" he growled anxiously. there ain't enough of us in sight"
 Burke only saw that the American lines were too slender He did not know that one brigade which had blocked his columns progress in the village had been withdrawn after a half-hearted furry of firing. and that the supporting column-blown like ill., conditioned runners after their hot march-had been drawn out of touch with even their own troops on the pre- text of refilling their cartridge belts. Their commander had been thrown from his horse, and the command had fallen on a man who four weeks be- fore had been teller in a bank.
 Along the edges of the gleaming white turnpike the two forces caught their breath and commenced biting savagely at each other with their ri- fles. Burke. lying on his side 10 get the advantages of cover and have both arms free for rapid loading. glanced at the boy.
 Still scairt?" he queried cheerfully.
 The lad turned to him face fairly stiffened with fright.
 If you was as scairt as I am" he said through his chattering teeth, you'd run,"
 The fire grew hotter Back from the road on the other side rose table land. topped by two big farm-houses and a cluster of outbuildings. Be yond them rose the thick screen of timber. Back of the farm houses a battery was busy and from all about them came little jets of flame, while a gray mist ioated in the air. A lieu tenant. kneeling behind bush where Burke and his companions lay. caught at an order which echoed 10 him down the long line.
 Fix bayonets," he yelled.
 Burke looked at him with an expTes- sion of horror. Do you mean to say" he commenced, then checked himself and put his bayonet in place with a savage jerk. The brown lines staggered to their feet and swept out into the open, Burke chattering to himself as he ran.
 "Goin' up a hill," he spluttered, "an' not a gun coverin' us"
 Tardily put with gathering effect, 1 two regular batteries came into action ! behind the rushing wave of brown. l and their shells wrought chaos about 1 the group of farm buildings. Burke | grunted satisfaction.
 That's something like" he ex- claimed. We'll make a mistake an lick somebody yet if We ain't careful!"
 There was a sharp cry behind him and a clatter of metal He turned to see the boy lying on the ground.
 Now that's happened!" growled | Burke. as he dropped his rifle and | hurried back.
 They've got me; 1 knew they | would," moaned the boy.
 Burke tore open the boys Jacket, | found nothing, frowned and continued l., ,;-