Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-01-26

WhClC Tue 6uno lHe ultu dShcu
one another in impotent anger Even
as they spoke another series OF
crashes was added to the din, and
white puffs began to burst over and
on the road and along the dark lines.
Then the enemy advanced In rushes.
A humming as of innumerable in
sects passed over the heads of the
regiment. A man raised himself to
get better view of the enemy. Lie
down." shouted the officers, them
selves lying prone. He fell huddled.
the blood running from his mouth.
Every man in the line was aching to
fire, but the officers restrained them
almost with entreaties. 1t was intoler-
able, to lie there and not reply to this
hail of death. At last the order ran
along the line, Fifteen hundred
yards!" The rifles seemed to go off
Of themselves with a simultaneous re.
port. Once started there was no stop
ping the men. They fired until their
magazines were empty. Each shot was
relief to their overstressed nerves.
Gradually the fire slackened and
grew steadier. Private 99203 stopped
for a minute or two to let his rifle
cool. His head buzzed and was very
hot He felt atrociously hungry and
thirsty, his lips were cracked and his
mouth was dry with shouting, although
he did not know that he had uttered
sound. Gazing through the smoke
mist at the enemy he was amazed at
the small effect of the fire of the de-
fense. Bodies dotted the plain, but
great numbers of the dark figures
were still running forward. Some had
even reached the stream 800 yards
away and were firing from the shelter
of its banks. Shells were bursting
among them, and above the rifle fire
Of his regiment a Maxim was rattling
viciously. Still the enemy advanced.
He looked at his comrade on the
right. The man no longer fired; his
head had fallen on to the stock Of his
rifle Private 99203 felt suddenly
lonely. 1t seemed to him that he was
utterly alone, severed from all COM
panionship, encompassed by threaten
ing death.
Fix bayonets!" He scarcely heard
the order, but obeyed it automatically.
TIL, fire of the regiment ceased for a
| second and then the bullets leaped
out again from glittering line OF
steel The enemy were getting very
close. The shrapnel hail had ceased,
he knew not when.
He took careful aim at one Of the
running figures and saw it fall. A
savage exultation filled him. He fired
again and again into the oncoming
crowd of rushing men. The foremost
were already halfway up the slope,
He heard volley above his head. The
supports were firing from the top OF
the ridge. Somehow through the din
he caught the encouraging voices OF
the officers. He forget himself. forgot
his own danger, forgot everything but
the necessity of firing steadily into the
swiftly-advancing figures.
The crowd dwindled seemed to
melt. Each group was swept away
by the tempest of lead. Isolated fig
ures turned and ran down the slope
Others followed Some few struggled
on to be shot down. The remainder
raced back to the shelter Of the
stream banks. where meeting their
advancing comrades they heaped
themselves confusedly. It was the
regiments chance. Desperately. as
fast as they could aim and pull trig
ger, the men poured bullets into the
mass. 1t broke and ran in dire con
fusion back across the plain. chased
by the bursting smoke-puffs. and drop
ping dark figures at every moment.
AT that moment above the noise ot
battle the regiment heard a mighty
rushing sound. 1t came nearer, swell
ing every second unit! it revealed
itself in tremendous. soul-stirrine
outburst of cheering. Swiftly the
sound approached. 1t ran along theil
line also. The men sprang to theil
feet, waving their helmets In the air
and cheering as they had never cheer
ed before Somehow they knew thai
they had won battle
The guns still thundered on the re
firing enemy.
F. BRlTTEN AUSTIN.
tNH ).