The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1913-10-17

6N1hkeh OuL. Il9n GhnAI
his head, %motioning the soldiers bacL
1T is too high and the arc of Are
too limited" he said, shortly. Detail
four men to hold the stairs ten ~
and a sergeant in the room below and
you'd better take your prisoners dow
there. Bayonet that Turco tiger -
he shows his teeth again. Marcbln
AS the prisoners filed out I trrnod
once more and thought | ~recognizod
Salah Ben Ahmed in the disbevalod
Turco, but could not be certain 90
disfgured and tattered the soldier an,
peared.
Under the windows the fiat. bigb-
pitched drums began to rattle: deem
voices shouted; the whole street nm
dulated with masses of gray,and.hl--'
uniforms, moving forward through the
smoke. A superb regimental band be-.
gan to play; the troops broke out into
heavy cheering.
"Vorwarts! Vorwartsl" came the
steady commands.
THE invasion has begun" | said.
Her face was expressionless. save
for the brightness of her eyes.
Suddenly a company of pioneers ar
rived on the double-quick, halted, fell
out, and began to break down the
locked doors of the houses on either
side of the street. At the same time
Prussian infantry came hurrying mast
dragging behind them dozens of vebi.
cles, long hay-wagons, gardeners
carts, heavy wheelbarrows, eve a
dingy private carriage, with furnished
lamps, rocking crafty on rusty springs
The soldiers wheeled these wagons
into a double line, forming a complete
chain across the street, where the Tur-
cos had commenced to dig their ditch
and breastworks-a barricade high
enough to check a charge, and cun-
nlngly arranged, too, for the wooden
abatis could not be e from the
eastern end of the street, where a
charge of French infantry or cavalry
must enter Morsbronn If it entered
at all.
Something is going to happen" l
SAID, as a group of smartly uniformed
officers appeared on the roof of the
opposite house and hastily scrambled
to the ridgepole.
A colonel of infantry, splendidly
mounted. drew bride under our loop
mole and looked up at the officers on
the roof across the way.
Attention, you up there!" he shout
ed. rs it infantry?"
mol" bawled an officer, followed
hand to his cheek. ITS their brigade
OF heavy cavalry coming like an earth
quake!"
The cuirassiers!" l cried, electri-
fed. IT'S Michers cuiraseiers, MAJ
dame! And-oh, the b~arricade!"
groaned, twisting my fingers in help
less rage. They'll be caught in a
trap; they'll die like flies in that
street."
she sprang to her feet, stood a
moment, then stepped swiftly forward
into the angle Of the tower.
Look there!" she cried, in terror.
Push my chair-quick!" l said.
She dragged it forward.
An old house across the street.
winch had been on fire, had COLLAPSED
into a mere mound of slate. charred
beams. and plaster. Through the
brown heat which quivered above the
RUNS could see out into the country
AND what saw was a line of hills
crowned with smoke, a rolling stretch
OF meadow below, set here and there
with shot-torn trees and hop-poles:
ana over this uneven ground two regi-
ments of French cuirassiers and two
squadrons Of lancers moving slowly
forward as though on parade.
Inc cuirassiers moved on slowly.
the sun a binding sheet of fire ON
their armor; now and then a horse
tossed his beautiful head. now and
then a steel helmet turned, flashing.
Grief-stricken, l groaned aloud:
Madame, there rides the finest cav
airy IN the world!-to humiliation"
how could I know that thew were
coming deliberately to sacrifice them
selyes?-that they rode with death
heaVy on their souls, knowing well
there was no hope, understanding thar
they were to die to a v the frag-
ments of a beaten army?
lhey are doomed, like their IA
thers," | muttered-"sons of the chi
rassiers OF Waterloo. Look, madamel
LOOK on the men Of France! You sav
you do not understand the narrow love
Of country! Look!"
1T is too pitiful, too horrible" she
said, hoarsely. How the horses fall
in the meadow"
They will fall thicker than that
In this street,"
"see!" she cried; they have begun
10 gallop! They are coming! oh 7
cannot lookl-I-cannotl"
Far away, a thin cry sounded above
tne cannon din; the doomed cuiras-
siers were cheering. It was the Arst
charge they had ever made: nobody
had ever seen cavalry of their arm on
any battlefield of Europe since Wa
terloo.
NOW among the thicket Of hop.vines
long lines of black arose.; there was !
nasn' a belt of smoke, another flesh
men the metallic rattle Of bullets on