Evening star., 1914-11-22

Rumor, that they were on a tremen-
dous raid and steadily closing IN be-
yond where tho enemy's flank should
be.
They came to a river. over which a
steel and masonry bridge stretched. and
the advance guard crossed. followed
later by a compact regiment OF cav
airy. the men dismounted and leading
their horses. Then. Just as the bridge
was comfortably filled. the center SEEM
ed to rise and shudder and there came
the crash of an explosion:
Mon and horses hurtled into the air.
while weird cries rang out. Down the
slope formed where the spans had set
tied toward the center OF the bridge,
troopers slid with their horses into the
waters-a squirming. struggling mass.
where horse piled upon horse and men.
went under beneath the pressure. not
i to rise until later. when they hoated
Off, face downward. on the current.
AS the bridge gave the first tremble,
officers of the rear troops cried warn
ing to halt. and the troopers near the
entrance wheeled and dashed back for
the bank and safety. with the horses
jamming and choking the roadway.
At the moment of the detonation OF
the charge concealed beneath the
bridge, the advance guard turned ana
dashed back for the river bank. A
few dismounted forms crept from near
the abutment. then ran Off In an at
tempted escape. but the cavalry de-
tAChmRntB
had got well on their way. horse
kicked over an electric battery box,
detonating machine, and the evidence
was clear that the bridge had been
mined in anticipation OF some such
move as this very one taking place.
The bridge train, summoned from its
position near the head of the column,
tn, Ia l.
tooneers slid their boats into the water
| and a pontoon bridge rapidly grew
across the stream. One by one the
spans were erected and within half an
hour the column was in motion again.
| leaving dead and wounded to care for
| themselves, for there was no time for
attempted succor-
From somewhere ahead there was a
little firing, followed at once by heav-
, Ter, and the cracking fire bespoke the
| closing-in combat of the cavalry
against small covesing detachments.
The firing was sporadic Sometimes II
there was a silence. only to be broken
again, but 1t faded away into the dis
tance, until again there was full ST.
lence and the columns completed the
passage of the river. the princlpal oo-
| stacle to the movement.
| with the crossing accomplished. the
raiding force resumed its rapid prog
! ress. onward and onward, until the
triver was some miles behind the ad-
vance guard. when a halt was called,
and the field radio stations. hastily
| erected, sputtered and spoke along the
line to the other stations of the force
and across the intervening distance to
the headquarters. where the Great Sol
| der awaited news of the venture.
With the movement properly co-ordi-
mated. the line faced to the south and
moved on. leaving a cavalry brigade to
push farther to the eastward, on guard
against the offensive movement which
must come from that direction when
the enemy was aroused And he must
be thoroushiy aroused by now. for the
little covering detachments which had
been pushed back had told their stories
| and the enemy must be In motion.
! The smallish man, who was the cav
airy chief, followed in his machine and
Icoolly weighed his chances OF q success
full return. He could only push forward
Q certain distance until the lines OF the
i enemy were solidly struck. and 1t was