Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-09-26
LAST SHOT
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STONE features mottled with red
patches, had no compunctions Of this
order. He was ready to act % execu.
TONER.
III you don't want to shoot, can!
An example-the law! There's no
other way Of dealing with him! Give
1.-THE world" he said to Dellarme.
Stransky laughed. now in strident
cynicism. Dellarme still hesitated.
recollecting LAnstron's remark. He
pictured Stransky in last stand In =
redoubt. and every soldier was ~
precious to him as . piece Of gold to
IA miser.
Zone ought to be enough to kill me
II you're going to do It to slow music. !"
said stransky. you might ~ well
Kill me as the poor fools that your
poor fools are trying to-"
Another breath finished tho speech;
u breath released from ball that
seemed to have come straight from
hell. The fire control ofncer Of . regi-
ment Of Gray artillery on the plain,
scanning the landscape for the origin
of the rifle-fire which was leaving
many fallen In the wake Of the charge
of the Gray infantry, had seen . figure
\ on the knoll. "How kind! Thank
'{you!" his thought spoke faster than
words. No need Of range-hnding!
The range to every possible battery
or infantry position around La Tir
was already marked on his map. He
passed the word to his guns.
, The burst Of their first shrapnel.
shell blinded all three actors In the
scene on the crest Of the knoll with
Its earsplitting crack aud the force Of
Its conclusion threw Stransky down
beside the sergeant. Dellarme, a. his
vision cleared. had just time to sec
Stransky jerk his hand up to his tenn
pie. where there was red spot, b.
fore another shell burst, . little to
the rear. This was harmless. - a
shrapnels shower Of fragments and
bullets carry forward from the point
of explosion. But the next burst In
front Of the line. The doctors period
of idleness was over. One mans rifle
shot up as his spine was broken by q
Jagged piece Of shrapnel jacket Now
there were too many shells to watch
them individually.
TITS all right-all right, mem" Del
ilarme called again. assuming his
CHEEKY smile. 1T takes q lot Of shrap-
mel to kill anybody. Our batteries will
soon answer!"
His voice was unheard. yet Its spir-
1T felt. The men knew through
their training that there was NO use
of lodging and that their best protec-
ton was an accurate IRE Of their own.
stransky had half risen. a new kind
of savagery dawning on his features
as he regained his wits. With in
verified eyes he regarded the red ends
of his fingers. held In line With tho
bridge of his nose. He felt Of the
wound again. now that he was less
dizzy. It was only q scratch and he
had been knocked down like a beef In
an abattoir by IN unseen enemy. on
whom he could not lay hands! Deaf
eningly, the shrapnel jackets con-
tinued to crack, with ''ukung.ssh-
iukung-s-sh" - the swift breath Of the
shrapnel missiles spread. The guns
Of one battery Of that Gray regiment
Of artillery. each firing six 14-pound
shells minute methodically. every
shell loaded with nearly two hundred
projectiles, were giving their undivtd-
ed attention to the knoll.
How long could his company endure
this? Dellarme might well ask. He
knew that he would not be expected
to withdraw yet With q sense Of re.
lief he saw Fracasse's men drop for
cover at the base Of the knoll and
then, expectation fulfilled, he realized
that rife-ire now reinforced the enc
my's shell fire. His duty was to re-
main while he could hold his men.
and feeling toward them such az he
had never felt before. which was love.
sprang full-fedged into his heart 40 he
saw how steadily they kept up their
fusillade.
Stransky. eager in response to .
new passion, sprang forward into
Place and picked up his rife.
IF you will not have It my way,
take it yours!" said the best shot In
the company, as he began firing with
resolute GOODNESS.
"They have lot Of mea down." said
Dellarme. his glasses showing the
many PROSTATE figures on the wheat
stubble. Steady! steady! We have
plenty of batteries back in the hills
One will be in action soon"
But would one? He understood
that with their smoke!ess powder the
Gray guns could be located only by
their flashes, which would not be Wis
ible unless the refraction OF light were
favorable. Then "thur-eesh-thur-|
eesh" above every other sound in .
long vail. No man ever forgets the
frst crack Of shrapnel at close quar-
ters. the first bullet breath on his
cheek, or the first supporting shell
from his side in flight that passes
above him.
'.That is ours!" called Dellarme.
"Ours!" shouted the sergeant.
"Ours!" sang the thought Of every
one Of them.
y over the Gray batteries on the plain
IAN explosive ball Of smoke hung in
the still air: then another beside It.
;..rhur.eesh - thur-eesh - thur-eesh,' .