Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-15


tain's rank, watching the plain
through his glasses, saw the move
ment of mounted officers to the rear
of the 128th as a reason for summon
ing his men.
Creep up! Don't show yourselves!
Creep up - carefully-carefully!" he
kept repeating as they crawled for
ward on their stomachs. And no one
is to fire until the command comes"
Hugging the cover of the ridge of
fresh earth which they had thrown up
the previous night, they watched the
white posts. Stransky. who had been
ruminatively silent all the morning,
was in his place, but he was not look
ing at the enemy Cautiously, to avoid
a reprimand. he raised his head to en-.
able him to glance along the line. All
the faces seemed drawn and clayish
They don't want to fight! They're
Just here because they're ordered here
and haven't the character to defy au-
thority." he thought. THE lecven is
working! My time is coming!"
For Dellarme the minute had come
when all his training was to be put to
test. The figures on the other side of
the white posts were rising. He was to
prove by the way he directed q COM
pany of infantry in action whether or
not he was worthy of his captains
rank. He smiled chcerily In order
that he might watch how each man
used his rife, he drew back of the line,
his slim body erect as he rested on
one knee, his head level with the
other heads while he fingered his
whistle. The instant that Eugene
Aronson sprang over the white post
a blast from the whistle began the
war.
1t was a signal, too, for Stransky
to play the part he had planned; to
make the speech of his life. His six
feet of stature shot to its feet with
Jack-in-the-box abruptness, under
the impulse of mighty and reckless
passion.
Men, stop firing!" he howled thun.
derously, Stop firing on your broth.
ers! Like you, they are only the
pawns of the ruling class, who keep
us all pawns in order that they may
have champagne and caviare. Com.
rades, I'll lead you! Comrades, we'll
take white flag and go down to meet
our comrades and we'll find that they
think as we do! I'll lead you!"
The appeal was drowned In the
cracking of the rifles working as regu.
larly as punching-machines in a fac.
tory. Every soldier was seeing only
his sight and the running figures un.
der 1t. Mechanically and automaticaI
ly, training had been projected into
action, anticipation into realization. A
spectator might as we'll have called to
man In hundred-yard dash to stop
running, to an oarsman in a race to
jump out Of his she'll
The company sergeant sprang for
Stransky with an oath. But Stransky
was in no mood to submit. He feIled
the sergeant with a blow and, reck
lessly defiant, stared at Dellarme
while the men, steadily firing, were
still oblivious of the scene The ser
geant, stunned, rose to his knees and
reached for his revolver. Dellarme
bent over to keep his head below the
crest, had already drawn his as he
hastened toward them.
viii you get down? Will you take
your place with your rife?" demanded
Dellarme.
Stransky laughed thunderously in
scorn. He was handsome, titanic. and
barbaric, with his huge shoulders
stretching his blouse, which fell loose
ly around his narrow hips, while the
fist that had felled the sergeant was
still clenched.
mol" said Stransky. You won't
kin much If you kill me and you'd kill
less If you shot yourself! God AL
mighty! Do you think I'm afraid? Ne
-afraid?"
His eyes in a bloodshot glare, as
uncompromising as those of bull in
an arena watching the next move OF
the red cape of the matador, regarded
Dellarme, who hesitated in admiration
OF the picture of human force before
@NAA' Dub tho Olu oeTB6dnI, SInarLlnH
under the insult of the blow, his sand.
stone features mottled with red
patches, had no compunctions of this
order. He was ready to act as execu
toner.
IF you don't want to shoot, I can!
An example-the law! There's nc
other way of dealing with him! Give
the world" he said to Dellarme.
Stransky laughed, now in strident
cynicism. Dellarme still hesitated
recollecting Lanstrons remark. He
pictured Stransky in last stand in q
redoubt and every soldier was az
precious to him as a piece Of gold tc
q miser.
~one ought to be enough to kill me
II you're going to do it to slow music
said Stransky. you might as well
kill me as the poor fools that your
poor fools are trying to"
Another breath finished the speech:
q breath released from a ball that
seemed to have come straight from
hell. The fire control officer of a regi.
ment OF Gray artillery on the plain,
scanning the landscape for the origin |
OF the riie-fre which was leaving |
ndanV fallan IN fho xvak> - A.. ~.