Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-09-27

Wnlt6 the TlHeS spoke WltH the human
irregularity Of stee-tipped fingers
pounding at random on drumhead.
All along the line facing La Tir the
volume OF fire spread until 1t was like
t,,.a concert of a mighty loom.
The Gray batteries having tried out
their range by the flashes of the ali-
tomato the previous evening, were
making the most of the occasion.
"Uk-ung the breaking jackets
whipped out their grists. The re-
serves. the hospitalcorps men and the
engineers Rugged the breastwork ior
cover. The leaves clipped from the
trees by bullets were blown aside with
eh9 hurricane breaths OF shrapnel
cvrsts, bullets whistled SO near Marta
shat sha heard their shrillness above
aty other sound. She was amazed
bat the houses still remained stand
aF that anyone was alive. But She
I'D n glimpse OF DelIarme maintain
fgg MS set smile and another of Eel
ar who had erept UP behind the au-
.JIaaiic, making impatient 'come-on!
come oui e-matter-with-yOu?'
gestures in the direction of the bat
fefies in front of the castle.
t"Tnur-eesh--th AS the
welcome note swept overhead he
waved his hands up and down in mad
rapture and then peeped over the
breastwork to ascertain if the prac-
tice were good. The Brown batteries
had been a little slow in coming into
action, but they soon broke the pre-
cision Of the opposing fire.
Now shells coming frequently fell
short or went wide. The air cleared.
Then chance shell, striking at the
one point which the man who fired
1t six thousand yards away would have
chosen as his bull's-eye, obscured Eel
Ter and the automatic and its gunners
In the havoc Of explosion. Feller must
have been killed. The dust settled;
she saw Dellarme making frantic ges-
lures as he looked at his men. They
were keeping up their fusillade with
unflinching rapidity. Through the
breach left in the breastwork she had
glimpses. as the dust was finally dis
sipated, Of gray figures, bayonets fixed.
pressing together as they came on
fiercely toward the opening. The
Browns let go the full blast OF their
magazines. Had that chance shell
turned the scales? Would the Grays
get into the breastwork?
All Marta's faculties and emotions
were frozen In her stare of suspense
at the breach. Then her heart leaped,
a cry In gust of short breaths broke
from her lips as the Browns let go
a rasping, explosive, demoniacal cheer.
The first attack had been checked!
After triumph, terror, faintness, and
closing Of her eyes, she opened
them to see Teller, with his old straw
still on his head, rise from the debris
and shake himself like dog coming
ashore from swim. While the engi.
nees FASTENED to repair the breach
he assisted Stransky, who had also
been knocked down by the concus.
sion, to lift the overturned automatic
off the gunner. The doctor, putting a
hand on the gunner's heart, shook his
head, and two hospital-corps men re-
moved the body to make room for the
engineers.
For once Dellarme's CHEEKY smile
deserted him. There was no one left
to man the automatic, SO vital in the
defense, and even il somebody could
be found the gun was probably out of
commission. AS he started toward 1t
his smile, already summoned back.
was shot with surprise at sight Of the
gun in place and a stranger In blue
blouse, white hair showing through a
lcrownless straw hat. trying out the
mechanism with knowing fingers. Del
,larme stared. Feller, unconscious Of
everything but the gun, righted the
cartridge band. swung the barrel back
and forth, and then fired a shot.
"you--you seem to know rapid.
firers!" Dellarme exclaimed in blank
incomprehension.
Eyes, sir" Teller raised his finger,
whether in salute as soldier or as
"a gardener touching his hat it was
hard to say.
"But how--where?" gasped Del
larme.
This time the movement of the fin
ger was undoubtedly in salute, in per-
feet. swift military salute, with head
thrown back and shoulders stiff. Eel
Ter the, gardener was dead and buried
Without ceremony.
n s.Lanstrons class, school for OFF,
GERS, sir. Stood one in ballistics, prize
medallist control Of gun-fire. Yes, sir,
| know something about rapid-firers. I"
Feller replied, and fired a few more
shots. "A little high. little low
right my lady, right"
sStransky was back in his place next
to the automatic and firing whenever
q head appeared. He rolled his eyes
in q characteristic squint Of scrutiny
toward the new recruit. -
beats spraying rose-bushes for
bugs. Ell, old MANI" he asked.
Yes, a lead solution is best for
gray bupsin Feller remarked nun-