Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-02-06
CHAPTER v.-continued.

An old house across the street.
which had been on fire, had collapsed
into mere mound of slate. charred
beams, and plaster. Through the
brown heat which quivered above the
ruins could see out into the country
And what | saw was a line of hills,
crowned with smoke, rolling stretch
Of meadow below, set here and there
with shot-torn trees and hoppoles;
and over this uneven ground two regi-
ments of French cuirassiers and two
squadrons of lancers moving slowly
forward as though on parade.
The cuirassiers moved on slowly,
the sun binding sheet of fire on
their armor; now and then horse
tossed his beautiful head, now and
then steel helmet turned. flashing.
Grief-stricken, l groaned aloud:
Madame, there rides the finest cav
airy in the world!-to annihilation."
How could / know that they were
coming deliberately to sacrifice them
;selves?-that they rode with death
heavy on their souls, knowing well
there was no hope, understanding that
they we're to die to save the frag-
ments of beaten army?
They are doomed, like their IA
thers," I muttered-"sons of the cui-
rassiers of Waterloo. Look, madame
Look on the men of France! You say
sou do not understand the narrow love
Of country! Lookl"
TT is too pitiful. too horrible" she
laid, hoarsely. How the horses fall
In the meaacW.'
"They will fall thicker than that
TN this street,"
'-See!"' she cried; they have begun
70 gallop! They are coming! Oh,
cannot lookl--I-cannot!"
Far away, thin cry sounded above
the cannon din; the doomed cuiras-
-siers were cheering. 1t was the first
fcharge they had ever made; nobody
Ehad 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 a
flash, belt of smoke, another flesh
then the metallic rattle of bullets on
steel breast-plates. Entire ranks OF
cuirassiers went down in the smoke OF
the Prussian rifles, the sinister clash
and crash of falling armor filed the
air. And, above the Internal fracas
rose the heavy cheering of the
doomed riders.
Into the deep, narrow street wheeled
the horsemen, choking road and side
walk with their galloping squadrons
"a solid cataract of impetuous horses
"a flashing torrent of armored men
land then! Crash! the first squadron
dashed headlong against the barri
cade of wagons and went down
Into them tore the squadron behind
unable to stop their maddened horses
and into these thundered squadron
after squadron, unconscious of ths
dead wall ahead
Posted behind the upper and lower
windows of the houses, the Prussian.
shot into them, SO close that thu
flames from the rifles set the jackets
of the cuirassiers on fire. Then a ter
rible butchery of men and horses be
gan.
In front of the barricade hug,
fellow reined in his horse and turned
white-gloved hand raised, red epau
lets tossing
Haiti Haiti" he shouted. "Sto]
the lancers!" And trumpeter, dis
engaging himself from the franti
chaos, set his long, silver trumpe
to his lips and blew the Halt"
Then into this awful struggle gal
Hoped the two squadrons Of the Ian
GERS. For moment the street swan
under their fiuttering red-and-whit
lance-pennons, then a volley swep
them-another- another = and dow
they went
The street was still crowded wit