The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-11-28
CHAPTER TX.
The Baptism Of Fire.

The Baptism Of Fire.
All the landscape in front of Fra
Casses company seemed to have beer
deserted; no moving figures were any
where in sight; no sign Of the enemy
infantry.
Family the town clock was heard
striking the hour. From eight to nine
and nine to ten Fracasse's men wait
ed waited until the machine was
ready and Westerling should throw in
( the clutch; waited until the troops
were in place for the first move before
he hurled his battalions forward.
/ They did not know how the captain at
/ their back received his orders; they
only heard the note OF the whistle.
with a command familiar TO a trained
instinct on the edge of anticipation. II
released a spring in their nerve-cen-
tiers. They responded as the wheels
respond when the throttle is opened.
Jumping TO their feet they broke into
a run, bodies bent, heads down. like
the peppered silhouette that faced
Westerlings desk. What they had
done repeatedly in drills and maneu.
vers they were now doing in war, me.
chanically as marionettes.
Come on! The bullet is not made
that can get me! Come on" cried the
giant Eugene Aronson.
Nearly all felt the exhilaration OF
movement in company. Then came
the sound that generations had drilled
for without hearing; the sound that
summons the imagination of man in
the thought OF how he will feel and
act when he hears IT, the sound that
is everywhere like the song snatches
OF bees driven whizzing through the
air
That's It! We're under FIRE! We're
under fire." flashed crooked light
ming recognition OF the sound through
every brain.
There was no sign OF the enemy;
no telling where rhe bullets came
from.
Whish-whish Th-ipp-whing The
refrain gripped Peterkin's Imagination
with an unseen hand. lie seemed TO
be suffocating. lie wanted TO throw
himself down and hold his hands in
front OF his head While Pilzer and
Aronson were not thinking. only run
ming. Peterkin was thinning with the
rapidity of man falling from a high
building He was certain only that
he was bound TO strike ground
An inch is as good as a milel" He
recollected the captains teaching.
Only one OF n thousand bullets fired
In war ever kills man"-but he was
certain that he had heard million
already He looked around TO fiad |
that he was still keeping up with Eu-
gene and felt the thrill OF the bravery !
OF fellowship at sight OF the giants |
flushed. confident face reveling in the |
spirit OF a. charge. And then, just
then, Eugene eonvulsively threw up |
his arms, dropped his rife. and |
whirled on his heel AS he went down |
his hand clutched at his left breast
and came away red and dripping.
After one wild backward glance, Pc
terkin plunged ahead
'Eugene!" Hugo Mallin had stopped
and bent over Eugene in the supreme
instinct OF that terrible second, sup
porting his comrades head.
The bullet is not-made--" Eugene
the ruling passion strong
to the last. A flicker OF the eyelids,
gurgle in the throat. and he was dead
Here, you are not going TO get out
this way!" Fracasse shouted. in the
OF haste. slapping Hugo with
his sword. Go ont That's hospital
corps work"
Hugo had glimpse OF the captains
rigid features and last one OF Eu.
genes, white and still and yet as II
he were about to sp-ak his fayorite
boast; then he hurried on, his side
glance showing other proserate forms.
one form few yards away half rose
TO call "Hospitall" and fell back,
struck MORALLY by n second bullet.
That's what you get II you forget
Instructions" said Fracasse with no
sense of brutality. only professional
Keep down, you wound
ed menl" he shouted at the top OF his
voice.
The colonel OF the l2Sth had not
looked for immediate resistance. lie
had told Fracasse's men TO occupy the
knoll expeditlously. But by the com.
mon impulse OF military training. no
less than in answer TO the Whistles
call. in face OF the whitening FIRE they
dropped 20 earth at tho base OF
knoll, where Hugo threw himself
down at full length in his place in line
next 20 Peterkin.
Fire pointblank at tho crest in
front Of YOU! l sav a couple OF men