The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1914-11-06

SGN~~@b
CHEEKY smile. 1T takes lot of shrap'
mel to kill anybody. Our batteries will
soon answer!"
His voice was unheard, yet its spir-
it was felt. The men knew through
their training that there was no use
| of lodging and that their best protec.
ton was an accurate fire of their own,
Stransky had half risen, a new kind
| of savagery dawning on his features
as he regained his wits. With in
verted eyes he regarded the red end
of his fingers, held in line with the
bridge of his nose. He felt of the
wound again, now that he was less
dizzy. 1t was only scratch and he
had been knocked down like beef in
an abattoir by an unseen enemy, on
whom he could not lay hands! Deaf
eningly, the shrapnsl Jackets con-
tinued to crack with "ukung-s-sh-
ukung-s-sh" as 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 q minute methodically. every
shell loaded with nearly two hundred
projectiles. were giving their undivid-
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 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 rifle-flre 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 as he
had never felt before, which was love,
'sprang full-fedged into his heart as he
saw how steadily they kept up their
fusillade.
Stransky, eager in response to a
new passion, sprang forward into
place and picked up his rifle.
"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 men down." said
;Dellarme, his glasses showing the
many PROSTATE figures on the wheat
stubble. STEADY! steady! We have
i plenty of batteries back in the hills
, One will be in action soon."
n But would one? He understood
, that with their smckeless powder the
Gray guns could be located only by
p their flashes, which would not be Wis
v ible unless the refraction Of light were
4 favorable. Then "thur-eesh-thur
,, eesh" above every other sound in
, long wall! No man ever forgets tn
a first crack Of shrapnel at close quar-
>. ters, the first bullet breath on hi
4 cheek, or the first supporting shel
o from his side in fight that passe
10 above him.
% "That is ours!" called Dellarme.
"Ours!" shouted the sergeant.
"a "Ours!" sang the thought of ever
ID one of them.
Over the Gray batteries on the plai
in an explosive ball of smoke hung
III the still air; then another beside
rs '"Thur-eesh - thur-eesh - thur-eesh
10. the screaming overhead became gal
he that built cloud Of blue smoke owe
as the offending Gray batteries-beaut
full, soft blue smoke from which
II spray of steel descended. There we
i'll no spotting the flashes Of the Brown
H. guns in order to reply to them, II
Ie they were under the cover of a hi
using indirect aim as nicely and a
as curatcly as If firing pointblank. TT
in gunners of the Gray batteries cou
of not 90 on with their work under sue
ed a hail-storm; they were checkmate
on They stopped firing and began movir
re to a new position, where their col
ne mander hoped to remain undiscovert
ID. long enough to support the 12Sth
ed loosing his lightnings against the d
lis tenders at the critical moment OF II
u. next charge, which would be made
soon as Fracasses men had been rel
n! forced.
no There was an end to the concu
We sions and the thrashing OF the a
around Dellarme's men, and they M
mt the relief of breaking abscess in II
I'd, ear. But they became more conscio'
He of the spits Of dust in front of the
al faces and the passing whistles of b'
as lets. In return, they made the sc
to tions Of Gray infantry in reserve rus
ing across the levels, leave many gr;
ne Jumps behind. But Fracasses men
c." the foot of the slope poured in hea
ell Ter and still heavier fire.
ur "Down there's where we need t
shells now!" spoke the thought of D
h; larme's men, which he had anticipat
lat by word to the signal corporal, VI
om waved his flag one-two-three-fo
gi- five times. Come on, now, wi
in, more Of your special brand of deaf
,in fire-control officer! Your own head
ng above the skyline, though your gu
'ge are hidden. Five hundred yards
Ire yond the knoll Is the range! Col
nix on!
an He came with burst Of screams
lg! low in flight that they seemed
cry brush the back of the mems nee
rir with a hair broom at the rate Of