Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-10-14

NO wonder!" replied FracasSe. Mar
tinet though he was. he spoke in grum-
bling loyalty to his soldiers. What
kind of spirit is there in doing the
work of navvies? Spirit! No SOL
diers ever fought better-in invasion.
at least Look at our losses! Spirit!
Westerling drives US in. He thinks
we can climb Niagara Falls! He"
"Stop! You are talking like an an.
archist" snapped the colonel. How
can the men have spirit when you feel
that way?"
81 shall continue to obey orders and
do my duty, sir" replied Fracasse.
"And they will, too, or I'll know the
reason why"
There was a silence, but at length
the colonel exploded.
81 suppose Westerliug knows what
he is doing!"
"still We must go on. We nus.
VIM"
Eyes, the offensive always wins in
the end. We must go on"
And once we have the range-yes.
once we've won one vital position-the
men will recover their enthusiasm and
be crying: On to the capital!'"
Right! We were forgetting history.
We were forgetting the volatility Of
human nature"
Far up on a peak among the birds
and aeroplanes, in a rooted shell-proof
chamber, with telephone orderly at
his side, powerful pair Of field-glasses
and range-fndere at his elbow, and a
telescope before his eye, Gustave Eel
Ter, one time gardener and now acting
colonel Of artillery. watched the burst
Of shells over the enemy's lines. White
other men had grown lean on war, he
had taken on enough flesh to fill out
the wrinkles around his eyes that
shone with an artists enjoyment OF
his work. Down under cover Of the
ridge were his guns, the keys of the
instrument that he played by calls
over the wire Their barking was a
symphony to his ears; errors of or
chestration were errors in aim. He
talked as he watched, his lively fea'
lures reflective of his impressions.
"Oh, pretty! Right into their tum-
mics! Right in the nose! La. la, la!
But that's off-and SOS that! Tell
Battery they're fifty yards over. Oh,
beady-eyed gods and shiny little fishes
two smacks in the same spot!
Humph! Tell Battery G that the
trouble with that gun is worn rifiing:
that's why it's going short. Elevate 1t
for another hundred yards-but It
ought not to wear out SO soon. I'd like
to kick the maker or the inspector. The
fellows in b q will accuse us OF mat
tertion It's time to drop shell on
them to show we're perfectly impartial
in our favors. La. la, ia! Oh. what
a pretty smack! Congratulations"
B q was the position Of Fracasse's
company and the pretty smack the
one that broke one mans arm and
crushed another's head
The God with u.s." song was singu-
its composer, born to the red and be-
come Captain Stransky in the red
business of war 1t was he who led
the thunder of its verses.
II certainly like that song" he said.
Well he might. 1t had made him ia
nous throughout the nation. There's
Jehovah and birthstone in 1t. Now
Wen have our own"
But we're always losing positions"
complained one Of the men. Little
by little they are getting possession. y
"They say the offensive always
wins" said another
Five against three! They count
on numbers" said Lieutenant TEN
Fragini
There you go, Tom! Any other
pessimists or anarchists want to be
heard?" called out Stransky. "Just
how long, ut the present rate. will it
take them to get the whole range?
There's limit to the number Of even
FIVE millions"
Then the telephone in the redoubt
brought some news. The STAFF begged
to inform the army that the enemy g
casualties in the last three days had
been two hundred thousand! Immedi-
ately everybody was talking at once
in Stransky's parliament, as he some
times called that company Of which
he wes IN The Az! ::!y::= SIC,