Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-12-24

recollecting Lanstron's remark. He
pictured Stransky in a last stand IA y
redoubt. and every soldier was as
precious to him as a piece OF gold to
. miser.
"One ought to be enough to kill me
II you're going to do 1t to slow music"
said Stransky. "You might as well
kill me as the poor fools that your
poor fools are trying to-"
Another breath finished the speech;
a breath released from a ball that
seemed to have come straight from
hell. The fire control officer of q regi-
ment Of Gray artillery on the plain.
scanning the landscape for the origin
Of the rife-fire which was leaving
many fallen in the wake Of the charge
Of the Gray infantry. had seen u figure
on the knoll. How kind! Thank
you!" his thought spoke faster than
words. No need Of range-lnding!
The range to every possible battery
or infantry position around La Tir
was already marked on his map. He
passed the word to his guns.
The burst of their first shrapnel-
shell blinded all three actors In the
scene on the crest OF the knoll with
its ear-splitting crack and the force Of
it's conclusion threw Stransky down
beside the sergeant. Dellarme, as his
vision cleared, had Just time to see
Stransky jerk his hand up to his tenn
pie, where there was a red spot, be.
fore another shell burst, a little to
the rear. This was harmless, as a
shrapnel's shower Of fragments ard
bullets carry forward from the point
Of explosion. But the next burst In
front of the line. The doctors period
Of idleness was over. One mans ride
shot up as his spine was broken by a
jagged piece Of %shrapnel jacket. Now
there were too many shells to watch
them individually.
ITS all right-all right. men!" Del
larme called again, assuming his
CHEEKY smile. 1T takes a lot OF scrap.
mel to kill anybody. Our batteries will
soon answer!"
His voice was unheard, yet Its spir.
1t was felt. The men knew through
their training that there was r0 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 ends
of his fingers, held in line with tho
bridge Of his nose. He felt Of the
wound again, nov that he was less
dizzy. 1t was only a scratch and he
had been knocked down like a beef in
an abattoir by an unseen enemy, on
whom he could not lay hands! Deaf
eningly, the shrapnel 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 a 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 a 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 rife-fire now reinforced the me-
my's shell fire. His duty was to re-
main while. he could hold his men.
and a feeling toward them such as he
had never felt before, which was love,
sprang full-fledged into his heart as be
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 1t yours!" said the best shot in
the company, as he began firing with
resolute GOODNESS. :
"They have a lot Of men down." said
Dellarme. his glasses showing the
many PROSTATE figures on the wheat
stubble. STEADY! steady! We have
plenty Of batteries back in the hills.
One will be in action SOON"
CTo BE CoNTINUED)