The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-12-19
The Last Shot Beginning

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the fresh belts or cartridges which
were TO feed Il were within easy reach.
In straw hat and blue blouse, shut
fling with his old mans walk, Teller
came along the path from the gate.
He was in retreat from the enticing
picture OF the regiment or field-guns
in front OF the castle that was ready
for action. AS tho infantry had never
interested him, he would be safe from
temptation in the yard
This IS no place for you'll" said one
OF the engineers.
mo, and don't waste any time, Ell
Their, old mani" said another. Back
to your bulbs!"
Feller did not even hear them. For
the moment he was actually deaf.
'Fire!" said Dellarmes whistle.
"Thur-r-ri" went the automatic In
soulless, mechanical repetition, its
tape spinning through the cylinder.
while the rifles spoke with the human
irregularity Of steel-tipped fingers
pounding at random on q drumhead.
All along the line facing La Tir the
volume OF fire spread until Il was like
the concert Of a mighty loom.
The Gray batteries having tried out
their range By the flashes OF the au-
tomato the previous evening, were
making the most OF the occasion.
"Uk-ungn-ng!" the breaking jackets
whipped out their grists. The re.
serves, the hospital-corps men and the
engineers Rugged the breastwork for
cover. The leaves clipped from the
trees by bullets were blown aside with
tho hurricane breaths OF shrapnel
bursts; bullets whistled SO near Marta
that she heard their shrillness above
every other sound. She was amazed
that the houses still remained stand.
ing--that anyone was alive. But she
had a glimpse OF Dellarme maintain
ing his set smile and another OF Eel
Ter. who had crept up behind the au
tomato, making impatient "come-onl
come-onl e-matter-with-you?"
gestures in the direction of the bat
teries in front OF the castle.
Thur eesh-thur-eesh As the
welcome note swept overhead he
waved his hands up and down in mad
rapture and then peeped over the
breastwork to ascertain IL the prac-
tice were good. The Brown batteries
had been little slow in coming into
action, but they soon broke the pre-
cision OF the oDDoging fire
Now shells coming frequently fell
short or went wide. The air cleared.
Then a chance shell, striking at tho
one point which the man who fred
Il six thousand yards away would have
chosen as his bulls-eye, obscured Eel
Ter and the automatic and it's gunners
in the havoc of explosion. Feller must
have been killed. The dust settled;
she saw Dellarme making frantic ges-
lures as he looked at his men. They
were keeping up their fusillade with
unflinching rapidly. Through the
breach left in the breastwork she had
glimpses, as the dust was finally dis
sipated. of gray figures, bayonets fixed.
pressing together as they came on
fiercely toward the opening. The
Browns let go the full blast OF their
Had that chance shell
turned the scales? Would the Graye
get into the breastwork?
All Marta's faculties and emotions
we're frozen In her stare Of suspense
at the breach. Then her heart leaped,
a cry In gust or short breaths broke
from her lips as the Browns let go
n rasping, explosive, demoniacal cheer.
The first attack had been checked!
After triumph. terror, falntness. and
them to see Fe!ler. with his old straw
torn and crownless now
still on his head. rise from the debris
and shake himself like a dog coming
ashore from a swim. While the engi-
neers fastened TO repair the breach
he assisted Stransky, who had also
been knocked down by the concus-
sion, to lift the overturned automatic
OF the gunner. The doctor. putting
hand on the gunner's heart, shook his
head, and two hospital-corps men re-
moved the body TO make room for tho
engineers.
For once Dellarme's CHEEKY smile
deserted him. There was no one left
to man tho automatic, so vital In the
defense, and even II somebody could
be found the gun was probably out OF
AS he started toward II
his smile, already summoned back.
was shot with surprise at sight OF the
gun in place and a stranger In blue
blouse, white hair showing through
crownless straw hat. trying out the
with knowing fingers. Del
larme stared Teller. unconscious OF
everything but the gun. righted tho
cartridge band. swung the barrel back
and forth. and then fired shot
"You-you seem TO know rapid.
nrersl" Dellarme exclaimed in blank
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