Evening star., 1914-11-15
Opposing Victory

until there was no whit of cover re-
naming.
When the first line of the advance
was over half way up. and the march-
ing successive lines embraced inc
greater part of the attacking FORCE.
there came a cloudburst upon them.
There was no warning: there was n"
leading up to 1t: there was not even a
premonition of disaster. for the plans
of the great soldier had been made to
that end From every point along the
ridge except in the immediate front or
the center there burst out roar o:
flaming artillery, and the sweep a,
shrapnel cut through the enemys lines
with deadly accuracy. II hardly SEEM
ed possible for such a mass OF artillery
to be concentrated upon n given space.
1t scarcely seemed as though there was
enough artillery in the world to deliver
the fire which devastated the lines. The
surface of the ground became blacken-
ed with the fallen and the lines stag
gered, shook and broke into terror.
For what the scouting aeros had fall
ed. to discover were the guns OF the
ed by batteries which had been rushed
by rail from other parts of the line ami
from the reserve, covered with inno-
cent looking piles OF brush and abattis.
haystacks and dirt in the night.
As the shattered infantry lines of the
enemy fell under that fire of hell there
came the elimination OF the trap which
the great soldier had sprung. From
"a
of the emptied canals, where the i'm
fantry had scooped mucky hiding
place under the banks, there leaped al
army corps squarely on the flank OF
the attack, and il swept across the
fields waist deep under water.
Before more than the few organiza-
tions on the flank could turn to front
the unexpected assault, its first line
was almost upon the shattered foe.
The enemy's artillery, all but disorgan-
ized under the rain of shrapnel which
had fallen SO unexpectedly, turned its
attention to the new infantry attack
but without avail, for the supporting
guns. for four miles in each direction,
never let up for a moment.
With a swelling yell of triumph the
bayonets of the unlooked-for attack
struck home. and the enemy's flank
crumpled and rolled back into rout
The enemy's batteries. aghast at the
calamity which mad befallen what
seemed the eliminating triumph of the
campaign, the breaking of the center
roared in anger. appalled,. But ii was
too late.
In the mad terror OF a flock of sheep
when predatory dogs are among them
the assaulting army corps which had
been so rudely wakened from its false
dream OF conquest huGdleo. helpless.
utterly disorganiZed, utterly broken up.
and 10000 men were seized with the
frenzy which is more terrible than
death itself.
And. as though throwing the final
weight in the scale of fortune, over the
crest of the ridge swept the serrieu
ranks of the great soldiers cavalry
brigades which had been concealed
from aero observation in the forest
And they plunged straight down the
slope at gathering speed upon the help
less soldiery below
Columns of infantry, in fine frenzY
of delight at the awful success of the
scheme of the great soldier. came into
view from many points, to press home
in counter attack against the unheld
section of the line before them. for in
fair truth they had broken the center
and the campaign was practically won.
And the great soldier? From a wood
ed knoll near the ridge he watched his
victorious battalions the painting horses
and the fanking infantry coated with
Shiny mud. and as he drew his black
ened old pipe from the breast pocket of
his service coat. cramming the tobacco
into the bowl with stubby thumb, he
turned to the westward, where his own
country lay waiting, and thought Of
home.
Copyright. 1914. by the Wheeler Syndicate, lac,