The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-11-28

/ M
/ A Blood-curdIing Burst Of Whl0tles
Passed over His Head.
pressed to the ground. The rest Gee
I toward a shoulder OF the slops
through the instinct that leads a
hunted man in a street into an alley
In a confusion OF arms and legs, press<
ing one on the other, no longer solH
diers, only a mob, they throw them. Y
selves behind the first protection that
offers itself Fracasse also runs. He
runs from the flame OF furnace door
suddenly thrown open.
The Gray batteries have ceased Hr
Ing; certain gunners' ears burn under
the words of inquiry as 10 the Cause
OF the mistake from an artillery com.
mander. Dellarme's men are huggfng
the earth too close to cheer. A desire
TO spring up and yell may be In their
hearts, but they know the danger Of
showing a single unnecessary inch OF
their cranlums above the skyline. The
sounds that escape their threats ara
those OF a winning team at tug OF
war as dlaphragmS relax.
With the smoke clearing, they ses
20 or 80 Grays plastered on the slope
at the point where the charge was
checked. Every one OF those PROSTATE
forms Is within fatal range. Not one
moves n finger; even the living are
feigning death in the hope OF surViV.
ing. Among them is little Peterkin.
so faithful in forcing his refractory
legs to keep pace with his comrades.
II he is always up with them they will
never know what is In his heart and
call him a coward. AS he has been
knocked unconscious, he has not been
in the pell-mell retreat.
His first stabbing thought on coming
to was that he must be dead but. no:
he was opening his eyes sticky with
dust. At least, he must be woundedl
lie had not power yet to move his
hands in order TO feel where, and when
they grew alive enough TO move. what
he saw in front OF him held them
frigidly still. His nerves went search.
ing from his head TO his feet and
miracle OF heaven!-found no point OF
pain or spot soppy with blood. IL hs
were really hit there was bound to be
one or the other, he knew from read.
ing.
Between him and the faces OF the
Browns-yes, the actual living. terri.
bic Browns-aboye the CLINT OF their
rlne barrels, was no obstacle that
could stop a bullet, though not more
than three feet away was a crateu
made by shell burst. The black cir.
Gle of every muzzle on the crest
seemed to be pointing at him. When
were they going TO shoot? When was
ne 70 be executed? Would he be shot
IN many places and die thus? Or would
the very first bullet go through his
headY Why didn't they fire? What
We're they waiting for? The suspense
was unbearable. The desperation OF
overwhelming fear driving him in ire
sponsible impulse, he doubled up his
legs and with a cats leap sprang for
the crater.
A blood-curdling burst OF whistles
passed over his head as a dozen rifles
cracked. This time he was surely
Killed He was in some othN wsrldi
which was 1t, the good or the badr
The good, for he had a glimpse OF blue
SKY. No, that could not be. for he nd
been alive when he leaped for the
crater, and there he was pressed
against the soft earth OF its bottom.
lie burrowed deeper blissfully. He
was the nearest to the enemy OF any
nan OF the 12Sth, and he certainly
lad passed through a gamut OF emo
ions In the half-hour since Eugene
Aronson had leaped over white post.
confound II! n we'd kept on we'd
rave got them! Now we have 10 do
! all over agaln!" growled Fracasse
listractedly as he looked around at
ne races hugging the cover OF the
asking, What next?
ZACH In It's own way; faces blank and
ghite' faces with lips working and
yes blinking; faces with the blood
ushing back to cheeks in baiFled an
ger. One, however, was half smiling
hugo Mallin's.
=. iop aid your share OF the ruI<
II warrant, Mallini" said rras~..
venting his disgust on
'artlcular object
es, SIR" answered Hugo. "It was
cry hard TO maintain a semblance OF
lightly. Yes, sir. kept near YOU all
no time. Wasn't that what YOU wanted
ne 10 do, sir?r