Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-11-11

a fog at bent figures whose legs we're
pumping asst in dim pantomime.
But the guns Of the Browns, also.
have word that the charge has begun.
The signal corporal is waiting for the
gesture from Dellarme agreed upon as
an announcement The Brown artii-
lery commander cuts his fuses two
hundred and fifty yards shorter. He.
too. uses percussion for moral effect
Half OF the distance from the foot
TO the crest OF the knoll Fracasse's
men have gone in face of the hot, siz-
cling tornado OF bullets, when there is
q blast OF explosions 10 their faces
with all the chaotic and irresistible
force of a volcanic eruption. Not only
are they In the midst OF the first lot
of the Browns shells at the shorter
range, but one Gray battery has either
made a mistake in cutting its fuses or
struck streak of powder below stand
ard, and its shells burst among those
whom It is aiming to assist
The ground seems rising under the
feet OF Fracasse's company: the air is
split and racked and wrenched and
torn with hideous screams OF invisible
| demons. The men stop: they act on
the uncomfortable instinct of seIfpres-
eryation against an overwhelming
power OF locomotion drop. faces
pressed 20 the ground. The rest fee
toward a shoulder OF the slope
through the instinct that leads
hunted man In street into an alley.
In confusion OF arms and legs. press
ing one on the other, no longer sol
diers. only a mob they throw them
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 FIR
Ing; certain gunners' ears burn under
the words OF inquiry as 10 the cause
Of the mistake from an artillery com
inander. Dellarme's men are hugging
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 craniums above the skyline. The
sounds that escape theif threats are
those OF a winning team at tug OF
war as diaphragms relax.
With the smoke clearing, they see
20 or so 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 a finger; even the living are
felgning 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.
If he Is always up with them they Will
never know what Is In his heart and
call him 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 wounded
He 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 heayen,-found no point of
pain or spot soppy with blood II he
were really hit there was bound to be
one or the other, he knew from read
ing,
Between him aud the faces OF the
Browns yes. the actual living. terri
BILE Browns above the CLINT OF their
rifle barrels, was no obstacle that
could stop bullet, though not more
! than three feet away was crater
made by shell burst. The black cir
! Gle of every muzzle on the crest
seemed 20 be pointing at him When
were they going TO shoot2 When was
he to be executed? Would he be shot
in many places and die taas? Or would
the very first bullet go through his
head2 why didn't they fire? What
we're they waiting for? The suspense
was unbearable. The desperat ton OF
overwhelming fear driving him in ire
sponsible impulse. he doubled up his
legs and with cats leap sprang for
the crater
bloodcurdline burst of whistles
passed over his head as a dozen rides
cracked This time he was surely
killed! He was In some other world
Which was It, the good or the bad
The good. for he had glimpse OF blue
sky, No. that could not be. for he had
been alive when he leaped for the
crater. and there he was pressed
against the soft earth OF its Bottom
He burrowed deeper hlissfully lie
was the nearest TO the enemy OF any
man OF the l2Sth. and he certainly
had passed through gamut OF emo
tons In the half.hour since Eugene
Aronson had leaped over a white post
"Confound it! II we'd kept on we'd
have got them Now we have TO dc
it all over sgain," growled Fracasse
distractedly as he looked around al
the faces hugging the cover of the
shoulder faces asking. What next
each in its own way; faces blank and
white: faces with lips working and
eyes blinking; faces with the blood
rushing back to cheeks IN baiIied an
ger. One. however, was half smiling
Hugo Mallins.
You did your share of the running
I'll warrant. Mallinl" said FracassC
{ axpffaHlNs vnpffr- hSe sssarpSR an &