Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-19

Old Sergeant.
sentries posted at intervals on Int
crest to watch. With the aid Of {
small electric fash. screened by hii
hands, Deilarme again examined q sec
tion Of the staff map that outlined thu
contour Of the knoll In relation to tn
.other positions. After this he wrots
in his diary the simple facts Of thu
days events, concluding with senti
ment Of gratitude for the hono'
shown his company and prayer thai
he might keep . clear head and d
his duty II war came on tina morrow
NOW. every one get all the sleep be
canir he advised the men.
Etransky slept with his head on hid
arm. soundly; the others slept no bet
ter than the men Of the 12Sth. The
night passed without any alarm ez-
cept that Of their own thoughts, and
they welcomed dawn as relief from
suspense. There was no hot coffee
this morning, and they washed down
their rations with water from their
canteens. The old sergeant was lying
beside Captain Dellarme on the crest,
the sunrise in their faces. AS the mist
cleared from the plain 1t revealed the
white dots Of the frontier posts in the
meadow and behind them many gray
figures in skirmish order, scarcely Wis
ible except through the glasses.
''It looks like buBiness!" declared
the old sergeant.
Eyes, It begins the minute they
cross the linal" said DeIlarme.
His glance swapping TO tina rear to
scan the landscape under the nght Of
day, he recognized, with . sense Of
pride and awe, the tactical importance
Of his comDany.s position in relation
to that of the Importance Of the othsr
companies. Easily he made out tina
TugtmantaC Inns bF ssraals Of con-
cealed trenches and groups Of brown
uniforms; and here and there were
the obIong. cloth stretches Of waiting
hospital littera.. On the reverse slnDe
o. another RnniD was the farmhouse,
marked Z On hin map % the regimen
tai headQuartsra.. whore he was to
watch for the signal To fall back from
his first stand In delaying the enemy's
advance. Directly TO the rear was the
cut through which the company had
come from the main pass road. and be-
yond that the Galland house. which
was to- be the second stand.
Now Dellarme disposed his men I'm
line back Of the ridge of fresh earth
that they had dug in the night, ready
to rush to their places when he blew
the whistle that hung from his neck.
but he did not allow them p glimpse
over the crest.
Il know that you are curious, but
powerful glasses are watching for you
to show yourselves: and If a battery
turned loose on US you'd understand,
he explained.
Thus the hours wore on, and the
church clock struck nine and ten.
Never q movement down there"
called the sergeant from the crest 70
Dellarme. Maybe this is just their
ANAL hluff before they come to terms
about BodlapoO"-that stretch of Al
rican jungle that seemed very far
away to them all
Let us hope soI" said Dellarme
seriously.
Choosing to go to town By the
castle road rather than down the ter
race to the main pass road, Marta
starting for the regular Sunday ser
Vice Of her school. a. she emerged
from the grounds, saw Feller, garden
shears in hand, . figure OF stone
watching the approach Of some feld-
batteries. The question Of allowing
him to undertake his part as spy
had drifted into the background OF her
mind under the distressing and ever
pressure of the crisis. He was
TO remain until there was war. she
was almost past him before he real
ised her presence, which he acknov'l-
edged by a startled movement and
step forward as he took on MS nat
She pansed. His eyes were glowing
like Goals under q blower as he looked
At her and again at the batteries
aaemine 70 include her with the guns
n the spell Of his fervid abstraction.
-Frontier closed last night to pre-
vent intelligence about our prepars-
tions leaking out-Lanny's plan All
aIive-the guns coming he said, his
shoulders stiaening, his chin drawing
ii he features resolute and beaming
with the Srdor Of youth in action
strnops MOVING here and there TO their
preparing the De-
fenses- aatomatics Ct critical polnss
Win the infantry-aeld-wires laid
lsld4sIsDhones ct nn-tha wireless