Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-26

OF nie nnkeit, -ndi6 n 'lihS VIII ths
bridge OF his nose. He fen Of the
wound again. now that be was lesl
dizzy. Il was only scraisA and he
had been knocked down like o beef IN
an abattoir by an unseen enemy. on
whom he could not lay handsl Deaf
eningiy. the shrapnel Jackets con
tinued 10 crack with ''ukung-s-sh-
ukungs-sh" 40 the swift breath Of the
shnpnel missiles spread. The guns
Of one battery OF that Gray regiment
OF artillery. each firing six 14-pound
shells q minute methodically. every
shell loaded with nearly two hundred
projectiles. were giving their undivid-
cd attention to the knoll.
How long could his company endure
thisi Dellarme might well ask. He
knew that he would not be expected
TO withdraw yet. With a sense of re-
lief he saw Fracasse's men drop for
cover at the base of the knoll and
then. expectation fulfilled. he realized
that rife-hre now reinforced the enc
my's shell IRE. His duty was to re-
main while he could hold his men.
and q feeling toward them such as he
had never felt before. which was love,
spranS full-fedged into his heart % he
saw how steadily they kept up their
fusillade.
Stransky. eager in response to a
new passion, sprang forward into
place and picked up his rife.
"If you will not have 1t my way.
take II yours!" said the best shot in
the company. a. he began firing with
resolute coolness.
"They have lot Of men down" said
Dellarms. his glasses showing the
many PROSTATE figures On the wheat
stubble. STEADY! steady! We have
plenty Of batteries hack IN the hiIis.
One win bo in action SOON"
But would onsY He understood
that with their smokcless powder the
Gray guns could be located only by
their flashes, which would not Be Wis
ible unless the refra6tion Of light were
favorable. Then 'thureesh-thur-
eesh" above every ether sound In .
long wall! No man ever forgets the
first crack of shrapnef ct close guar
tiers, the first bullet breath on his
cheek, or the FIRST supporting she'll
from his side In flight that passes
above him.
THAT is ours!" called DeIlarme.
'Ours!" shouted the sergeant.
"ours!" sang the thought Of every
one Of them.
Over the Gray batteries on the plain
an explosive ball of smoke hung In
the still air; then another beside IT.
"Thur-eesh - thur-eesh - hur-eesh,
the screaming overhead became q gale
that built cloud of blue smoke over
the offending Gray batteries-beautt-
full, soft blue smoke from which
spray Of steel descended. There was
no spotting the flashes Of the Browns
guns in order to reply to them, for
they were under the cover Of hill,
using indirect aim as nicely and &C
curately as II firing p0inthlank The
Runners Of the Gray batteries could
not 60 on with their work under such
a hail-storm: they were checkmsted,
They stopped firing and began moving
to q new position. where their com
mander hoped to remain undiscovered
long enough to support tine 12Sth BY
lOosing his lightnings against the de-
tenders at the critical moment Of inc
next charge, which would be made as
soon 90 Fracasse's men had been rein
forced.
There was an end to- tine concus-
sions and the thrashing Of the ar
around Dellarme's men, and they had
the relief Of breaking abscess in the
ear. But they became more conscious
of the spits Of dust in front Of their
faces and the passing whistles OF bull
let's. In return, they made the sec
tons of Gray infantry in reserve rush
ing across the levels, leave many gray
Jumps behind. But Fracasse's men at
the foot of the slope poured in a heav-
Ter and still heavier fire.
Down there's where we need the
shells now!" spoke the thought OF Del
larme's men, which he had anticipated
by a word to the signal corporal, who
waved his flag one--two-three-four
five times. Come on, now, with
more of your special brand of DEATH
fire-control oficer! Your own head Is
above the skyline, though your guns
are hidden. Five hundred yards be-
yond the knoll is the range! Come
on!
He came with burst cfsscreams SO
low in flight that they seemed TO
brush the back of the mems necks
with a hair broom at the rate OF q
thousand feet q second. Having
watched the result, Dellarme turned
with a confirmatory gesture, which the
corporal translated into the wigwag
of Correct" The shrapnel smoke