Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1915-01-27

i
cynicism. Dellarme still hesitated.
recollecting Lanstron's remark. He
| pictured Stransky in a last stand in u
redoubt, and every soldier was as
precious to him as a piece Of gold to
| a miser
~One ought to be enough to kill me
IL you're going TO do it to slow music"
said Su ansky. You might as well
XIII me as the poor fools that your
poor fools are trying to"
| Another breath finished the speech;
breath released from a ball that
seemed to have come straight from
hell. The fire control officer OF a regi.
ment OF Gray artillery on the plain,
scanning the landscape for the origin
| or the ri1e-fire which was leaving
many fallen in the wake of the charge
OF the Gray infantry. had seen a figure
on the knoll. How kind, Thank
YOU! his thought spoke faster than
words. No need OF range-fndingi
The range to every possible battery
or infantry position around La Tir
was already marked on his map. He
passed the word to his guns.
Inc burst of their first shrapnel-
shell blinded all three actors in the
scene on the crest OF the knoll with
lts ear-sphtting crack and the force of
It's conclusion threw Stransky down
beside the sergeant. Dellarme. as his
vision cleared. had just time to see
Stransky jerk his hand up to his TEN
pie' where there was red spot, be-
iore another shell burst, little to
the rear. This was harmless, as a
shrapneis shower of fragments and
bullets carry forward from the point
or explosion. But the next burst i'm
front of the line. The doctors period
OF ldieness was over. One mans rife
shot up as his spine was broken by
Jagged piece OF shrapnel jacket. Now
there were too many shells to watch
them individually.
It's all right-all right. mem" Del
iarme called again. assuming his
CHEEKY smile. 1T takes a lot of shrap-
mel To XIII anybody. Our batteries will
soon answer"
Ills voice was unheard, yet it's spir-
IT was felt. The men knew through
their training that there was no use
OF lodging and that their best protec.
ton was an accurate fire of their own
Stransky had half risen, a new kind
or savagery dawning on his features
as he regained his wits. With in
Verteo eyes he regarded the red ends
or his fingers. held in line with tho
bridge of his nose He felt of the
wound again, now that he was less
dizzy. 1t was only a scratch and he
Enn
an abattoir by an unseen enemy, on
whom he could not lay hands. Deaf.
enlngly, the shrapnel jackets con.
tnued to crack with "ukung-s-sh-
ukung-s-sh" as the swift breath of the
shrapnel missiles spread The guns
or one battery OF that Gray regiment
OF artillery, each firing six 14-pound
smells a minute methodically, every
shell loaded with nearly two hundred
pro1ecules, were giving their undivid-
ed attention to the knoll.
How long could his company endure
TINS! Dellarme might well ask. He
knew that he would not be expected
20 Withdraw yet With a sense of re-
lief he saw Fracasses men drop for
cover at the base OF the knoll and
theh' expectation fulfilled. he realized
that rifie-fire now reinforced the enc
my's shell fire. His duty was to re
main while he could hold mis- men
and feeling toward them such as he
mad never felt before. which was love.
sprang full-hedged into his heart as he
saw how steadily they kept up their
fuSiilade
Stransky, eager in response to q
new passion, sprang forward into
place and picked up his rife.
II you will not have it nv way.
take 1t yours!" said the best shot in
the comp any. as he began firing with
resolute coolness
They have a lot of men down." said
Deharme. his glasses showing the
many PROSTATE figures on the wheat
stnbbie. Steady steady. We have
plenty of batteries back In the hills.
One will be in action soon"
CTo BE CONTINUED