The Irish standard., 1915-07-17
CHAPTER viii.
The Swamp.


had heard firing in the distance. the
thunder Of cannon and the rattle of
musketry. Our regiment had been
marched htther and thither. The
fight had drawn nearer and nearer,
We were expecting to be under fire at
any moment, and then we had to fall
back again, and look for q new place
to develop our attack. 1t seemed as
If the orders that came through were
contradictory, and this tension Of un.
certainty fell like blight on our
spirits, and got Oh the nerves both
or officers and men. At length we
had wound through defile, the steep
slopes of which, left and right, were
thickly grown with trees. Things had
got into bit of mess. We had had
to force our way through underground
soaked with rain, through brambles
and clumps Of tall broom on which
the green pods were still pendent.
At times there was nothing in sight
except the roof and wall of greenery.
We breathed more freely when at
last the sky spread clear overhead
again.
So now we have reached a green
meadow, and are marching straight
/! across it, but are still unable to see
anything of the enemy's forces yet.
Even the firing has died down, and
has become more distant than before.
1t seemed as If we had come into
another, remoter world, and-so we
have; for soon we notice how soft the
ground has become under our feet,
how water is oozing up at every step.
We shall; II we 60 on, be right In the
middle Of a swamp.
That is the reason of the solitude
reigning all around US.
The terrain is impracticable.
To the right and left of us, and all
about us, nothing but swamp, running
out into broad sheet of open water.
the depths of which no one can guess.
or tell whether 1t be fordable.
The head of the column is already
swinging round and we are retracing
our steps toward the defile to get out
Of the rat-trap.
And in the middle of the meadow:
Halt! Form sections!"
The companies have fallen in. The
officers have assembled, and are pow
wowing. We seem to have lost touch.
The sergeant beside me is swearing
up his sleeve, and is cursing at some
thing about lunacy and blindfnan's
h1lP Of
the heights, overgrown with trees and
underground, and am thinking what
fun it would be If we were to have to
make our way back to the defile now.
and in the thick of it the enemy were
to break in on us right and left-no
man would come out Of it alive-the
battle of the Teutoburger forest re-
ours to mel am trying to make out
II they are oaks or beeches over there
- OF sudden there is q flash Of
lightning from the underground; the
very armament cracks and sways as
II 1t were going to fall in on US. T..
"Lie DOWN." Horror screams some
where or other.
And trembling, we lie down
and over our heads rushes something
that bowls for our flesh. :.
What's the next thing? Up and at
them now! Rush straight at the guns.
sutfocate their fiery mouths with our
6esh and bones.
Cup! Get up"
The captain comes up to us at a run.
The breath of the iron holds US tight
pressed to the ground as If in Q vice.
Turn your head away.
Now!
Now!
Then-A-a.h!
The vault Of Heaven has cracked
above US, and has spurted down on to
the sand from above. Life is lying
there, wriggling on the earth, and the
hands that were clawing the ground
are now clutching idly at the shattered
air. rise to my feet again. ;.
I have not been hit. But the man
who leaped up beside me-he is lying
fiat in the sand and screaming in
broken voice. He is lying as II he
had been nailed firmly through his
stomach to the earth. and % II he