The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-04-10
CHAPTER xi.
At the Gaiiand House.


Every unit engrossed in his own
work. Every man taught how a weak
J link may break a chain and realizing
himself as link and only link! The
captain Of engineers forgot Marta's ex-
| istence as an error of his subordinates
caught his eye, and he went to caution
the axmen to cut closer to the ground,
as stumps gave cover for rifemen. For
the time being he had no more interest
| in the knoll than in the wreckage of
the dirigibles which were down and
out OF the fight.
After all. the knoll was only a single
point on the vast staff map-only one
| of many points of a struggle whose
progress was bulletined through the
| siftings of regimental, brigade. divi-
sion and corps headquarters in net re-
suits to the staff. Partow and Ian
| stron overlooked all. Their knowledge
made the vast map live under their
eyes. But our concern is with the
story of two regiments, and particu-
larly OF two companies. and that is
whole. multiply the conflict on the
ny Ten tuOuSdDu.
There had been the engrossment
! of transcendent emotion in repelling
the charge What followed was like
some grim and passionless trance with
| triggers ticking off the slow passing
| minutes. Dellarme aimed to keep
| down the fusillade from Fracasse's
trench and yet not to neglect the fair
targets of the reserves advancing by
rushes to the support of the 12sth.
Reinforced, the gray streak at the bot
tom of the slope poured in a heavier
| fire. Above the steady crackle of bull
| lets sent and the whistle of bullets re-
ceived rose the cry of Doctor. Doc
| tor" which meant each time that an
other Brown rifle had been silenced
The litter bearers, hard pressed to re-
move the. wounded, left the dead. AL
ready death was a familiar sght-an
article OF exchange in which Del
larme's men dealt freely The man
at Stranskys side had been killed out
| right. He lay face down on his rife
stock. His cap had fallen Off Stran-
sky put it back on the mans head.
and the example was followed in other
cases. 1t was a good idea to keep up
a show of a full line of caps to the
enemy.
Suddenly, as by command, the fire
| from the base of the knoll ceased alto
gether Dellarme understood at once
what this meant-the next step in the
course of systematic. irresistible ap
proach by superior numbers. 1t was
to allow the ground scouts to advance
Individual gray spots detaching them
selves from the gray streak began to
crawl upward In search of dead spaces
where the contour of the ground would
furnish some protection from the
blaze of bullets from the crest.
"Over their heads! Don't try to hit
them!" Dellarme passed the word.
That's 1t! Spare one to get
dozen!" said Stransky, grinning in
ready comprehension. He seemed to
be grinning every time that Dellarme
looked in that direction. He was
plainly enjoying himself His restless
nature had found sport to its taste
| The creeping scouts must have sig
nailed back good news. for groups be
gan crawling slowly after them.
| "Over their heads! Encourage them!
Del]arme commanded.
After they had advanced two or
three hundred yards they stopped
shoulders and hands exposed in silhou-
ette and began to work feverishly
with their spades.
oh. beautiful" cried Stransky
THAT baby captain of ours has some
brains. after all! Well get them now
and we'll get them when they run."
| But they did not run. Unfalteringly
they took their punishment while they
turned over the protecting sod iii the
midst of their own dead and wounded
In a few minutes they had dropped
spades for rifles, and other sections.
either crawled or ran forward pre-
| l.cipitately and fell to the task of join
! ing the isolated beginnings into
single trench.
Again Dellarme looked toward regi-
mental headquarters, his fixed, CHEEKY
smile not wholly masking the appeal
in his eyes. The Grays had only two
or three hundred yards to go when
they should make their next charge in
order to reach the crest. But his men
had fifteen hundred to go in the val
ley before they were out OF range.
After their brave resistance facing the
enemy they would receive hail Of
bullets in their backs. This was the
time to withdraw II there were to be
assurance OF a safe retreat But there
was no signal. Until there was, he
must remain.
The trench grew; the day wore on
Two rifles to one were now playing
against his devoted company, which
had had neither food nor drink since
early morning. AS he scanned his
| <hippipp line he saw a lOok NJ blood