The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-02-26
CHAPTER xIx-Contlnued.

Now the automatics and the rifles
from the redoubt to which the Browns
had fallen back opened fire. So
close together were these bullet-ma-
chimes that the orbit of each ones
swing made a spray of only a few
yards breadth over the redoubt, where
the Browns gun-fire had not for mo-
ment ceased its persistent shelling,
with increasingly large and solid tar
gets of flesh for their practice. The
thing for these targets to do, they
knew, was to intrench and begin to
return the infantry and automatics'
fire. Desperately, with the last effort
OF courage, they rose In the attempt
rose into playing hose streams of bull
lets whose close hiss was steady un-
dertone between shell bursts. In the
garish, jumping light brave officers
impulsively stood up to hearten their
commands in their work, and dropped
with half-uttered urgings. threats, and
oaths on their lips.
The bullets from the automatics
missing one mark were certain to find
another, perhaps four or five in row,
such was their velocity and power OF
penetration. Where shells made gaps
and tore holes in the human mass, the
automatics cut with the regularity Of
the driven teeth OF a comb. The men
who escaped all the forms of slaughter
and staggered on to the ruins or the
redoubt, pressed their weight on top
of those in the craters or hugged be-
hind the pyramids OF debris, and even
made breastworks from the bodies OF
the dead. The more that banked up,
the more fruitless the efforts OF the Of
Scers to restore order in the frantic
medley of shell screams and explosions
at time when a minute seemed an
age.
Meanwhile, between them-this
banked-up force at the charges end
and the Brown redoubt with its auto
matics, the Gray gunners were making
a zone of shell bursts in order to give
the soldiers time to make their hold
of the ground they had gained secure.
Through this zone Stransky and his
men were to lead the Browns In a
scounter-attack.
At the very height OF the Gray
charge, when all the reserves were in,
and where they dropped earth and
flesh were mingled In the maceration.
Like some giant reptile with it's ver-
tebrae breaking, gouged and torn and
pinioned, the charge stopped, in writh-
ing, throbbing confusion. Those on
the outer circle of explosions were
thrown against their fellows, who
,eurged back in another direction from
an explosion in the opposite quarter.
From the rear the pressure weakened;
the human hammer was no longer driv-
ing the ram. Blinded by the lightnings
and dust. dizzy from conclusions and
noise, too blank of mind to be sane or
insane, the atoms OF the bulk of the
charge in natural instinct turned from
their goal and toward the place whence
they had come, with death from all
sides still buffeting them. Staggering.
Iy, at first, they went. for want of in
ltative In their paralysis; then rapidly,
as the law of self-preservation asserted
itself In wild impulse.
AS sheep driven over a precipice
they had advanced; as men they fed.
There was no longer any command, no
longer any cohesion, except OF legs
struggling in and out over the uneven
footing of dead and wounded, while
they felt another pressure, that of the
mass OF the Browns In pursuit. or all
those OF Fracasse's company whom
we know only the judges son and
Jacob Pilzer were alive. Stained with
blood and dust, his teeth showing In
a grimace OF mocking hate OF all hu-
mankind, PLIERS savagery ran free OF
the restraint of discipline and civilized
convention. Striking right and left,
he forced his way out of the region Of
shell fire and still kept on. Clubbing
his rifle, he struck down one officer
who tried to detain him; but another
officer. quicker than he, put a revolver
bullet through his head.
Westerllng. who had buried his face
In his hands in Marta's presence at
the thought of failure. must keep the
pose OF his position before the stan.
With chin drawn In and shoulders
squared in a sort OF petrified military
habit, he received the feverish news
that grew worse with each brief bulle-
tin. He. the chief OF staff; he, He'd
worth Westerling. the superman. must
be rock In the food OF alarm. When
he heard that his human ram was I'm
recoil he declared that the repulse had
been ggerated-repulses always
were. With word that heavy counter
attack was turning the retreat into an
ungoyernabls. rout. he broke into
ftorm. He was not beaten: he could
tot be beaten.
Let cur guns cut a few swaths In
the mob" he cried. That will stop
them from running and bring them
lack to asense OF duty to their coons
by"