The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-02-26
TheIastS Shot
FREDERICK PAL M E r
copyright. 1914. by Charles Scribuer's sons


nation, he was gaining none. His
duty being to keep the Grays' secrets,
there was leak somewhere In his
own department. He Qulzzed subordi-
mates; he made abrupt transfers, to no
avail.
Meanwhile, the Grays were taking
the approaches to the main line or
defense, which had been thought rela-
lively immaterial but had been found
shrewdly placed and their Vulnerable
ity overestimated. The thunders OF !
batteries hammering them became
routine of existence, like the passing
Of trains to one living near railroad.
The guns went on while tea was De-
ing served; they ushered In dawn and
darkness; they were going when sleep
came to those whom they later aWak'
ened with start. Fights as desper
ate as the one around the house be-
came features Of this period, which
was only a warming-up practice lot
the war demon before the orgy OF
impending assault on the main line.
Marta began to realize the immen'
sity of the chessboard and Of the
forces engaged In more than the bare
statement of numbers and distances.
If a first attack on a position failed
the wires from the Galland house re-
peated their orders to concentrate
more guns and attack again. In the
end the Browns always yielded, but
grudgingly, calculatingly, never be-
ing taken by surprise. The few OF
them who fell prisoners said, COO
with u.s. We shall win in the end!
and answered no questions. Gradually
the Gray army began to feel that 1t
was battling with a mystery which
was fighting under cover falling back
under cover-a tenacious. Watchful
mystery that sent sprays Of death into
every finger of flesh that the Grays
thrust forward in assault.
Another position taken. Our ad-
vance continues" was the only news
that Westerling gave to the army, his
people. and the world, which forgot
its sports and murders and divorce
cases in following the progress Of the
first great European war for two gen.
erations. He made no mention OF the
costs; his casualty lists were secret.
The Gray hosts were sweeping for
ward as slow, irresistible tide; this
by Partow's own admission. He an
nounced the loss of position as
promptly as the Grays Its taking. He
published daily list Of casualties so
meager in contrast to their own that
the Grays thought 1t false; he made
known the names Of the killed and
wounded to their relatives. Yet the
seeming candor of his press bureau
included no straw Of information OF
military value to the enemy.
: Westerling never went to tea at the
: Gallands'' with the other officers, for 1t
was part of his cultivation Of great.
ness to keep aloof from his subordi'
mates. His meetings with Marta hap,
pened casually when he went out into
the garden. Only once had he made
any reference to the And then" OF
r their interview In the arbor.
81 am winning battles for you'll" he
= had exclaimed with the thing in his
e eyes which she loathed
l. To her 1t was equivalent to saying
that she had tricked him into sending
men to be killed In order to please
/ her. She despised herself for the
g way he confided in her; yet she hat
to 90 on keeping his confidence, re
turning tender glance with one tina
held out hope. She learned not tt
e shudder when he spoke of loss o
3. "only ten thousand" In order to rail-!
a herself when she grew faint-heartet
# to her task, she learned to picture thu
II lines of his face hard-set with five
4, against-three brutality, while In com
y fort he ordered multitudes to death
70 of Dellarme, who asked his soldiers t.
e undergo no risk that he would no
1t share. And after every success h
n would remark that he was so muc
nearer Engadir, that position Of tn
q main line Of defense whose weakness
ID she had revealed.
lg "Your Engadir!" he came to ga!
t. Then we shall again profit by you
* information; that is, unless they hav
le fortified since you received It,"
g, "They haven't. They had alread
IS fortified she thought. She was a
or ways seeing the mockery Of his word
n In the light of her own knowledge an
In her own part, which never escape
rs her consciousness. One chamber {
o. her mind was acting for him; a Sc
d. and chamber was perfectly aware tn,
lg the other was acting.
of "One position more-the Twin Bou
Is der Redoubt, 1t Is called" he a
IN nounced at last. I'VE shall not PREF
r; hard In front. We shall drive
d. masses on either side and storm Il
er tanks"
tn This she was telephoning to La
al stron a few minutes later and havin
he in return, all the news Of the Brown
he The sheer fascination Of knowing VIII