The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-04-03
CHAPTER lX-Continued.

& But would one? He understood
lat with their smokeless powder the
v ray guns could be located only by
eir flashes, which would not be Wis
lie unless the refraction of light were
n hvorable Then "thur-eesh-thur-
5esh" above every other sound in a
A1bng wall! No man ever forgets the
s)rst crack of a shrapnel at close quar-
ers, the first bullet breath on his
heek. or the first supporting shell
H4rom his side in fight that passes
1bove him.
'& THAT is ours," called Dellarme.
III ours" shouted the sergeant
III ours" sang the thought OF every
one of them.
Over the Gray batteries on the plain
an explosive ball of smoke hung in
the still air; then another beside it.
'Thur-eesh thur-eesh - thur-eesh,"
the screaming overhead became a gale
that built cloud of blue smoke over
the offending Gray batteries-beauti-
full, soft blue smoke from which
spray of steel descended. There was
no spotting the flashes of the Browns
guns in order to reply to them, for
they were under the cover OF hill,
using indirect aim as nicely and ac-
Eurately as If firing pointblank The,
Runners of the Gray batteries could
not go on with their work under such
~ hail-storm; they were checkmated.
They stopped firing and began moving
10 new position, where their COM
Hnander hoped to remain undiscovered
bng enough to support the 12Sth by
DOSING his lightnings against the de-
a aDnders at the critical moment Of the
fXext charge, which would be made as
Il bon as Fracasse's men had been rein
Breed
S#s There was an end to the concus-
ons and the thrashing of the air
sound Dellarme's men, and they had
Ne relief of breaking abscess in the
&nr. But they became more conscious
s&k the spits Of dust In front of their
ces and the passing whistles Of bull
Il It's. In return, they made the sec
IONS of Gray infantry In reserve rush
1ng across the levels, leave many gray
Nmps behind. But Fracasse's men at
ne foot OF the slope poured in heav-
~ and stii' heavier fire.
Down there's where we need the
larme's men, which he had anticipated
hy word to the signal corporal, who
waved his flag ore-two-three-fo
-Dve times. Come on, now, with
more Of your special brand of death,
hre-control officer. Your own head is
aoove the skyline, though your guns
an hidden. Five hundred yards be-
yDnd the knoll is the range! Come
81
He came with burst OF screams SO
1Gk in flight that they seemed to
nah the back Of the mems necks
q41o hair broom at the rate OF
G6osand feet second. Having
ss eched the result, Dellarme turned
18th confirmatory gesture, which the
corporal translated into the wigwag
ol<"Correct!" The shrapnel smoke
Mnging over Fracasse's men appeared
heavenly blue to Dellarme's men.
They are going to start for us
loon! Oh, but we'll get a lot of
sem!" whispered Stransky gleefully
70 pis rife.
Bellarme glanced again toward the
eolonels station. No sign of the re-
firing flag. He was glad Of that He
did not want to fall back in face of
q charge; to have his men silhouetted
in the valley as they retreated. And
the Grays would not endure this show
er-bath long without going one way or
the other. He gave the order t, fix
bayonets and hardly was 1t Obeyed
when he saw flashes of steel through
the shrapnel smoke as the Grays fixed
theirs. The Grays had 500 yards to
go; the Browns bad the time that It
takes running men to cover the dis
eance in which to stop the Grays.
We'll spear any Of them who has
As luck to get this far!" whispered