The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-09-01

not repreSS eXclamallOnS OF amaze
ment, not unmixed with mirth, to see
them assembled for review and in
structions. looking as if they should
have had books in their hands instead
OF rifles.
Don't quite like the looks of that
lot-for blowing up bridges" said the
colonel, directing himself especially
to Duprez' lieutenant
That officer also had his doubts; but
he realized that, Duprez having been
given permission to choose his men,
to make any changes in his command
, would be to imperil the success of the
expedition and perhaps to weaken
discipline and confidence in the two
: battalions.
Its too late now, don't you
Think" he ventured to suggest in re-
ply.
81 suppose So" growled the colonel,
returning to his mustache.
And so Private Duprez, with curl
Gus smile lurking at the very corners
of his mouth, and a deeper glow in
his firm, dark eyes, was allowed to
set about quickly informing his men
OI the ldSh DGlOT0 luGm.
ANY man who doesn't like the job
may step out, and I'll find another"
he said tersely when he had finished.
Not a man moved; there was doubt
and curiosity on their faces, but no
fear.
That's better" admitted the colo
mel in the ear,of the lieutenant.
Half an hour later Duprez and his
twenty, carrying charges of dynamite
in addition to their rifles and KNAPP
sacks, set out down the white road
leading to the distant bridge.
They felt a curious thrill with the
thought that they were in Lorraine
that far south of them other French
regiments were in Alsace-that after
forty years of patient waiting the hour
of France had come, and the tricolor
again waved over the fair, lost prov
inces.
Only now and then the sound of
cannon and the faint rattle of rife fire
from far over the hill at their left re-
minded them that the provinces had
not yet been conquered THAT the
fight had not yet been won.
They marched in silence for almost
an hour very slowly, lest they tumble
unexpectedly upon outposts or scouts
of the enemy Then suddenly Du-
PREF, who until that moment had ad-
dressed barely few short words of
command to his men, turned around
and faced them.
Something strange in his ceunte-
nance and manner brought the twenty
to a sharp halt in their very tracks,
where they stood regarding him ex-
pectantly. For a moment Duprez
stood, studying them with that same
keen scrutiny they had observed when
he selected them for this expedition.
Brothers." he cried.
A moments pause.
"Comradesi"
Another pause.
Brothers, comrades, fellow men!
Why are we here?"
They could only look at him, puz-
zled by his words, so irrelevant to the
hour, but fascinated by his fiery man.
ner and the ring of his voice on sthe
still air
A'rHave you ever stopped to think
why we are fighting? Did you stop
to think back .yonder when we passed
the graves of our brothers of the til,
why they died, and. why we shall die
hfter them? Will you stop to reflect
Tpw what all this means?"
efyeThe little knot Of men. stole swift
Chances at one another's faces and
'3saw here and there flush, and heard
IA quickening of the breath and felt a
movement of expectancy. Then all
..Ryes were again fixed on their leader.
oss'Brothers," he went on, 81 chose
gu for this undertaking because
Saw in your faces that you are not
3 mere clods-that you are not only
Abrave men, but men who can think.
Schose you because l knew that you
Swould have the courage to die for
hear me now!-to die for a cause
for the cause!"
He paused and bent eagerly toward
them. Would they understand his
meaning? Would they know what he
meant by the cause? For a moment
the most intense silence held them,
one and all. Then there was a nerv-
Gus movement; their faces-not all,
but some of them-lighted up; and
one-it was little differentiated a
sharp, swift "Ah!"
1t was only an scarce
ly more than a whisper in the air.
But upon Duprez the effect was mag
ical, as If it had been signal, COM
mand.
The men had been studying him
curiously as he spoke to them. Each
had wondered not a little at being
picked for this expedition. None had
become acquainted with him in the
brief period of mobilization, of equip
ment at the depot, and of transporta-
ton in the crowded military train
from Epinal to the front.
Three or four, including Tillier and
Duval, had learned his name, and
found him a studious, silent, curt fell
low, not exactly rude or unsympa-
thetic, but uncommunicative and ap-
| parently absorbed in his own thoughts
Duprez, with sudden motion,
raised his rife high in the air and
flung it fercely into the dust of the
road at his feet.
His hands went swiftly to the car
scattered the cartridges far and wide
~ g
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