Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-01-20
CHAPTER xIx-contlnued.


had fallen back opened fire. Sc
close together were these bullet-ma'
chimes that the orbit OF each once
swing made a spray Of only a few
yards breadth over the redoubt, where
the Browns gun-fire had not for a mo-
ment ceased its persistent Smelling,
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
let's whose close hiss was steady un.
dertone between shell bursts. In the
garish, jumping light brave officers
impulsiveIy 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 of the
redoubt, pressed their weight on top
of those in the craters or Rugged 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
ficers to restore order in the frantic
medley OF shell screams and explosions
at a time when minute seemed an
age.
Meanwhile, between them-this
banked-up force at the charges end
and the Brown redoubt with les auto
MATES, the Gray gunners we're 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
counter-attack.
At the very height OF the Gray
charge, when all the reserves we're in.
dark objects fell out of the heavens,
and where they dropped earth and
flesh were mingled In the maceration.
Like some giant reptile with its YER
tebrae breaking. gouged and torn and
pinioned. the charge stopped. In with.
ing, throbblng confusion. Those on
the outer circle OF explosions were
thrown against their fellows. who
surged 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 llghtnings
and dust, dizzy from conclusions and
noise. too blank of mind 10 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 huffeting them. Staggering.
ly, at first. they went. for want OF in.
ltative In their paralysis; then rapidly,
as the law of self-preservatlon asserted
Itself In wild impulse.
AS sheep driven over a precipce
they had advanced: as men they fled
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. OF all
those OF FTaeasse's company whom
we know only the judges son and
Jacob Pilzer we're alive. Stained with
blood ana dust, his teeth showing In
grimaoe Of hooking 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 rife, he struck down one officer
who tried to detain him: but another
ofieer. quicker than he. put a revolver
bullet through his head.
Westerling. who had buried his face
In his hands in Martas presence n,
the thought OF failure. must keen The
poSe OF his position before the stan
with chin drawn in and shoulders
squared In sort OF petrIfied military
habit, he received the feverish news
that grew worse with each brief hu,Ie.
TN He, the chief of staf; he He'd.
worth Westerling. the superman. must
De rock in the food OF alarm. When
nc. heard that his human ram was in
recoll he declared that the repulse had
been exaggerated-repul ALWAYS
were. With word that heavy counter.
attack was turning the retreat irto an
ungovernable rout. he broke into a
storm. He was not beaten. he eon,d
not be beaten.
Let our guns cut a few swatbs in
the mob!" he cried. THAT win stop
them from running and bring them
back to sense OF duty to their coup.
try"
The irritating litter OF the hell in
the closet OF the library only Increased
his defiance OF facts beyond control
He went to the long distance with q
reply to the premier's inquiry ready tc
his lips.
We got into the enemy's works put
had to fall back temporarily" he said
Temporarily What do you mean p
demanded the premier.
Il mean that we hare Gully begun Il
attack" declared Westerliug. He like,
that sentence. II sounded like III,
ehfhboleth ~ a e,roos as.3,s d - ,is -