Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-03-26
CHAPTER v.-contInued.

and Prussian soldiers.
CHAPTER v.-ContInued.
An old house across the street.
which had been on fire, had collapsed
into a mere mound of slate. charred
beams, and plaster. Through the
brown heat which quivered above the
ruins ] could see out into the country.
And what saw was a line of hills,
crowned with smoke. rolling stretch
of meadow below. set here and there
with shot-torn trees and hop-polos: :
and over this uneven ground two regi-
ments of French cuirassiers and two
squadrons of lancers moving slowly
forward as though on parade.
The cuirassiers moved on slowly,
the sun a binding sheet of fire on
their armor; now and then horse
tossed his beautiful head, now and
then a steel helmet turned, flashing.
Griefstricken, groaned aloud:
Madame. there rides the finest cav
airy in the world!-to annihilation."
How could l know that they were
coming deliberately to sacrifice them
selves?-that they rode with death
heavy on their souls. knowing well
they were to die to save the frag-
ments OF beaten army?
They are doomed. like their IA
thers." l muttered-"sons of the cui-
rassiers of Waterloo. Look, madame!
Look on the men OF France! You say
you do not understand the narrow love
of country! Look!"
'It is too pitiful. too horrible" she
said. hoarsely. How the horses fall
In the meadow"
They will fall thicker than that
In this street,"
"See!" she cried: they have begun
to gallop! They are coming! oh. l
cannot look!-I-cannot!"
Far away, a thin cry sounded above
the cannon din; the doomed cuiras-
siers were cheering. 1t was the first
charge they had ever made; nobody
had ever seen cavalry of their arm on
any battlefield of Europe since Wa
terioo.
Now among the thicket OF hop-vines
long lines of black arose; there was q
fash, belt OF smoke, another flesh
then the metallic rattle OF bullets on
steel breast-plates. Entire ranks of
cuirassiers went down in the smoke OF
the Prussian rifles. the sinister clash
and crash of falling armor filled the
air. And, above the Internal fracas
rose the heavy cheering of the
doomed riders.
Into the deep. narrow street wheeled
the horsemen, choking road and side
walk with their galloping squadrons.
a solid cataract Of impetuous horses.
a flashing torrent of armored men
and then! Crash! the first squadron
dashed headlong against the barri-
cade of wagons and went down.
Into them tore the squadron behind,
unable to stop their maddened horses,
and into these Numbered squadron
after squadron, unconscious of the
dead wall ahead.
Posted behind the upper and lower
windows of the houGes. the Prussians
shot into them, SO close that the
flames from the rifles set the jackets
of the cuirassiers on fire. Then a ter
rible butchery of men and horses be-
gan.
In front OF the barricade a huge
fellow reined in his horse and turned
te-gloved hand raised. red epau
Halt! Haiti" he shouted. stop
the lancers!" And trumpeter, dis
engaging himself from the frantic
chaos, set his long. silver. trumpet
to his lips and blew the Halt"
Then into this awful struggle gal
loped the two squadrons of the lam
GERS. For a moment the street swan
under their futtering red-and-white
lance-pennons, then a. volley swept
m-another-another - and down
they went
The street was still crowded with
entrapped cuirassiers, huddled in
groups or riding up and down the
walls mechanically seeking shelter. A
few of these. dismounted. were wear
lily attempting to drag a heavy cart
away from the barricade; the Prus-
slams shot them, one at time, but
others came to help. and few Ian
GERS aided them, and at length they
managed to drag a hay-wagon aside.
giving a narrow passage to the open
country beyond. Instantly the Prus-
sian infantry swermed out of the
houses and into the street. shouting.
"Prisonersl" pushing. striking. and
dragging the exhausted cuirassiers
from their saddles. But contact with