The Monticellonian., 1915-03-25
CHAPTER XIx-continued.

NOW the autOmat1cS and the rlneS
from the redoubt to which the Browns
had fallen back opened fire So
close together we're these bullet-ma-
chimes that the orbit of each ones
swing made a spray of only few
cards breadth over the redoubt, where
the Browns gun-fire had not for 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 a steady UNI
dertone between shell bursts. In the
garish jumping light brave officers
impulsively stood up to hearten their
commands in their work, and dropped
with half-uttered urgings, threats, and
0aths 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 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 time when minute seemed an
age.
Meanwhile, between them-this
banked-up force at the charges end
and the Brown redoubt with its auto
mates, the Gray gunners were making
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 were 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 it's YER
tebrae breaking, gouged and torn and
pinioned, the charge stopped, in with
ing, throbbing 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 lightnings
and dust, dizzy from conclusions and
noise too blank of mind to be sane or
insane, the atoms of the bulk of the
charge III natural instinct turned from
their goal and toward the place whence
they had come, with death from all
sides still buffeting them. Staggering
ly, at first they went. for want of in
itative in their paralysis; then rapidly.
as the law of self.preservation asserted
itself in wild impulse
AS sheep driven over a precipice
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 were alive, Stained with
blood and dust. his teeth showing in
grimace of moeking hate of all hui
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 rifle, he struck down one officer
who tried to detain him; but another
officer, quicker than he put a revolver
bullet through his head
Westerling, who had buried his face
In his hands in Marta's presence at
the thought of failure, must keep the
pose of his position before the STAFF.
With chin drawn In and shoulders
squared in sort of petrified military
haolt, he received the feyerish news
that grew worse with each brief bulle
tin. He, the chief of staff: he, He'd
worth Westerling the superman. must
be rock in the flood of alarm. When
he heard that his human ram was in
recoil he declared that the repulse had
been aggerated-repulses always
We're. With word that a heavy counter.
attack was turning the retreat into an
ungoyernable rout. he broke into a
storm He was not beaten; he could
not be beaten
Let our guns cut a few swaths In
the mob" he cried. THAT will stop
them from running and bring them
back to sense of duty to their coun-
try"
The Irritating litter of the bell in
the closet off the library only increased
his defiance of facts beyond control.
He went to the long distance with a
reply to the premier's inquiry ready to
his lips
We got into the enemy's works but
mad TO fall back temporarily" he said.
Temporarily! What do you mean?"
demanded the premier.
1 mean that we have only begun to
attack" declared Westerling. He liked
that sentence. 1t sounded like the
shibboleth of great leader in a crisis.
shall assault again tomorrow
night"
Then your losses were not heavy?"