The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-01-22

Teller did not even hear them. For |
the moment he was actually deaf.
Fire." said Dellarme's whistle |
"Thurrr." went the automatic in
soulleSs, mechanical repetition, its
tape spinning through the cylinder,
while the rifles spoke with the human
lrregularity OF steeltipped fingers
pounding at random on a drumhead.
All along the line facing La Tir the
volume Of fire spread until it was like
the concert of mighty loom
The Gray batteries having tried out
their range by the flashes Of the au-
tomato the previous evening, were
| making the most Of the occasion.
"Uk-ung-n-ng," the breaking jackets
whipped out their grists. The re-
serves, the hOsptal-corps men and the
engineers Rugged the breaStwOrk for
cover The leaves clipped from the
trees by bullets were blown aside with
| the hurricane breaths Of shrapnel
bursts; bullets whistled SO near Marta
that she heard their shrillness above
every other sound. She was amazed
that the houses still remained stand
ing--that anyone was alive. But she
had a glimpse Of Dellarme maintain
ing his set smile and another Of Eel
Ter, who had crept up behind the au-
tomato, making impatient "cOme-on.
come-on. what-is-the matterwith.yOu|
gestures in the direction of the bat
teries in front of the castle.
r-eesh-thur- eesh.' AS the
welcome note swept overhead he
waved his hands up ana down in mad
rapture and then peeped over the
breastwork to ascertain if the prac-
tice were good The Brown batteries
had been little slow in coming into
action, but they soon broke the pre-
cision of the opposing fire.
Now shells coming frequently fell
short or went wide The air cleared.
Then a chance shell, striking at the
one point which the man who Areu
it six thousand yards away would have
chosen as his bull seye, obscured Eel
Ter and the automatic and its gunners
in the havoc Of explosion. Feller must
have been killed. The dust settled;
, she saw Dellarme making frantic ges
lures as he looked at his men. They
, were keeping up their fusillade with
unflinching rapidity. Through the
breach left in the breastwork she mac
. glimpses, as the dust was finally dis
= sipated, Of gray figures, bayonets fixed
. pressing together as they came or
flercely toward the opening. Thf
Browns let go the full blast OF thel'
;, magazines. Had that chance shell
, turned the scales? Would the Cray
get into the breastwork?
All Marta's faculties and emotion
were frozen In her stare OF suspens
at the breach. Then her heart leapeo
cry in a gust of short breaths brok
from her lips as the Browns let g
. a rasping, explosive, demoniacal cheer
!, The first attack had been checked!
IA Altar triumph, terror. faintness. an
ltih closing Of her eyes, she opene
d Them to see Teller, with his old stra'
IL hat-brim torn and crownless now
10 still on his head, rise from the debrl
s. and shake himself like a dog comm
le ashore from a swim. While the eng
W neers fastened to repair the breac
he assisted Stransky, who had ais
been knocked down by the concu
sion, to lift the overturned automatl
off the gunner. The doctor, putting
hand on the gunner's heart, shook n
head, and two hospital-corps men r
moved the body to make room for II
engineers.
For once Dellarme's CHEEKY sml
deserted him. There was no one lie
to man the automatic, so vital In II
defense, and even If somebody cou
be found the gun was probably out
commission. AS he started toward
his smile, already summoned pac
was shot with surprise at sight OF Il
gun in place and stranger IN Oh
blouse, white hair showing through
crownless straw hat, trying out Il
mechanism with knowing fingers ID
larme stared. Teller, unconscious
everything but the gun, rightea q
cartridge band, swung the barrel ba
and forth, and then fired a shot.
"You-you seem to know rap
firers!" Dellarme exclaimed IN blal
incomprehension.
Eyes, sir!" Teller raised his mig
whether in salute as soldier or
a gardener touching his hat 1t W
hard to say.
But how-wherer gasped u
larme.
This time the movement or the
ger was undoubtedly in salute, IN p
feet, swift, military salute, with ne
. thrown back and shoulders stll1. r
Ter the gardener was dead and burr
Ter. without ceremony.
"Lanstron's class, school for Q
GERS sir. Stood one in ballistics, pr