Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-11
CHAPTER VII.
bleed and Iron.

Blood and Iron.
Tho whole Of that morning we had
been marching in tho eye Of the sun
without coming across drop Of wa.
ter, for the country was not we'll wa
tered, and there had been no rain for
weeks. Our tongues were parched;
our threats were burning. When
about midday We passed through .
farmyard, where we found last re.
naming drop Of dirty liquid, It seemed
- IL the water evaporated on the
tongue before It ever reached our
Threats. Then we had been marched
on interminably, 80 that it was almost
with a sense Of relief that We heard
the first sound Of the guns rolling up
to meet US.
The firing grew hotter, and we soon
left the main road and turned down
q lane. We were pushed on at q
smart pace. Our faces were glowing
from thirst and heat. The column was
enveloped in thick cloud Of dust.
The taste Of dust instead Of water was
on our tongues. The dust was lying
thick as a layer Of flour on our cheeks.
And we hurried on without word.
A quickest hedge barred the view on
either side. Nothing but heavy foot
falls, walking packs. black, Gathering
pannikins. rifles at the slope-hustle
and dust. Then some one
blundered over stone in his way. and
looked as II he were going to fall into
the back Of the man In front Of him
but mo shout Of laughter greets
tive are pushing on almost at the
double-at times, when gap in the
hedge slips past, we can catch
glimpses Of the line Of skirmishers
advancing over open country-now at
length comes q check. Halt!
Order arms! and am scram-
bling through gap in the hedge on
to the open fields ;. open order
at Ave PAGES distance. The
long-drawn line Of skirmishers ad-
vances, rifles at the ready -. in
front Of US nothing but green fields in
sight. In the heart Of them CLEANS
the crude yellow Of field Of mustard.
Ahead Of US. just opposite our front.
. dark wood not trace OF
the enemy in sight. On our right
they have already pushed on the I'D.
vance line. On our left the skir.
mishers are just breaking through the
hedge and opening out to extend our
line Of attack.
The heavy noise in the air 10 In
cessant.
can't sec where they are FIRING,
and can't see what they are firing at.
The air is heavy With IRON thunder.
It closes like ring round my chest.
/ am distinctly conscious that my
chest 10 reverberating like tense
sounding-board-
What on earth Is that?
A sound like the cracking Of whips
from somewhere or other the
sound Is so sharp. so distant, 50 inter-
mittent, as II 1t were coming from the
Then-by my side man falls down.
falls on his rife. and lies still. never
stirs again shot through the
head, clean through the brain !.
that's what the cracking Of whips
means; It's coming from over there.
out Of the wood. Somewhere over
there the enemy's sharpshooters arc
lying and lining its edge and opening
dre on US.
What's the next thing?
Lie down-mark distance-cover
But no order comes. We push on
toward the wood undeterred. - II
these bullets did not concern us IN
any way. Tho sharpshooters' dre 10
not hot enough Is yet; We have not,
20 far. got into sufficiently close touch
with the enemy.
It Is an uncomfortable sensation 70
feel that over there muzzles are point
ing straight at us. We. are advancing
almost as hurriedly and clumsily as
rockies at their first field day.
Az I move forward, turn my head
and look back. Behind me see new
lines Of skirmishers advancing one be-
hind the other-supports to be pushed
forward later.
What is that crawling along the
ground behind our line? There
10 one here, another over there-it
looks 90 novel and 90 odd. They arc
crawling back out Of the firing-line.
And see how one Of them suddenly
tries to rise, clutches his rifle with
both hands, and hauls himself to his
feet by his gun. And now he II
spreading his arms out, tumbling over
backwards, and hinging his hands
away from him, far apart his
hands are still tapping up and down
on the grass. am looking back as
II fascinated while my legs keep on
advancing.
But suddenly something begins to
set up rattle over there in the wood
and buzzes like huge alarm-clocks
running down.
sLie down."
And there we are lying down. nat
on our stomachs, % IL we had already
been mown down, for every man Of
us knows what that was. They have
masked machine-guns in the wood
over there: they are opening fire on
US. I feel how my heart 10 humping
against my ribs. A machinegun II
equivalent to company. the Old Man
once explained to 10. after We had
a. a = A. thA oct