The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-03-27

Stranshy laughed. now In strident
cynicism. Dellarme still hesitated,
recollecting Lanstron's remark. He
pictured Stransky in a last stand In "a
redoubt, and every soldier was as
precious to him as q piece OF gold 10
a miser
"One ought to be enough to kill me
if you're going to do it to slow music,
said Stransky. You might as well
kill me as the poor fools that your
poor fools are trying to-"
Another breath finished the speech:
a breath released from a ball that
seemed to have come straight from
hell. The fire control officer of regi-
ment of Gray artillery on the plain,
scanning the landscape for the origin
of the rifie-fire which was leaving
many fallen in the wake of the charge
of the Gray infantry. had seen figure
on the knoll How kind, Thank
you!" his thought spoke faster than
words. No need of range-tinding'
The range to every possible battery
or infantry position around La Tir
was already marked on his map. He
passed the word 10 his guns.
The burst of their first shrapnel-
shell blinded all three actors in the
scene on the crest of the knoll with
its ear-splitting crack and the force of
its concussion threw Stransky down
beside the sergeant. Dellarme, as his
vision cleared. had just time to see
Stransky jerk his hand up to his ten
pie, where there was red spot, be-
fore another shell burst little to
the rear. This was harmless, as a
shrapnels shower of fragments and
bullets carry forward from the point
of explosion. But the next burst in
front of the line. The doctors period
of idleness was over. One mans rifle
shot up as his spine was broken by "A
Jagged piece of shrapnel Jacket Now
there were too many shells to watch
them Individually.
It's all right-all right. mem" Del
larme called again. assuming his
CHEEKY smile. at takes a lot of shrap-
mel to kill anybody. Our batteries will
soon answer"
His voice was unheard yet its spir-
it was felt. The men knew through
their training that there was no use
of lodging and that their best protec-
ton was an accurate fire of their own.
Stransky had half risen. a new kind
of savagery dawning on his features
as he regained his wits. With in
verted eyes he regarded the red ends
of his fingers held in line with the
I,,i.l ,g 1t
wound again, now that he was less
dizzy. 1t was only a scratch and he
had been knocked down like a beef in
an abattoir by an unseen enemy. on
whom he could not lay hands! Deaf
eningly, the shrapnel jackets con
tinued to crack with "ukung- ssh
ukung Ssh" as the swift breath of the
shrapnel missiles spread. The guns
of one battery of that Gray regiment
of artillery, each firing six 14pound
shells a minute methodically, every
shell loaded with nearly two hundred
projectiles. were giving their undivid
ed attention to the knoll.
How long could his company endure
this? Dellarme might well ask He
knew that he would not be expected
to withdraw yet. With a sense OF re-
lief he saw F'racasse's men drop for
cover at the base of the knoll and
then, expectation fulfilled. he realized
that rifie-fire now reinforced the enc
my's shell fire. HIS duty was to re-
main while he could hold his men.
and feeling toward them such as he
had never felt before, which was love,
sprang full-fledged into his heart as he
saw how steadily they kept up their
fusillade.
Stransky, eager in response to a
new passion sprang forward into
place and picked up his rifle
''If you will not have 1t my way.
take it yours" said the best shot in
the company. as he began firing with
resolute coolness
They have a lot of men down" said
Dellarme, his glasses showing the
many PROSTATE figures on the wheat
stubble. Steady steady! We have
plenty of batteries back in the hills
One will be in action soon"
tTO BE CONTINUED)