The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-01-23
CHAPTER xIl-Continued.

room, and, coming TO the Verdnua,
stopped short, with dilating eyes and
a cry Of grievous shock. Two OF his
men we're carrying Dellarme back
from the breastwork. where they had
caught him in their arms as Re fell.
They laid him gently on the sward
with a knapsack under his head. His
face grew whittier with the flow OF
blood from the red hole in the right
breast Of his blouse. Then he opened
his lips and whispered to the doctor:
How is it," Something in his eyes,
In the tone Of that faint question, re-
quired the grace of a soldiers truth
in answer.
Bad" said the doctor.
Then, good-by!" And his head fell
to one side. his lips set in his CHEEKY
smile.
His company was a company with
his smile out of its heart and In its
place blank despair. Many of the men
had stopped firing. Some had even
run back to look at him and stood,
caps off, backs to the enemy, miser-
able in their grief. Others leaned
against the parapet, rifles out of hand,
staring and dazed.
They have killed our captain!-
They've killed our captain!"-still
Q captain to them. A generals stars
could not have raised him a cubit in
their estimation.
And once we called him Baby Del
larme,' he was so young and bashful!
Him a baby? He was a king!"
Men, get to your places!" cried the
surviving lieutenant rather hopelessly
with no Dellarme to show him what
to do; and Marta saw that few paid
any attention to him.
In that minute Of Generalization the
Grays had their chance. but only for a
minute. A voice that seemed to speak
some uncomfortable thought of hel
own broke in. and 1t rang with the au
thority and leadership of a mature of
ficer's command. even though coming
from a gardener in blue blouse ant
crownless straw hat.
Your rifles, your rifles, quickl'
called Teller. Were only beginning
to fight!"
And then another voice in a bull
roar. Stransky's:
"Avenge his death! They've got tt
kill the last man OF us for killing him!
Revengel Revenge!"
That cry brought back to the com
oil tho Aohtino 81
CHEEKY smile and with 1t another spiri
for Dellarme's sake!-which he ha,
never taught them.
Straneky picked up one of severa
cylindrical objects that were lying a
his feet
HE wouldn't use this-he was to,
soft-hearted-but Wilt" he cried, ant
flung q hand-grenade, and then a sec
ond, over the breastwork. The explo
sions were followed by agonize,
groans from the Grays hugging tn,
lower side of the terrace. For thi
they had crawled across the road II
the night-to find themselves unabl,
to move either way and directly unde
the flashes Of the Browns rifles.
Feller's and Stransky's shouts ros,
together In a peculiar unity of direc
ton and full of the fellowship the,
had found In their first exchange O
glances.
You engineers, make readyl"
"Hand-grenades to the men undel
the tree! That's where they're goin,
to try for it-no wall to climb ove
therel"
you engineers, take your rifles
and bayonet into anything that wear.
gray!"
Get hack, you men by the tree, t.
avoid their hand-grenades! Form vi
behind them, everybody"
mo matter II they do get in at first!
Pick, you men, from under the treel'
There was not a single rife-shot. In
silence like that before the word tc
fire In a duel, all orders were heard
and the more readily obeyed because
Dellarme's foresight had impressed
their sense upon the men In his quie,
way.
The sand-bags by the tree were
blown up by the Grays. Then. before
the dust had hardly settled, came q
half score of and-grenades thrown by
the first men of Gray wedge, scram
bling as they were pushed through
the breach by the pressure Of the
mass behind. In that final struggle
of one set OF men to gain and another
to hold position, guns or automatics
or long-range bullets played no part
II was the grapple of cold steel with
cold steel and muscle with muscle, in
the billowins. twisting mob of wres