The Red Cloud chief., 1915-01-28

mo. and don't waste any time, ei.
Their. old mani" said another. Back
to your bulbs!"
Teller did not even hear them. For
the moment he was actually deaf.
"Fire!" said Dellarme's whistle.
"Thur.rr!" 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 a 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 hospital.corps men and the
engineers Rugged the breastwork for
cover. The leaves clipped from the
trees by bullets we're 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-matter.with-you?"
gestures in the direction Of the bat
teries in front OF the castle.
"Thur-eesh-thuree sh!" As the
welcome note swept overhead he
waved his hands up and down In mad
rapture and then peeped over the
breastwork to ascertain IL the prac.
tice were good. The Brown batteries
had been a 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 fired
1t six thousand yards away would have
chosen as his bull'sLeye, obscured Eel.
Ter and the automatic and it's 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 had
glimpses, as the dust was finally dis.
sipated, Of gray figures, bayonets fixed,
pressing together as they came on
fiercely toward the opening. The
Browns let 60 the full blast of their
magazines. Had that chance shell
turned the scales? Would the Grays
get into the breastwork?
All Marta's faculties and emotions
were frozen in her stare of suspense
at the breach. Then her heart leaped,
a cry in a gust of short breaths broke
from her lips as the Browns let go
a rasping, explosive. demoniacal cheer.
The first attack had been checked!
After triumph. terror. faintness, and
a closing of her eyes, she opened
them to see Teller, with his old straw
hat-brim torn and crownless now
still on his head, rise from the debris
and shake himself like a dog coming
ashore from a swim. While the engi-
neers fastened to repair the breach
he assisted Stransky, who had also
been knocked down by the concus-
sion, to lift the overturned automatic
off the gunner. The doctor, putting a
hand on the gunner's heart, shook his
head, and two hospital-corps men re-
moved the body to make room for the
engineers.
For once Dellarme's CHEEKY smile
deserted him. There was no one left
to man the automatic, so vital in the
defense. and yer II somebody could
be found the gun was probably out of
commission. AS he started toward 1t
his smile, already summoned back,
was shot with surprise at sight of the
gun in place and a stranger in blue
blouse, white hair showing through a
crownless straw hat, trying nj the
mechanism with knowing fingers. Del.
larme stared. Teller. unconscious of
everything but the gun, righted the
cartridge band, swung the barrel back
and forth, and then fired a shot.
"You-you seem to know rapid.
f1rers!" Dellarme exclaimed In blank
incomprehension.
Eyes, sir!" Teller raised his finger,
whether in salute as a soldier or as
a gardener touching his hat 1t was
hard to say.
But how-whereT" gasped Del
larme.
This time the movement of the fin.
ger was undoubtedly in salute. in per-
feet, swift. military salute. with head
thrown back and shoulders stiff. Eel.
Ter the gardener was dead and buried
without ceremony.
"Lanstron's class. school for Off.
GERS. sir. Stood one in ballistics. prize
medallist control of gun.fire. Yes, sir,
I know something about rapid.frers,"