The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-02-18
oner. She will be out OF range there,
and have something to do"

and have something to do"
| And gives you another fighting
mani see. Queer duck, that preach
era bit of a knave, to my notion, and
one Of the finest liars I have ever
heard; he'll bear watching. Ali our
friend the major has come to his
senses-iook yonderl They are NOV
ing back out Of range"
"Ay! and concentrating heavier
body Of men this way"
"Of course; the first assault will be
from the front. Tell Wharton to
spare me two or three more men. and
send a couple from your end. They may
make rush from all directions, but
the real fight will be here; they are
going to try us out, that is certain"
! walked back to my station The
line Of men threatening this end OF
the building had been drawn aside.
out of direct rife range, and seemed
to be grouped opposite each corner,
and were so closely punched together
as to make any estimate of their num-
bers impossible. They were only
shapeless shadows. with moonlight
| cleaning from their weapons, and an
occasional voice breaking the ominous
silence. There remained nothing to
do but await their action, ready for
whatever might occur. passed along
the wall from man to man, assuring
myself each was at his station, with
loaded weapon. and well-filIed car
fridge belt.
"The fight will begin in 'front.'"
whispered, unable to distinguish faces,
"and no firing here until give the
word"
| in the darker corner where the pris-
oner sat motionless against the log
wall, my eyes could distinguish moth
ing.
"Noreen."
YES" and she stood up. Couldn't
you see me?"
mot the faintest shadow. IL
wanted to thank you for the choice
you made"
you mean my coming with you?
You are glad did,"
yes. very glad" / said earnestly,
for you are just as safe here, and
and | would rather have you near me.
This may prove desperate struggle;
we are terribly outnumbered- and
and, well, you know, you--you trusted
yourself to me-you are under my pro-
lection"
There was no answer; perhaps
had said too much. Suddenly a volley
roared out, startling In the Stiffness
shout of command--the sharp bark
of carbines -then grim, threatening
yelp of voices. One leap brought me
to the window, with gun barrel thrust
forward across the sill. The two black
shadows were breaking up in headlong
rush toward the door at the south
corner. ! saw figures, not faces, a
cleaning of poised weapons. huddle
of leaping bodies.
"Firei" | roared, my voice rising
above the hideous din. "Give it to
them!" and pulled trigger.
have no clear knowledge Of what
followed-it was all so quickly over
with; mere mad moment crowded
with vague glimpses, vanishing and
changing in the lurid light of the
guns. The whole interior OF the church
blazed and echoed. the smoke choking
us with it's fumes, the noise stunning
our ears. heard the chug Of bullets
Hattening against the logs, smothered
oaths, the crash of an overturned
bench, scream as shrill as a won.
ans, that made my heart leap, and
Harwood's voice calling out the same
word again and again. But although
heard all this, hardly knew it, my
whole thought riyeted on those black
figures in front of me-those reckless
devils we had to kill or drive back.
| And we did 1t! From every win
dow, from every hastily smashed pane
beside the door, we poured our fire
the carbines splitting into the dark,
their sharp barking incessant. Bar
rels grew hot, the smoke drove back
choking into our faces, but we pulled
triggers, aiming as best we could in
the monaghan, now changed to red
mist. They stopped; hung for mo
ment motionless. the ground dotted
with the dead; then tried again. There
was roar Of musketry, the crack OF
rifles; bullets chugged into the logs,
and came crashing through the win
dows. Glass showered upon us. and
the man next me went over like log;
someone struck me across the face
with bloody hand. and shot splin-
tered the stock OF my gun, numbing
my arm to the shoulder. gripped
another weapon out OF the stiffen-
ing fingers of the man on the floor.
firing again hllndly into the smoke
cloud. For an instant l could see
nothing but that white vapor tinged
with red and yellow flame; then some
breath Of air swept 1t aside. and the
attackers were drifting back, running
and stumbling.
stop tiringl" cried, they've had
enough. Pass the word to those men
at the door,"