Evening star., 1916-08-11
Vigorous But Unavailine.


You see the evidence. said the gen.
eral- Look at the valley through your
glasses"
Sure enough. At distance from the
line of the trenches once occupied by
the Austrfans were scores of pits where
shells had fallen. The Italians had been
vigorous but unavailing. The missiles
had screamed overhead and fallen on
unoccupied ground. Rifle hre against
trenches blasted out of the solid rock
is merely ridiculous. Machine gun fire
muzzles of mule guns over the edges of
the cliffs they held, because mule guns
can be mounted on a ceiling il need be-
But mule guns against such trenches
might be likened to the dribbline of
water on a ducks back
There was but one way we could
take the trenches" said the general
That was by assault. 1t was neces-
sary that we take them"
So one night 5000 Italian soldiers
received an armful each of hand gre
nades. They were already provided with
trench knives = long, heavy-backed,
edged affairs that go through a mans
flesh as through the leather of an old
boot. The attack was set for midnight.
Most OF the men slept quietly until that
hour, for they were very tired from five
days continuous marching and fighting.
On the stroke of the clock-if there had
I
into wakefulness.
I'VE go forward now." whispered the
sergeants.
Chamber Down Rock Wall.
The first of the task that confronted
the Italians was to Chamber down a
rock wall-it would be like climbing
/ down the side of the Singer building
| in New York il that building had been
canted at an angle of forty degrees
in darkness and silence. Through the
glasses from the other side OF the
! valley the job seemed impossible. A
man might do it in safety at night.
if permitted full license Of swearing
| and If no one cared how many loose
| stones ratified into the valley. Both
! were forbidden. In full daylight and
in utter calm that assignment was i'm
practicable. The Alpha did it at mid
! night.
! The Austrians had not suspected any,
| thing. They had the usual sentries
out, however, and that was the only
precaution needed. for the soldier
! wakes very quickly when the alarm
| is sounded. These outposts were sta
| toned in the belt of forest that ran
about the feet of the precipitous cliffs
, One by one they were silenced. This
was not done in quiet for many were
able to fire their rifles, and some
| shouted when the knife went in and
| others stumbled frantically through
the darkness. among the trees, down
| the steep hin. yelling an alarm. The
Austrians In the trenches stood to their
rifles. Even yet. apparently. they had
not awakened to what was going on
They fired In desultory fashion. There
was no voliey firing and no machine
gun activity. They did not think ar
attack in force possible. The Italians
massed in the edge of the back wood
Now. GO. whispered some one The
general, | suspect. but he did not say
so. whistle shriled The Alpina rar
forward. stumbling. cheering, cursing
down this unknown hillside in the uttel
blackness OF a moonless night. Not q
! man threw a bomb until he was within
throwing distance of the enemy AS eacf
pulled himself up. painting. on the edge
of the Austrian trench he stood there ant
hurled bombs as though at practice.
/ Then they went in with knives. The
| Austrians stampeded."
l confessed TO a certain snea king Syu.
pathy with the Austrians They had no,
i expected this sort of thing. you see The,
had not believed that men could do II
They had been awakened by the noiss
| in the wood and doubtless grumbIed un.
der their breath at the sergeants wh<
forced them out OF their blankets ant
made them stand to their guns The,
probably thought the sentries had taker
TO ghost dancing or that few adventu,
rous Alpini had organized a scalp -huntinS
expedition of their own They could no
have dreamed Of an attack in force Ant
then the night parted and vomited 81,
thousand screaming men, each lustfui fo
slaughter. for an inherited and acquired
hatred OF the Austrian is very real in tn,
Italian army. Each bomb. az it exploded
flashed red against the solid black wall o.
mountain.
."The roar Of the hand grenades waI
deafening. But II did not last long N.
man, you see. can carry much of q loas
of bombs"
Then the Italians went In with knives.