The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-04-28
oner. She will be out of range there.
and have Sou1efhtup IN do


and have something to do"
And gives you another fighting
mani see. Queer duck, that preach
era bit of knave, to my notion, and
one of the finest liars / have ever
heard; he'll bear watching. All! our
friend the major has come to his
senses-look yonder! They are NOV
ing back out of range"
"Ay! and concentrating q 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 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 rifle 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. i passed along
the wall from man to man, assuring
myself each was at his station, with
1na6dd nd rIrn1 HI or n a 7.
fridge belt.
THE fight will begin in 'front.'"
whispered, unable to distinguish faces,
land 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."
Eyes" 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?"
Eyes, very glad" l said earnestly,
for you are just as safe here, and
and | would rather have you near me.
This may prove a desperate struggle;
we are terribly utnumbered-and-I
and, we'll, you know. you-you trusted
yourself to me-you are under my pro-
lection"
There was no answer; perhaps
had said too much. Suddenly volley
roared out, startling in the Stiffness
a shout of command-the sharp bark !
of carbines-then a 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. l saw figures. not faces, a
cleaning of poised weapons, huddle
of leaping bodies. Il
"Firei" l roared. my voice rising
above the hideous din. Give it to
them!" and pulled trigger.
l have no clear knowledge of what
'ollowed-it was all so quickly over
with; a mere mad moment crowded
With vague glimpses, vanishing and
changing in the lurid light of the
runs. The whole interior of the church
)lazed and echoed, the smoke choking
is with its fumes, the noise stunning
'ur ears. l heard the chug of bullets
lattening against the logs, smothered
aths, the crash of an overturned
,ench, scream as shrill as a wom-
ms, that made my heart leap, and I
Iarwood's voice calling out the same
vord again and again. But although
heard all this, hardly knew it, my
Whole thought riveted on those black
cures in front of me-those reckless
evils we had to kill or drive back.
And we did it! From every win
ow, from every hastily smashed pane
eside the door, we poured our fire
be carbines splitting into the dark, !,
heir sharp barking incessant. Bar !
els grew hot, the smoke drove back
hoking into our faces, but we pulled 2
-iggers, aiming as best we could in
ne monaghan, now changed to red y
list They stopped; hung for a mo- u
tent motionless, the ground dotted l.
18th the dead; then tried again. There
as roar of musketry, the crack of Il
fles; bullets chugged into the logs, U
nd came crashing through the win p
ows. Glass showered upon us. and n
lie man next me went over like log; s.
,meone struck me across the face u
18th bloody hand. and a shot splin- n
red the stock of my gun, numbing "
y arm to the shoulder. / gripped 81
mother weapon out of the stiffen- "
g fingers of the man on the floor. te
ring again blindly into the smoke p'
oud. For an instant | could see o.
,thing but that white vapor tinged az
it'll red and yellow flame; then some al
cath of air swept it aside, and the
tackeis were drifting back, running st
i'd stumbling. ia
stop firing!" cried, they've had ue
Tough. Pass the word to those men &c
the door, ~
The fight at the front held longer, %
It it was scarcely five minutes when 20
e last gun cracked, and strange 81
onco took the n1ace of that hideOuS ~