The Elbert County tribune., 1917-08-24

out their tales OF horror. Pnrr, sum
moned from what had been intended
as his final council with the officers
commanding Patria's private army.
prior to his departure for the South
west. had needed to hear no more
than half dozen words before he
gave the order to sound general call
to arms.
Thanks to their long and falthfu.
drilling the men of the night shift,
dropping whatever work they had in
hand at the moment, assembled under
arms In the yard In record time. The
flames OF the second house to be fred
in the town were just beginning to
leap above the rising ground that scpa-
rated the factories from the settlement
when Patrlas men doubled out OF the
main gateway. Donald at their head
Halfway to the town they got their
first taste Of warfare, encountering
there In the darkness very consider
able body of japanese, outnumbering
them two to one. They responded no.
bly,, deploying In open skirmish order
ut the words of command and throwing
themselves fiat upon the ground before
4
raiders. Though here and there a man
fell, dead or wounded. not one looked
back. Their casualties, If anything,
seemed the one thing needed to stiffen
their determination to drive back the
| enemy. And the accuracy of their fire
proved so calling that the first line OF
japanese was quick TO give ground
and retreat upon the burning town.
There, in the scorching, name-illu-
mined streets. the combat became
hand-to-hand affair the raiders, al
though they suffered heavily. giving, to
begin with, almost as much punish
ment as they received, but inch by Inch
yielding.
The main street was Uttered with
dead and wounded when ut length they
broke and fed, hotly pursued by Don.
aid and his men.
Beyond the town the pursuit became
more or less running skirmish. the
raiders endeavoring desperately to
stem the pursuit long enough to enable
them to regain their motorcars.
Both sides had suffered heavily. In
the end 1t was with but handful OF
his original command that Donald
pressed the pursuit across the ridge
pole of the hills and down into the
open fields where the motorcars OF
the raiders had been parked
There final stand was made,
desperate resistance opposed to Pnrrs
men till the last japanese had found
a place In the car which he hoped
would bear him to safety. Then, us
the final car swept out of the field and
down the road, splitting fire from half
a dozen rifles, the pursuers swarmed
upon the field and took possession OF
the abandoned cars.
Communicating the first that came
to hand. Parr jumped in with four OF
his men and resumed the pursuit. 9th
er cars, laden to the running boards
with employees of Channings, followed.
A running battle Of racing cars swept
out through the sleeping countryside
and, In due course. down into the val
ley of the trestle.
AS his car took the down grade at
the top of Its speed, the nearest car Of
the fugitives. leading 1t by bare two
hundred yards, Donald saw the head
light of a locomotive sweep through
the cut at the far end of the trestle,
like a sword of light slashing the
night
Then. travelling at fast clip, the
train ran out on the trestle-a light
train, he remarked, consisting of a sin
gle coach in addition to the locomotive
and tender; In short. a special, such
as Pntria was accustomed to use.
BY this time his motorcar had de-
scended TO the bottom of the Wiley
and crossed the bridge that spanned
the river. Ten seconds later sudden
premonltion drew his attention to the
train; he looked up just in time to see
the locomotive shoot out at sharp
angle from the trestle. twist and fall,
dragging its tender and coach with 1t.
The crash Of the wreck filed the
valley like thunderclap. followed by
a kissing of escaping steam and the
gronns and screams of the injured
| train crew.
Instinctlvely Donald shut of the
gasoline and jammed In the emergency
brake, bringing his car to a halt within
thrice its own length. As It stopped
he Jumped out and began to run across
fields toward the wreck, his compan-
ions Mt his heels.
(END OF TENTH EPISODE)