The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-09-01

the day was still young.
Donald Parr attempted to comfort
her with the assurance that their pO-
sitions We're so strong they could hold
out another "a hours, if required
by which time help must surely |
have come TO them from the regular
army and the National Guard which |
had been modified for border duty. !
Against this argument there re- |
manned the unquestiOnable fact that |
repeated kilograms evoked no re- |
Spouse from any quarter.
And re-enfOrcements at any time
would arrive too late to prevent hide
Gus mortality in the ranks of the de-
tenders.
Toward mid-mOrning a second series
of most violent assaults was launched
against the mainline trenches, ana
though each in turn was thrown back
severely punished. each took its toll OF
American lives and by so much lessen
ed the ability to present impregnable
| resistance.
But by noon Huroki seems to
have made up his mind that further ef-
| forts TO take the trenches by storm
were futile. There fell lull in the
| fury of the combat between the in
| fantry forces, while a flanking move
ment on the part of the Mexican cav
airy was met and confronted by
cloud of rough-riding plainsmen I'M
der the leadership of ROdman Pits
bury.
Then again the artillery duel was
resumed: but there was in this some
thing strangely perfunctory, as 1ar
at least as the work of the allied gun
ners were concerned. The suspicion
was warranted, and by subsequent
events was borne out, that Huroki was
sparring for time.
He was awaiting the arrival OF heav-
Ter artillery; whatever those circum-
stances were which delayed its COM
ing with effective range till dusk OF
evening. they alone saved Patrias
forces from annihilation-though mucn
credit is due to the scouts OF Patrla 5
, fiying corps for the willingness and skill
with which they engaged the japanese
aviators and drove them from the
, sky above the American positions. pre-
venting their locating the hidden bat
, teries.
, The last traces Of light were dying
: from the sky when Huroki's heaviest
metal came into action.
simultaneously new and extraor-
dinarily vicious assaults were made
Y upon the trenches.
= And still no word from Washing
+ ton or from any other quarter 10
l. which appeals had been telegraphed
= II was not till midnight that a
e scouting party dispatched by Donald
r Parr brought in an explanation OF this
# ostensible indifference on the part OF
l. the authorities TO the fate OF Patrla
o devoted little band.
> Then it appeared that the wires had
been cut by japanese spies, who had
/ received-and suppressed-all mes
y sages dispatched by Patria's field head
r quarters, in such manner as complete
/ Iy to deceive her telegraph operators
| L., O.-~
+ of those many frantic cries for help
g had been heard but by enemy ears.
throughout a night Of hopeless hor
: ror the battle ragged. From the mo-
ment when Huroki's great guns en-
e tered into the contest there was scarce
" a single perceptible break In the
+ succession of assaults upon thu
trenches till dawn broke upon theil
e desperately thinned ranks.
q And with the dawn came the fna
l. effort, a charge in force that taxed t
the utmost the courage, resource ant
ingenuity of the Americans. Tha
IL broke and was swept back can b
counted as nothing short Of miracu
lous.
/ As It did so, Donald Parr fell, hi
Il shoulder shattered by shrapnel.
II When he recovered consciousness
II I'm her arms, and she knew that hi
il hurt was not mortal, Patria took int
her own hands the command whic
Al she had resigned to his. Conferrin
n by telephone in person with her stat
81 SQe OTuereu Tire eAOAl VI ehS '"Ss -
sort. the forlorn hope which had bee
reserved for that moment when tn
day seemed lost and sacrifice of Sc
alone might stem the tide Of defeat.
All defensive tactics were abandone
i The men were ordered from II
trenches, TO advance, TO charge ar
keep on charging till the last man re
q: To give them heart fleet Of tanks
~ armored caterpillar tractors carryir
machine-gun crews-were loosed upt
the enemy.
ID Looming through the gray. formle
IN light of the uew-born day like mo
r strous armadilloes vomiting fire al
death. they crossed their own trench
10 and met and broke a charge of Jap
RI. nese and Mexican infantry, scatteril
a. il like chaff.
I; As the enemy turned and fled the
No. terrors the Americans forsook {
he shelter of their trenches and pursue
he At the same time masked batteri
came out of hiding and moved forwa
.Iy to closer POSITIONS in the open.
"a A daring raid of cavalry captured
Id 42-centimeter howitzer and turned
he upon its own people.
nd Where the tanks were not, there W
is hand-to-hand fighting characterized