The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-24

aid from them, now and again, smoke
bombs were dropped. signaling In code
to the gunners of that hidden battery
Dressing in the maddeSt haste. Pa
tria ran from her room. and without
pausing to find and question anyone
who might be about the house, left the
patio by the passageway.
In front of the house her motor.
car was waiting-by prearranged or
der-in charge OF an orderly. From
him, as she drove toward the aviation
field, she learned little or nothing. He
had arrived at the house with the car
gan. He could tell her no more than
that the end Of a ~sleepless night had
found every man upon the ranch at his
post and prepared to sell his life to
the highest bidder.
On the way they passed a squad OF
men operating an a~nti-airplane gun
which they had just brought into ac-
ton. They worked steadily, method
ically, intelligently. as If they were
well-accustomed to their business in
stead of the nOvices they were in all
save drilling.
And the accuracy Of their firing was
astonishing. BY the time Patria ar
rived at the aviation field. . lucky
shot had brought down a Of the hos
tile aircraft. another was wtnging
southwark as fast as Its engine would
move II, and the third ri engaged In
q duel with two planes sent up BY
Patrfa's corps
Fascinated. she stood watching this
spectacle long after her own biplane
had been wheeled out Of it, hangar
and made ready for her ascent.
The three In the air were 80 high
that they seemed little larger than
swallows, and like swallows they
wheeled and swooped. splitting are ut
% another. their planes flashing in
the young sunlight like swofdA
In the end the invader took refuge
In flight. the two defenders Swapping
at his heels: and 20 they drifted from
sight. far south Of the border.
The distant firing had now become
more fast and furious.
Clambering into the seat Of her b.
plane. Patria grasped the controls and
gave the YOrd to start the engine.
Five minutes later she was 1t an
elevation whence she commanded .
view Of the country north and south
Of the boundary line.
That report had not erred in saying
that the japanese and Mexicans meant
to invade In force was dismayingiy dis
closed. The roads to the south Of the
arroyo which marked the international
line were chOked with regiments Of
horse ana foot. Patria's widest fears
had not prepared her for the sight Of
so vast an army. Her heart sank ; the
handful Of men with which she had
thought to oppose this army seemed
than ever pitifully inadequate.
She had expected them to be outnum-
bered ten to one; the truth was that
they were Outnumbered q hundred to
one.
Yet they were fighting gallantly-
as CALAMITY as II they imagined that
the odds against them were less brutal
~ dispropOrtionate. Which nom did.
Under cover Of the sand-bag parapet
Of the first trenches-immediateay to
the north Of the bridge spanning the
arroyo-several companies WY doing
good service under plljno Conditions.
sweeping the approaches to the bridge
with machine-gun IRE while suffering
. rain Of shrapnel.
> This last came from that battery
which had awakened Patna with its
1r1t shots. It was sheltered behind q
hill at some distance south Of tho
bridge. and its gannerS, having got tho
range Of the trenches. were ~subjecting
them to . bitter dre. constant and
deadly. Already (Patfia saw) there
was . constant procession Of wounded
moving By communicating trenches to
the rear. either In stretchers or max
Ing . laborious journey afoot-assisted,
perchanees BY some comrads's shout.
der And already the. ground beyond
the parapet was Uttered with bodies
Of their, dead.
And this was only the beginning. -.
! To the man In the observers seat BY
her side Patria communicated certain