Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-02

with n violence that seemed TO rend the sky
over an area OF many miles 70 the west
the sharp tapping Of musketry and the stac-
cato splutter Of machine guns told OF hun.
dreds OF thousands Of men engaged In a
fierce struggle for supremacy. on every
hand the horizon was red with the glare OF
burning houses. The thought Of a viluge
girl picking bilberries In n land so Scared
by war and rapine produced an effect at
once striking and fantastic II was as
though ray Of pure white light had pierced
tho lurd depths Of a volcano.
Dalroy advised tho women to take of
their linen aprons, and Madame Joos, to
remove as well coli Of the same material.
lie unfastened and threw away the stump
of the bayonet Then they moved on in
indian file. the miller leading
definite quantity Of blackness doomed
above the low-lyinE shroud Of mist which at
night In still weather always marks tho
course Of great river
"Tho wood" whispered Joos I'VE are
near the road now"
palroy went forward 10 spy out the con-
ditions 4 column Of infantry was passing.
These fellows were silent. and therefore sin
lister. They marched like tired men, and
their shutiling feet raised a cloud Of dust
An officer lighted n cigarette Those
Eu2zling prussians would empty the Meuse
II IT ran with wine" he growlcd evidently
IN response to n remark from a companion.
"Our brigadler was very angry about the
said the other Two tires were ruined be-
fore the chauffeur realized that the place
was Uttered with glass"
These were SaNons, cleancr-minded, man
lier fellows than tho Prussians. Be
hind them Dalroy heard the rumble
Of Commissariat wagons. lie failed ut
torly 10 understand the why and where
fore Of the direction tho troops were taxi
ing According TO his reckoning they should
have been going the opposite way. But
no s,T "a l. fhn
ment He knew the Saxon by repute and
hurried back 10 the two men and three
women CrOuChlng under hedge, having
already noted little mound on the left
Of the crossroads where cover was avail
able. lie explained what they were to do
steal forward, one by one, hide behind tho
mound and dart across when a longer
space than usual separated one wagon from
another, as the mounted escort would prob
ably he grouped I'm front and in rear OF
the convoy.
"Ah. that Is the cavalry" said Joos 'Tt
stands on a rock 6v tho roadside"
1T Is hard To distinguish anything owing
to mist and dust" said Dalroy "Of course,
the darkness is all to tho good II you
ladies' do not scream, whatever happens.
and you run quickly when | give the word.
| don't think there will be any real danger"
In the event. they were able to cross the
road in body. and without needless haste.
A horse stumbled and fell. and had 10 be
Embarrassed before being got on to its
feet again The incident held up the col
umn during some minutes, so palroy was
not compelled TO abandon the rife which
II would have been foolish in the extreme
to carry If there was the slightest chance
Of being seen.
Thcuceforth progress was safe. though
slow and difficult. because the gloom be-
meath the trees was that of a vault Even
the miller perforco yielded place 10 Leon
tines young eyes and surcncss Of foot.