The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1918-05-02
THE HE'LL GATE OF soIssONs.

deeds of the Spartans at Thermopyla
and the light brigade at Balaklava:
My name is Darino, the poet. You
have heard? Yes, 0ommedie
Franchise.
Perchance 1t has happened, mon ami,
you know of my unworthy lays.
All, then, you must guess how my
fingers are itching to talk to a
pen;
For was at Scissors and saw it, the
death of the twelve Englishmen.
My leg, Embarrassment, l left it,
behind on the banks of the Aisne.
Regret? | would pay with the other
to witness their valor again.
A trife, indeed, assure you, to give
for the honor to tell
How that handful of British, un-
daunted, went into the Gateway
of He'll.
Let me draw you plan of the battle:
Here we French and your En-
gineers stood;
Over there a detachment of German
sharpshooters lay hid in wood.
A mitrailleuse battery planted on top
of this we'll chosen ridge
Held the road for the Prussians, and
covered the direct approach to
the bridge.
1t was madness to dare the dense
murder that spewed from those
CHASTITY machines.
(Only those who have danced to Its
music can know what the nit
railleuse means)
But the bridge on the Aisne was
menace; our safety demanded its
fall;
rs-volunteers!" In body,
the Royals stood out at the call.
Death at best was the fate of that
mission-to their glory not one
was dismayed.
A party was chosen-and seven sur
vived till the powder was laid.
And they died with their fuses un-
lighted. Another detachment!
Again
A sortie is made-again vainly. The
bridge still commanded the Aisne.
We were fighting two foes-Time and
Prussia-the moments were worth
more than troops
We must blow up the bridge. A lone
soldier darts out from the Royals
and swoops
For the fuse! Fate seems with us.
We cheer him; he answers-our
hopes are reborn!
A ball rips his visor-his khaki shows
red where another has torn.
Will he live-will he last-will he
make it? Helas! and so near to
the goal!
A second, he dies! Then the third
one! A fourth, still the Germans
take toll!
A fifth, magnifique! 1t is magic! How
does he escape them? He may
Yes. he does! See, the match fares!
A rife flares out from the WOODS
and say May"
Six, seven, eight, nine take their
places-six, seven, eight, nine
brave their hail!
Six, seven, eight, nine--how we count
them! But the sixth, seventh
eigth and nine fail!
A tenth! Sacre nom! But these Eng
lish are soldiers--they know no"
tc try.
| (He fumbles the place where his jaw
was-they show, too, how heroes
can die.)
Ten we count--ten who ventured I'M
uuailing--ten there were-ant
the ten are no more!
Yet another salutes, and superbly es
saws where the ten failed before
God of Battles look down and protec'
him, Lord, his heart is Thine
let him live!
But the miltrailleuse sputters anc
shutters and riddles him into
sieve.
Then | thought of my sins and sa
waiting the charge that we coul'
not withstand.
, And | thought of my beautiful parls
, and gave a last look at the land
At France, ma belle France, in ne
glory of blue sky and green fiel'
and wood.
; Death with honor, but never surrend
err And to die with such men
: it was good.
3 They are forming--the bugles ar
blaring-they will cross In a mo
ment and then
When out of the line of the Royal
(your island, mon ami, breed
men)
Burst a private, tawny-haired gian
l it was hopeless, but ciel! hoy
he ran!
, pon dieu. please remember the pat
tern. and make many more o.
: his plan!
:, No cheer from our ranks, ana III
Germans, they halted in wonder
ment too;
Soc he reaches the bridge; ah! h
S lights it! am dreaming, 1t can
0 not be true.
d Screams of rage! fusillade! The
have killed him! Too late, thoug