The herald., 1918-03-14

lines of snow-topped Mount Nero. that
OUTPOST of the Italian advance.
As we stood surveying this scene
there was the steady rumble of guns,
with the crack of quick-tirers and then
the long "whiz" of ever-passing shells.
But there was one "whizr which In
stantly engaged every attention. We
could hear it coming, and it was not
going over, nor under, nor at either
side. Every one instinctiyely recOiled-
and then
Crash!
No More Observation Post
Five of us went down in a heap,
stunned as with q hammer blow. There
was great, envelOping noise, with the
smash and crack of walls, the flying of
fragments, and then the heave of tons
of earth, mortar and masonry, plOwed
up by the huge missile.
1t had struck that observation post,
just l. feet away, which we were about
to enter. There was no more Observa-
ton post; it was swept clean. But
fortunately the shell had gone straight
through, battering down massive walls
and digging deep trench into the
earth where 1t had exploded under
ground, throwing up great geySerS. But
while the earth and stone flew like
hail, the underground explosion had
held the shell fragments. Stunned as
We were, the first impulse was Of self
preservation. A hasty glance showed
no one was seriously injured, though
the trickle of blood on the right tenn
pie of one of the party told that fly
ing stone had found mark.
"They have this range" said the es-
cOrt as we struggled to our feet, land
one shot means that another will fol-
low"
There was hasty scramble from the
battlement, over the tons of debris
thrown up, which now completely
blocked the three-fOOt path skirting
the wall.
The shell had suddenly brought to q
close our observation of the battle
Alpul Will dll 10 lIdSthg anu
beauty. But worst of all, it put an end
to all trips to Goritz, for the officer
said no further chances of this kind
could be taken. 1t was just as well,
for now the great offensive of the
enemy burst unexpectedly, and with 1t
came the retreat from the Goritz line.
Fortunately or unfortunately, l had
seen It at the last moment when the
tide was turning.
Situation Explained.
At the cafe where we went for lunch
the officer from headquarters laid out
the big military map on the table and
explained the military situation. II
was this: The enemy was bringing
great masses of men to the north of
the Blansizza plateau. His design was
evident. The Italians by their last adj
vance had swung a ring which was
threatening Trieste. To save Trieste
the enemy must force the Italians back
| to the ISOnzO river, as another italian
offensive would clear the Carso range
and give the Italians the mastery OF
| Trieste To the enemy the time had
come when he must act before the Ital
ians played their final card and held
the jewel of the Adriatic.
AS we pored over the map the IN
creasing roar of the artillery told that
the enemy was losing no time in his
part of the military game. The pro
prietOr of the cafe was an intelligent
old man, and / asked him if the fire
we heard was the same as usual. He
shook his head and said: "No, it 1:
very much heavier and 1t seems az
though something was going to hap
pen" This was the instructive feel
ing of the people on the spot who haC
gone through this day after day fol
months. They felt the Llow coming.
On the corner there were two womer
Of the working class talking together
under an umbrella, for It was raining
hard. Their indifference to the shell
ing seemed strange, and l stopped t
ask them If the bombardment did no
brighten them and keep them awake a
night.
They were puzzled for a moment, q,
though not cOmprehendlng such an In
quiry, and then they shrugged theil
shoulders.
eve are used to it." they said. 81
used to Brighten us at first, and tn,
children still cry at night. But wha
can we dor"
These were typical townswomer
who had become habituated to the dan
ger and destruction all around then
and were now stopping on the stree
corner In the rain to exchange tn,
latest gossip. One of the women hat
the features of an Austrian, and sh,
smiled as she heard the rumble of tn,
Austrian guns and looked off towar,
the enemy lines so near.
Within three hours when we go
back to headquarters the full force O
the blow had been struck and the grea
German offensive against Ital,
waS In full opprotinn