Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-05-31
"Bride of Battle"
ROMANCE OF THE AMERICAN ARMY
FIGHTING ON THE BATTLE
FIELDS OF FRANCE.
CHAPTER XIV.
BY VICTOR ROUSSEAU
Copyright by W. G. Chapman.


supple and warm. binding bandage
round his arm. He opened his eyes to
see her face bent over his. And it was
dawn.
Vague cries rang in his ears, distant
cries, blending. surging. swelling and
dying down. but never ceasing. The
rattle Of small-arms was continuous,
and punctuated by the loud timbre OF
guns.
He was lying amid a heap OF debris
that had been the village Jail. Not far
away he saw the colonel sitting with
eyes closed, propped up against the
fragments Of wall, a bloOd-stained
bandage round lis head.
"Oh, thank God" cried Eleanor.
You have been unconscious so long,
Captain Mark! And the colonel Is
badly hurt. / saw the Red Cross wag-
on pass and cried. but they could not
hear me-"
She was speaking at the top Of her
voice, but Mark could scarcely hear
her words In the uproar.
All round them the guns were BOOM
ing. all round them they saw khaki
clad Americans swarming over the
fields. and yet the village seemed de-
serted. They were alone in little
oasis OF calm amid the tumult.
What are we to do?" cried the girl
Can you walk? Try to stand on your
feet. Let me help you, We must get
the colonel somewhere"
The question on Marks lips died
away as there came the howl OF
heavy shell, followed by stunning
impact. A column of broken bricks
spouted into the air at the end Of the
street, dissolving into u cloud OF dust.
An interval. and again there came a
missile from the monster gun. house
in the next street went down like card
board.
High overhead circled an aeroplane,
evidently directing the aim Of the in
visible monster. White clouds OF
shrapnel burst around it. Underneath
the columns Of khakied figures surged
forward. And Mark understood.
1t was the threatened attack on The
American lines. The enemy was, in
force somewhere across the fields, the
reserves were rushing up to rebel
them.
Sraggrret to his Feet -tnu
found that he could stand. His arm
81 hnn
not broken. Probably q splinter had
struck him. He made his way toward
the colonel. who eyed him vacantly us
he approached.
Take Eleanor to safety and leave
me, Mark" he said, in choking voice.
I'm take you both, sir. This can't
Il ist long. Our men will be in the VII
lage in q few minutes. Or an amDu-
lance will pass"
Eleanor was at Marks side. There
must be cellars" she cried. II can help
you lift him. Captain Mark. We can
find some place of safety"
Mark put his hands beneath the COL
oners arms and tried to lift him. with
a great effort he got him on his feet.
But Colonel Howard was like n strick-
en- tree. The splinter had inflicted
cash across his forehead. cutting one
of the superficial veins, and loss OF
blood had daZed and weakened him.
As he tried to find his feet he COL
iapscd forward in Marks arms. He
looked at Mark piteously.
Take her and leave me-" he whis-
pered. And listen to me, Mark. she
cares for you. All will come out right,
if | can keep my worthless carcass
alive until I've seen the general. But l
never counted on being done up ike
this"
There were tears in the old mans
eyes. Forgive me, my boy" he NUT
tered, and fell into Inconsistencies.
Mark set him down against the wall
again. 1t was impossible to move him.
oven with Eleanor's help, at least
without a slow and arduous journey
over the shell -plowed terrain. Ana
bullets were beginning to fall IN the
village The sound of the guns, which
was a continuous roar. drowned the
crackle Of the machine guns, but Mark
knew the meaning OF the ugly splashes
in the dust all about them. Here was
some short of shelter.
Mark looked at Eleanor. Its safest
here" he said. The village Will De
occupied soon. Help will come"
He broke off abruptly as another OF
the heavy shells dropped nearer, send
ing the brick fragments flying in all
directions. or a sudden 1t had occurred
to him that the reason why the Ameri-
cans did not enter the village was that
II was a death-trap; its ranges were
all mapped and plotted, and the Ger
mans were bent on its systematic de-
struction.
Mark stood by Eleanor in irresolu-
tion, cursing his fate. He did not Know
what to do. He could not leave her:
and vet he felt q burning impulse TO
play some part in affairs. His eye'
trained BY long years Of practice. took
in the tactical situation at a glance.
The Germans must have made prod
isious thrust In the night. bursting
through the center; the reserves, still
rushing over the fields, were trying TO
fill and hold the gap. And the little
headquarters village was the key to
the whole battlefield.
Wounded men came streaming down
the street. followed by the merciiess
shells. The aeroplane above was still
circling like hawk; 1t seemed IN
creditible that no aeroplane attacked
IL. And 1t was quite clear to Mark
that only treachery, calculated ana
LONG planned. could have brought
about the situation.
For the Germans must have ad-
yanced four miles since nightfall.
Help will come" Mark repeated
and suddenly. even above the drnmfre'
he could hear the sounds Of cheering.