The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-01-17
BY VICTOR ROUSSEAU

| to him that the reason why the Ameri-
cans did not enter the village was that
1t was 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-
ton. cursing his fate. He did not know
what TO do. He could not leave her I;
| and yet he felt 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 a prodi-
gfous 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 merciless
shells. The aeroplane above was still
| circling like hawk; it seemed in
credible that no aeroplane attacked it.
And it was quite clear to Mark that
| only treachery, calculated and long
planned could have brought about the
situation.
For the Germans must have ad-
vanced four miles since nightfall.
Help will come" Mark repeated !;
and suddenly, even above the drumfire,
he could hear the sounds of cheering
And. topping the ridge that ran before
the village, there came a swarm Of
gray-green figures, thrusting back the
- -
bullets were whirring overhead. audi
BILE, and like a swarm of bees Clouds
o.-Sust rose up and hid the battle.
Eleanor, clutching Marks arm, stood
tense beside him; Mark saw that she
understood, and the two held their
breath as the dust clouds eddied along
the ridge.
Suddenly they dissolved. and the at
lacking swarm poured like great flood
into the village. 1t looked as il all
were lost.
But an instant later Mark saw q lit
tie company of Americans thrust out a
| Maxim gun from behind a wall, where
they had hidden 1t. The gunner took
his seat, and just as the ranks were
closing in on lain, swept the street
from side to side The ranks recoiled
and fell, body piling on body. Then, as
torrent forces its way through the
ice-crust of a river, the attackers over
whelmed the Maxim section and swept
into the streets.
And, as torrent meets torrent, with
q surge and rush body of American
troops swept forward to meet them.
The battle was all about them. Every
house was a fortress, every mound of
bricks a rallying point. Mark raised
the half-conscioussC Colonel In his arms
and drew him into the shelter of lit
tie hollow in the brick wall. He beck
oned TO Eleanor to crouch down beside
him. There they were safe from flying
bullets, and might hope to pass unno-
ticed. He still hesitated, when q body
of Germans rushed, shouting. past him,
upon q troop of Americans who came
round q shattered corner, led by a
young officer carrying Il bloody sword.
1t was quick and short bayonet work.
painting gasps of the thrusters and the
means of the wounded. He saw the
young officer stagger and fall, bayo-
net through his shoulder. The sword
fell from his hand. Before the German
could withdraw his weapon Mark had
snatched up the sword and, with q
mighty blow, cloven the Germans arm
from his body.
(TO BE CONTINUED)