The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-09-09

see that double twinkle. That means
they have helmet as well as cuirass.
It's the Royals or the Enniskillens or
the Household. You can hear their
cymbals and kettles. The French heav-
les are too good for MS. They have ten
to our one. and good men. too. You've
got to shoot at their faces. or else
at their horses. Mind you that when
you see them coming. or else you'll
fnd four-foot sword stuck through
your liver to teach you better. Hark
bark! bark there's the old music
again" |"
And as he spoke there came the
low grumbling of cannonade away
somewhere to the east of us, deep and
hOarse, like roar of some blood
daubed beast that thrives on the lives
Of men. At the same instant there
was shouting of "Heh heh heh !" from
behind. and somebody roared, LET the
guns get through! !" Looking back
saw the rear companies split suddenly
in two and hurl themselves down on
either side into the ditch. while six
cream-colored horses. galloping two
and two. with their bellies to the
ground. came laundering through the
gap with fine twelve-pound gun
whirling and creaking behind them
Following were another and another.
four-and-twenty In all. flying past US
with such din and clatter. the blue
coated men clinging on to the guns
and the tumbrils. the drivers cursing
and cracking their whips, the names
Axyiu Inn tl,a .. a.
and the whole air filed with the heavy
rumble and the jIngling of chains.
There WIS a roar from the bitches and
a shout from the gunners. and we saw
rolling gray cloud before us, with
score of busbies breaking through the
shadow. Then we closed up again,
while the growing ahead of us grew
louder and deeper than ever.
"There's three batteries there" said
the sergeant. There's Bulls and
Webber Smiths, but the other Is new.
There's some more on ahead of us,
for here's the track of nine-pounder,
and the others were all twelves. Choose
a twelve If you want to get hit, for
nine mashes you up. but a twelve
snaps you like carrot'-and he went
on to tell about the wonderful wounds
that he had seen until my blood ran
like iced water in my veins, and you
might have rubbed all our faces in
pipeclay and we should have been no
whittier. AYE. you'll look sicklier yet
when you get a hatful of grape into
your tripes." said he; and then. as I
saw some of the old soldiers laughing.
I began to understand that this man
was trying to frighten us, so I began
to laugh also. and the others as well,
but it was not very hearty laugh
either.
The sun was almost above us when
we stopped at little place called Hal,
where there is an old pump from
which l drew and drank shake full
Of water-and never did a mug of
Scotch ale taste as sweet. More guns
passed us here, and Vivian's hussars.
three regiments of them, smart men
with bonny brown horses. a treat to
the eye. The noise of the cannons was
louder than ever now, and 1t tingled
through my nerves Just as 1t had done
years before when, with Edie by my
side. had seen the merchant ship
usiI Win LIE phiNutCCAc. ~ Wdo oo
loud now that 1t seemed to me that
the battle must be going on just be-
yond the nearest wood. but my friend
the sergeant knew better.
ITS twelve to fifteen miles or" said
he. "you may be sure that the general
knows that we are not wanted. or we
should not be resting here at Hal"
What he said proved to be true, for
a minute later down came the colonel
with orders that we should stack arms
and bivouac where we were. and there
foot and guns. English. Dutch and
Hanoverians, were streaming through.
The DEVILS music went on till evening,
sometimes rising into roar. some
times sinking into grumble, until
about eight o'clock in the evening 1t
stopped altogether. We were eating
our hearts out, as you may think, to
know what II all meant. but we knew
that what the Duke did would be for
the best. so we just waited in patience.
Next day the brigade remained at
Hal In the morning. but about midday
came an order from the Duke. and we
pushed on once more until we came to
a village called Braine something, and
there we stopped. and time. too. for
sudden thunderstorm came on and
plump Of rain that turned all the roads
and the fields into bog and mire. We
got into the barns at this village for
shelter. and there we found two strag-
glers. one from a killed regiment and
the other a man Of the German legion.
who had a tale to tell that was as
dreary as the weather.
Boney had thrashed the Prussians
the day before, and our fellows had
been sore put to 1t to hold their own
Ii. <.Ar