Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1920-12-09

SVihi "uc on citHcI sue, ana grea
white cloud bank at the very end O
my firelock2 1t was from books .ant
I the talk of others that learned how
the heavy cavalry charged, how the,
rode over the famous cuirassiers ant
how they were cut to pieces before
they could get back. From them. too
learned all about the successive as
saults, and how the Belgians fled. and
how Pack and Kempt stood fam. But
OF my own knowledge can only speak
OF what we saw during that long day
In the riffs Of the smoke and the lulls
OF the firing, and it's just of y.1at that
will tell you.
We We're on the right of the line and
In reserve. for the Duke was afraid
that Boney might work round on that
SIDE and get at him from behind, so
our three regiments, with another Brit
ish brigade and the Hanoverians, were
placed there to be ready for anything.
There were two brigades Of light cav
airy, too, but the French attack was
a'i from the front, so Il was late In
the day before we were really wanted.
The English battery which fred the
nrst gun was still banging away on
our left, and German one was hard
at werk upon our right, so that we
were wrapped round with the smoke
but we were not so hidden as'fo screen
us from line of French guns oppo-
site, for a score of round shot came
piping through the mir and pumped
right Into the heart. of us. AS heard
the scream Of them pass my ear my
head went down like divtf.~ but our
sergeant gave me prod In the back
with the handle of his halbert.
Don't be SO blasted polite" said he.
"When you're hit you can bow once
and for ALL"
There was one Of those balls that
Knocked five men into bloody mash.
and saw It lying on the ground after
wards. like crimson faakall. An
other went through the sadjutant's
horse with plop, like stone in the
mud, broke its back and left 1t lying
like a burst gooseberry. Three more
fell farther to the right. and by the
stir and cries we could tell that they
had all told.
"Ah. james, you've lost good
mount" says Major Reed, just in front
Of me, looking down at the adjutant,
whose boots and breeches were all
running with blood.
i gave cool fifty for him In Glas-
gow," said the other. 'sDon't you think.
major, that the men had better lie
down, now that the guns have got our
ranger" So
''rut!" said the other. ~They nre
young, James. and It viii do them
good"
They'll get enough Of lsrbefore the
day's.done, J saGusnhleS ". .cthsy hxar
aasssltsi ssa4d = Colony synell saw
MI tnsI .s6esnhd the Fifty-second
were down Oh either side of us. so we
had the order to stretch ourselves out
too. Precious glad we were when we
could hear the shot whining like hun.
CRY dogs within few feet of our
backs. Even now q thud and a splash
every minute or SO, with yelp Of pain
and a drumming of boots upon the
ground. told us that we were still los.
Ing heavily.
A thin rain was falling and the
damp air held the smoke lew, so that
we could only catch gllmpses of what
was doing just in front of us, though
the roar of the guns told us that the
battle was general all along the lines.
-Four hundred of them were all crash
ing at once now, and the noise was
enough to split the drum of your ear.
Indeed, there was not one OF us but
had singing In his head for .many
long day afterward. Just opposite us,
on the slope Of hill, was French
gun. and we could see the men serving
her quite plainly. They were small,
active men with very tight breeches
and high hats with great, straight
plumes sticking up from them, but they
worked like sheep shearers, ramming
and sponging and training. There
were fourteen when / saw them first.
and only four left standing at the last.
but they We're working away Just as
hard as ever.
The farm that they called Hougou-
mont was down In front Of us, and all
morning we could see that a terrible
fight was going on there, for the walls
and the windows and the orchard
hedges were all fame and smoke, and
there rose such shrieking and crying
from 1t as never heard before. It
was half burned down, and shattered
with balls, and ten thousand men were
hammering at the gates, but four hum
drcd guardsmen held 1t In the morn
Ing, and two hundred held 1t In the
evening, and no French foot was ever
set within its threshold But how they
fought, those Frenchmeni Their lives