The Carlisle independent., 1920-01-29
THE GREAT ADVENTURE
(By Ira c. Hopper
(PART TWENTY TWO

OuoIJ 41OAll HIGH " liiCii lilctt GA
armistice as soon to be signed
and that the Germans were rea-
dy to ask for peace, no one, how
ever, believed the rumor or even
wished for the end yet to come
while the Argonne fight was still
raging, the big assault on invin-
chile Metz was getting under way
and a concentration of artillery
was taking place before the
stronghold, the like of which
had never been witnessed in the
history Of the world. We knew
that the recent terrific assaults
all up and down the front were
soon to crumble the entire Ger
man army and we We're eager
to shatter the machine till it
could no further modest civiliza-
ton. Thoughts of quitting be-
fore a complete defeat and abso-
lutte surrender were repulsive to
US and We were wildly eager to
continue the fight till the Ger
man army was cut to pieces. We
felt that we had come thousands
of miles to finish this job and we
yearned to end it in a way so that
the work would not have to be
done over again.
But despite our wishes, early
on the morning of November the
eleventh, an order came that at
eleven o'clock the fighting should
stop and each side should hold
the positions it then occupied.
We were sorely disappointed and
felt ourselves cheated Of a COM
plete victory now almost in our
grasp. We CLEANED what conso-
lation we could from a determi-
nation to push as far as possible
before the end came.
A miracle happened and the
day was fair, with the sun shin
ing forth in all its splendor. The
fight was terrific up to the very
last minute. Balloons came up
and directed heavy artillery fire.
Planes swooped over and fought
overhead. Doughboys advanced
with rifles and machine guns
spatting forth a continuous
stream of bullets. Artillery was
laundering and raining shells
everywhere in an effort to do
as much damage as possible. AS
each tick oftime counted nearer
eleven CLOCK, the fight became
fiercer. Our blood was warm
and we wished to fight as never
before. Men seemed demon in a
wild desire to hurl destruction
against the enemy. Never a
thought of danger entered mems
minds. The Boche evidently had
no desire to haul their ammuni-
ton back with them because
they fired it in our direction as
never before. Machine guns rid
died the front while their artil-
lery poured shells everywhere
in the sector. We did not know
whether we would live till eleven
o'clock or not. Neither did we
care. We only wanted to give a
good account of ourselves up to
the very last moment. A minute
before eleven the noise somewhat
subsidized in volume till only a
few guns sounded up and down
the line. AS the watch licked
eleven, and asst set off by magic
hand, a thunderous and murder
Gus roar up and down the line
sounded. 1t was a volun< OF
sound never heard before by
mankind. 1t set the very uni
verse a tremble and sent a cry
of defiance to the autocracy OF
Berlin and a challenge of combat
to all despoilers of democracy.
The echo played back and forth
among the hills, changing from
ailing moan of sorrow over
dead and wounded to a barely
audible murmur of song for a
Divine victory of right over
might.
(PART TWENTY THREE)
All was still along the lines.
The faintest sound died away in
the distance. A deep silence set
tied down over the raging battle
front of few minutes ago.
| Where men had been. fighting
and dying, where sound had
been rending the sky asunder,
where thoughts of killing had
been stirring mems souls, where