Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-08-19

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:aah which had ended by bringing us
here on the plains of Belgium as a
cockshot for two hundred and fifty
cannon. aa =
During all this time the roaring of
those guns had been something dread-t
full to listen to, but now they suddenlyt
died away, though 1t was like the lull
In a thunderstorm when one feels
that a worse crash is coming hard at
the fringe OF It. There was still q.
mighty noise on the distant wing
where q the Prussians. were pushing
their way onward, but ,thatawas two
miles away. The other batteries, both
French and English, were silent, and
the smoke cleared 50 that the armies
could See a little OF each other. 1t was
d dreary sight along. our ridge. for
there seemed to be just a few scat
tered knots Of red. and the Hines OF
green where the German legion stood,
while, the masses Of the French ZAP,
peared to be as thick as; ever, though,
OF. course, we knew, that they must
have lost many thousands In these at
tacks. We heard q. great cheering and
shouting from among them, and then
suddenly all their batteries opened to-
gether with a roar which, made the din
Of the earlier part seem nothing in
comparison. It might well be twice as
LOUD. for every battery was twice as
near, being moved right up~r0 pornl.
blank range, withihuge masses Of horse
between and behind them to guard
them from attack 9.G.
When that devils roar burst upon
our ears there was not a man down
to the drummer-boys who did not un-
derstand what it meant. 1t was Ma
poleon's last great effort to crush us.
There were but two more hours of
light, and if we could hold u own
for those, all would be well. Starved
and weary and spent, we prayed that
we might have strength to load and
stab and fire while a man Of us stood
upon his feet.
His cannon could do us no great
harm now, for we were on our faces,
and in an instant we could turn into q
huddle of bayonets if his horse came
down again. But behind the thunder
Of the guns there arose a sharper,
shriller noise, whirring and rafting
the widest, jauntiest, most stirring
kind of sound.
Its the pas-de-charge!" cried an
officer. ".They mean business this
time"
And as he spoke we saw a strange
thing. A Frenchman, dressed as an
officer of hussars, came gallOping to-
ward us on a little bay horse. He
was screeching 'Vive lie Roi! Vive lie
Roll" at the pitch of his lungs, which
was as much as to say that he was
q deserter, since we were for the king
and they for the emperor. AS he
passed us he roared out in English
1.-THE Guard is coming! The GuarG
is coming!" and so vanished away tC
the rear like a leaf blown before
storm. At the same instant up there
rode an aide-de-camp with the reddes1
face that ever I saw upon~mortal man
"You must stop 'em, Or we are
done,' he cried to General Adams, 81
that all our company could hear him
"How is it going?" asked the gen
eral.
1.-Two weak squadrons left out of 81,
regiments Of heavies," said he, and be
gan to laugh like a mar whose nerve:
are overstrung.
Perhaps you would care to joir
in our advance. Pray consider your
self quite one of u.s." said the general
bowling and smiling as if he were ask
ing him to a dish of tea.
81 shall have much pleasure" sale
the other, taking off his hat, and {
moment afterward our three regiment!
closed up and the brigade advanced IL
four lines over the hollow where WI
had lain in square, and out beyon'
the point whence we had cen thu
French army.
There was little Of it. to be seer
now, only the red belching Of the gun!
flashing quickly out of. the cloud-bank
and the black figures, STOPPING, strain
ing, hopping, sponging, working lik'
devils and at devilish work. Blu
through the cloud that. rattle and WIFI
rose louder and louder, with a deep
mouthedl shouting and the stamping o
thousands Of feet. Then there came I
broad black blur through the haze
$500 a rwl,on4 x,1$N