The Connecticut labor press., 1920-09-25


 were wrapped round with the smoke but we were not so hidden as to screen l us from line of French guns oppo- site, for score of round shot came piping through the air and pumped right Into the heart of us. As heard the scream of them pass my ear my 1 head went down like a diver. but our sergeant gave me a prod in the back with the handle of his halbert. Don't be so blasted pelite," 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, l and saw 1t lying on the ground after wards. like a crimson football. An other went through the adjutant's horse with plop, like a stone in the i mud, broke it's back and left 1t lying like burst gooseberry. Three more l fell farther to the right, and by the had all told.
 l "Ah. James. you've lost a good mount" says Major Reed, just in front of me. looking down at the ,adjutant, whose boots and brooches were all running with blood.
 T gave cool fifty for him in Glas- gow,'' said the other Don't you think, major. that the men had better lie down, now that the guns have got our ranger
 .'Tuti" said the other .They are young. James. and it will do them good.'
 F sgTs,, oSx,,fI ,.,4 ~~,,,,~.t.s A sA ,eh 4. 5 days done" grumbled the other, but at that moment Colonel Reynell saw that the Rifles and the Fifty-second [were down on either side of us, so we l had the order to stretch ourselves out too. Precious glad we were when we could hear the shot whining like hun gry dogs within few feet of our backs. Even now a thud and splash every minute or so, with yeIp 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 low, so that we could only catch glimpses of what was doing just in front of us, though the roar of the guns told us that the GS. 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 a long day afterward. Just opposite us. on the slope of a hill. was French gun, and we could see the men serving her quite plainly. They were small, active men with very tight brooches 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 were 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 terrible fight was going on there, for the walls hedges were all flame and smoke, and there rose such shrieking and crying from it as I never heard before. It was half burned down. and shattered with balls. and ten thousand men were hammering at the gates, but four hun- dred guardsmen held 1t in the morn ing, and two hundred held 1t in the evening, and no French foot was ever set within it's threshold. But how they fought, those Frenchmeni Their lives were no more to them than the mud under their feet. There was one--I can see him nova stoutish, ruddy man on crutch. He hobbled up alone in a lull of the firing to the side gate of Hougoumont. and he beat upon it, screaming to his men to come after him. For five minutes he stood there. strolling about in front of the gun-barrels which spared him, but at last Brunswick skirmisher in the orchard licked out his brain with rihe-shot And he was only one of many, for all day, when they did not come in masses they came in twos and threes, with as brave a face as if the whole army was at their heels.
 So we lay all morning looking down at the fight at Hougoumont; but soon the Duke saw that there was nothing to fear upon his right, and so he be- gan to use us in another way. The ICAClL Ldd puSACu L1ACAA Shi1 AiASAtSA Q past the farm, and they lay among the young corn in front of us, popping at the gunners, so that three pieces out of six on our left were lying with their men strewed in the mud all round them. But the Duke had his eyes everywhere, and up he galloped at that moment, a thin, dark, wiry man, with very bright eyes, hooked nose, and a big cockade on his cap. There were a dozen officers at his heels, all as merry as if it were fox hunt; but of the dozen there was not one left in the evening.
 "Warm work, Adams" said he as he rode up.
 "very warm, your grace" said our general.
 "But we can outstay them at it, I think Tut! tut! we cannot let skir- mishers silence battery. Just drive those fellows out of that, Adams"
 Then first I knew what devils thrill runs through a man when he is given a bit of fighting to do. Up to now we had just lain and been killed, which is the weariest kind of work. Now it was our turn, and, my word, we were ready for it. Up we jumped, the whole brigade, in four-deep line, and rushed at the cornfield as hard as