Middletown transcript., 1920-09-25

our left, and q German one was hare
at work upon our right, so that w
were wrapped round with the smoke
but we were not so hidden as to scree1
us from a line of French guns oppo
site, for a 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
head went down like q diver. but our
sergeant gave me a prod in the back
with the handle of his halbert.
sDon't be so blasted polite" said he
"When you're hit you can bow once
and for ALL"
knocked five men into bloody mash,
and saw it lying on the ground after
wards, like a crimson football. An
other went through the adjutant's
horse with plop, like stone in the
! mud, broke it's back and left it lying
like 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.
II gave a 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
range?"
''Tut!" said the other. "They are
young. James, and it will do them
good"
They'll get enough of it before the
| days d0ne," 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
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 thud and q splash
| every minute or so, with yelp Of pain
| and 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
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 a
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 I 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 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 l never heard before. It
was half burned down, and shattered
with balls, and ten thousand men were
hammering at the gates, but four hun
drcd guardsmen held it in the morn
ing, and two hundred held it in the
evening, and no French foot was ever
set within its threshold. But how they
fought, those Frenchmen! 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 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 a Brunswick skirmisher in the
orchard flicked out his brain with a
rife-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
French had pushed their szirmishers
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, & thin, dark, wiry
man, with very bright eyes, a hooked
nose, and a big cockade on his cap.
There were 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.
Every warm, your grace" said our
general.
"But we can outstay them at it, I
think! Tut! tut! we cannot let skir-
mishers silence a battery. Just drive
those fellows out Of that, Adams"
Then first I knew what devils
thrill runs through man when he is
given bit Of fighting to dc. 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 If. In we jumped.