Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-03-11

as quick as thought. the whole
brigade took their cue from him. Off
GERS and all, and flung themselves
upon the Guard In front, while our
charged them on the TANKS.
We had been waiting for the order,
and they all thought now that 1t had |
been given: but, you may take my |
word for 1t, Jim Horscroft was the |
real leader Of the brigade when we |
charged the Old Guard.
God knows what happened during
that mad five minutes. l remember
putting my musket against a blue-coat, |
and pulling the trigger, and that the
man could not fall, because he was so
wedged in the crowd; but l saw a
horrid blOtch upon the cloth, and thin
curl of smoke from it, as If 1t had
taken fire. Then found myself
thrown UP against two big Frenchmen,
and so squeezed together. the three of
us, that we could not raise II weapon.
One of them, fellow with very
large nose. got his hand up to my
throat, and felt that | was Il chicken
In his grasp. Rendezvous. coquin,
rendez-vous!" said he, and then sud
denly doubled up with scream, for
some one had stabbed him in the bow
els with bayonet. There was very
little firing after the first sputter, but
there was the crash Of butt against
barrel, the short cries of stricken men,
and the roaring of the officers. And
then, suddenly. they began to give
ground. slowly, sullenly, step by step,
but still to give ground. All, it was
worth all we had gone through, the
thrill of that moment, when we felt
that they were going to break. There
was one Frenchman before me,
sharp-faced, dark-eyed man, who was
loading and firing as quietly as If he
We're at practice. dwelling upon his
aim. and looking round first to try and
pick Off an officer. 1 remember that 1t
struck me that to kill so cool man 40
that would be good service, and
rushed at him, and drove my bay0net
into him. He turned as ] struck him,
and fired full into my face, and the
bullet left veal across my cheek
| l trlpped over him as he fell, and,
two others tumbling over me, l was
/ half smothered In the heap. When at
last ! struggled out and cleared my
eyes, which were full of powder, saw
that the column had fairly broken,
and was shreddlng into groups Of men
who were either running for their lives,
or fighting back to back, In n vain at
tempt to check the brigade, which was
still sweeping onward. My face felt
as If a red-hot iron had been laid
across it, but l had the use of my
limbs so, jumping over the litter Of
dead and mangled men, 1 scampered
after my regiment, and fell In upon
the right flank
Old Major Elliott was here, limpine
along, for his horse had been shot, but
none the worse in himself. He saw
me come up, and nodded, but it was
too busy time for words. The bri-
gade was still advancing. but the gen.
eral rode IN front of Inc. with his chin
upon his shoulder, looking back at the
British position.
'There is no general advance" said
he. "But I'm not going back"
1.-The duke of Wellington has won 4
great victory" cried the aide-de camp
in a solemn voice, and then, his feel
lngs getting the better of him. he
added, "if the ID fool would only
push n!"-which set us all laughing
in the flank company.
But now anyone could see that thu
French army was breaking up. TIL,
columns and squadrons which ha(
stood so squarely all day were now al
ragged at the edges, and where Their,
had been thick fringes of sklrmisher,
In front there were now spray o
stragglers in the rear. The Guart
thinned out In front OF us as w,
pushed on, and we found twelve gum
looking us in the face, but we wer,
over them In n moment, and saw on
youngest subaltern, next to him VIII,
had been killed by the lancer scrib
bling great Ills" with lump o
chalk upon, them, like the schOolbo,
he was. 1t was at that moment tina
we heard noise of cheering benin,
| us. anu saw tic NiiOit DlltlSu
flood over the crest of the ridge, an,
come pouring down upon the remain
of their enemies The guns too. cam
: bounding and rafting forward. AM
. our light cavalry-as much as was lief
Of it--kept pace with our brigade upo
the right. There was no battle afte
that The advance went on without
check. until our army stood lined u
, on the very ground which the Frenc
: had held in the morning. Their gun
, We're ours their foot We're rabblt
spread over the face of the countr!
and their gallant cavalry alone wa
able to preserve some sort of order
and to draw off unbroken from tn
field. Then at last, just as the nigh
began to gather, our weary and star,
ing men were able to let the Prussian
take the job over, and to stack thel
arms upon the ground that they ha