The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, March 18, 1915, Image 2

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    RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
The Last
Shot
By
FREDERICK PALMER
iia
tuoprngni, mi, v i;nana ttcriDners Bona)
17
8YNOPSIS.
At tlirlr lioirif on tlir- frontier bet wren
Jliu Ilrownx anil (IrnyM Murtii (JiiIIiiikI anil
lier ninUior, rntitrliiltilm,' Colonel WYsti-r-ling
or thu drays, hcu Oiiptulii T.titislron
of tlio Ilrtwna Injurod by u full In IiIh
acrmilunu. Ten yonts lutcr. WfHlerlliis,
nominal vice but real clilef of stuff, r-'ii-forces
Hoiith l.n Tlr niul tiu-illtiiti-H "tl war.
Martu tclla tilm of her twirlilng rlillilrwi
tho follies nf war and martini patriotism,
and bcKM lilm to provunt war whllo bo In
clilof of ntnff. l.nnatron calls on Maria
at inr home. Alio telln l.nnstriin thai nho
believes Kullor, tlio imnloner, to bn u Hpy.
Janstron coafodHoa It la true and shows
"ori ' lo'ophiirio which Keller baa con
rented In a ace rot tmssnge muter tlio tower
lor uao to bcnillt the. Urowns In war
morRunclns. I.atistron declares III Invo
for Mai-la. Wcnterllm? atul tho (Iraya pro
Iaro plana to tmo a trivial Interimtloiml
arrair to foment wnrllku pntrlotlam and
ptrlli beforo Ucrlarlnc war. l'artow,
Ilrown chief of ataff, ruvenla hla plans to
Jaimtron, mndo vlco chief. Tho Oray
army croaaca the border lino mid attacka.
Tho ttrowna rherlc them. Artillery, In
fanlry, aeroplanes and dlrlRlhlen enlace.
Morta Ima her flrat Rllmpao of war In 7ta
. ?i':orrU..co,iL "clontHle, mtirderoiia bru
tality. Tho Urowna fall back to tho Oal
land Iiouho. Marta area u nlcht nttaclt.
xne uraya attack In force. Keller Icavoa
Hla BCcret telephonn and goes back to hla
yuna iTnml to hand fighting. The Ilrowna
am
fall bark nirnln. Marta nLrM rnM.t... ..'-
iirauiramiD nppeai 10 I'artnw to atop tho
PRhllnjr. Vandnllam In the Galland houao.
Wcsterllng nnd hla atalT occupy the Oal
land Iiouru and bo begin to woo Murtn.
who apparently tbrowa her forlunca with
tho Clraya and offera valuablo Information.
BJto culls up I-nnntron on tho secrot telo
phono and plana to Rive Wcsterllng Infor-
&..,n,1iJ,,me wl" ,!rnp. tlln "ray army.
WeaterllnR forma hla plan of attack upon
Borrtlr. Through Marta Wcsterllng la led
to P'ncenlrate hla attack on thn main lino
rilnniUr- A l(k. of Infor'nntlon la aua
iwctert. nnuelinrd la relieved na chief In
leUlRencg oniror nnd In RolnR nccnara
Mnrta. Wcsterllng thlnka blm crnsy. The
ilnyJ?i ,nkob apron nf Kncadlr. Pnr
Mm M,"J'''ly and Lnnatron succeeds
I 1.- -."""- ".' "?"" nili'll "I'll
CHAPTER XVIII Continued.
Par up on a poak nmong tho birds
and aeroplanes, In a roofed, aholl-proof
chnmbor, with n tclophono orderly nt
his sldo, a powerful pair of field-glasses
and rango-flndorfl nt his elbow, nnd n
teloscopo beforo his oyo, Gustavo Fel
ler, one tlmo gardener and now feting
colonel of artillery, watched tho burst
or Biioiis over tho enemy's lines. While
other men had grown lean on war, ho
had taken on enough flesh to 1111 out
Watched tho Bursting of Shells Over
the Enemy's Lines.
tho wrinkles
around hla oyca that
Bliono with
nn artist's enlnvmnnt of
his work. Down under cover of tho
rldgo woro his guns, tho koys of tho
Instrument thnt ho played by calls
over tho wire. Their barking was a
symphony to his ears; errors of or
chestration woro orrors In aim. Ho
talked ns ho watched, hla lively fca
lures reflective of his Impressions.
"Oh, prottyl Right into their turn
tnloa! Right In tho noso! La, la, lal
Hut that's off and bo's thnt! Tell
Hattery C thoy'ro llfty yards over. Oh,
beady-eyed gods and ahiny llttlo fishes
two smacks in tho eamo spot!
Humph I Tell Battery C that the
trouble with that gun is worn rifling:
that's why U'b going short. Elevate It
lor another hundred yards but It
ought not to wear out bo soon. I'd llko
to kick the maker or tho inspector. Tho
fellows In B 21 will accuso ub of inat
tention. U'b tlmo to drop a shell on
them to Bhow wo'ro perfectly Impartial
In our favors. La, la, lal Oh, what
pretty smack! Congratulations !"
B 21 was tho position of Fracasso's
rwmpany and tho pretty emack tho
one that broko ono man'B arm and
MTiBhed another's head.
The "God with ub!" song waB alngu
krly suited to Uw groat, bull roico of
HSpaSiirjjMHI sit
BaaaaawSRr7BBUBTVx'iclSk
BHIfiltK- aahaaHiTv!
ailBlBlBlSSVH aiaOlaBBBlBlBlBlBlBlHBlBlBllk vVl
Us compoflor, born to the red and h
cotno Captain Stransky in the red
buslncflR of war. It was ho who led
tho thunder of Its vcraca.
"I certainly llko thnt song," ho said.
Well ho might. It had mado him fa
mous throughout tho nation. "There's
Jchovnh and brlmstono In It. Now
wo'll hnvo our own."
"Out wo'ro always losing posltlonsl"
complained ono of tho mon. "Llttlo
by llttlo they nro getting possession."
"They say tho offonBivo always
wins," snld another.
"Five against thrcol Thov count
on numbers," Bald Lieutenant Tom
Krnslni.
"Thero you go, Tom I Any other
pessimists or anarchists want to bo
hoard 7" called out Stransky. "Just
how long, nt tho present rate, will It
tako them to got tho wholo rango?
There's a limit to tho number of oven
five millions."
Then tho tclophono In tho redoubt
brought somo nown. Tho stnff begged
to Inform tho tinny that tho enemy's
ciiBiinltles In tho last throo days hnd
been two hundred thousand I Immedi
ately everybody was talking at onco
in stransky'8 parliament, ns ho some
times called thnt company of which
ho was, In tho flnnl analysis, unlimited
monnrch.
"How do they know?"
"Do you think it's fnko?"
"That Bums up to pretty near n mil
lion I"
"My Godl Think of it-a million!"
"Wo'ro whittling them down!"
"It doesn't mako any difference
whether Partow or Lnnutron Is chief
of Btaffl"
"Thcy'ro paying!"
"Faying for our follows thnt they've
killed! Paying for being In tho
wrong!"
Stransky, his oyes drawing Inwnrd
In their characteristic slnnt, was well
pleased with his company, and tho
Bcattorcd exclamatory badlnngo kept
on until It was Interrupted fcy tho nr
rivnl of tho mall. Partow and Lnn
stron, understanding their mnchlno as
numan in its elements, hnd chosen
that tho army should hear from homo.
"IIow'o this!" exclaimed ono man.
rending from n nowspnper. "Thoy'ro
going to put up n Btatuo of Partow In
tho capital! It's to Bhow him as ho
died, dropped forward on tho map, and
In front of his desk a field of bayonets.
On ono fnco of tho baso will bo his
namo. Two of tho other faces will
havo 'God with us!' and 'Not for
theirs, but for ours!' Tho legend on
tho fourth fnco tho war is to decide."
"Victory! Victory!" cried those
who had listened to tho announcement.
Stransky was thinking that they
had to do moro than hold tho Qraya.
Hoforo ho should boo his girl they had
to tako back tho lost territory. Ho
carried two pictures of Minna in his
mind: ono when sho had struck him
In tho faco as ho tried to kiss her
and tho other ns ho said good-by nt
mo Kitcncn door. There was not much
encouragement In cither.
"Hut when Bho gots' better acquaint
ed with mo there's no telling!" ho kept
thinking. "I wns lighting out of cus
eoilness at first. Now I'm flchtlnir fnr
her nnd to keop what is ours!"
CHAPTER XIX. -
The Ram.
In tho closet off tho Gnllnnd library,
where tho long-distance tclophono was
Installed, .Wcsterllng was talking
with tho premier in tho Gray capital.
"Your total casualties are eight hun
dred thousnnd. That is torrlflc, Wcs
terllng!" tho premier wub saying.
"Only two hundred thousand of
thoso are doad!" replied Wcsterllng.
"Many with only slight woundB nro
already returning to tho front Ter
rific, do you sny7 Two hundred thou
sand in (lvo millions is ono man out
of twenty-flvo. That wouldn't havo
worried Frederick tho Great or Napo
leon much. Eight hundred thousand is
ono out of bIx. Tho trouble Is that
such vast armies have never been en
gaged hoforo. You must consider the
percentage's, not tho totals."
"Yet, eight hundred thousnnd! If
tho public know!" exclaimed tho pre
mier. "Tho public does not know!" said
Wcsterllng.
"Thoy-guess. They realize that wo
stopped tho soldlere' letters becauso
thoy told bad nows. Tho situation la
serious."
"Why not glvo tho public something
to think about?" Wcsterllng demanded.
"I'vo tried. It doesn't work. Tho
munmira Increase. I repeat, my fenrB
of a rising of tho women are well
grounded. Thero Is mutiny In tho air.
I feel It through tho columns of tho
press, though thoy tiro censored. I "
"Then, Boon I'll glvo tho public some
thing to think about, myself!" Wcster
llng broko In. "Tho dead will bo for
gotten. Tho wounded will bo proud
of their wounds and their fathers and
mothors triumphant when our army
descends tho othor sldo of tho rango
and starts on its march to tho Browns'
capital."
"Hut you havo not yet taken a
Blnglo fortress!" persisted tho premier.
"And the Browns report that thoy have
lost only threo hundred thousand
mon."
"Lanatron la lying!" retorted Wcs
terllng hotly. "But no matter. Wo
havo taken positions with every at
tack and kopt crowding in closer. I
ask nothing bettor than that tho
Browns remain on tho dofcnalvo, leav
ing lnltlntlvo to ua. We havo dovol
opod tholr weak points. Tho resolute
offonBivo always wine. I know whore
I am going to attack; thoy do not. I
shall ijot glvo them tlmo to rolnforco
tho defenso at our chesou point. I
havo still plenty of live soldiers loft
I shall go in with mon enough this
tlmo to win and to hold."
"Tho army Is yours, Wcsterllng,"
concluded tho premier. "I admlro your
stolidity of purpose You havo my con
fidence. I shall wait and hold tho situ
ation at homo tho best I can. Wo go
Into tho hall of fame or Into the gut
tor togethor, you and II"
For a while after ho had hung up
the rccclvor Wcsterllng'a head
drooped, his muscles relaxed, giving
mind and body a reloase from tension.
Hut his eplno was as stiff as ovor ns
ho loft tho closet, and he was oven
smiling to glvo tho Impression that
tho nows from tho caDltal wan favor-
able.
When ho called his chiefs of divi
sion It was hardly for a staff council.
Stunnod by tho losses and repulses,
loyally Industrious, tholr opinions un
asked, thoy lietoned to his whirlwind
of orders without comment all except
Turcns.
"If thoy nro apprised of our plan and
nro able to concentrato moro artillery
than our guns can Bllenco, tho lossoa
will bo demoralizing," ho observed.
Wcsterllng throw up his head, frown
ing ciown tno objection.
"Suppose they amount to half tho
forces that wo send In!" ho exclaimed.
"Isn't tho position, which means tho
pass and tho range, worth It?"
"Yes, If wo both tako and hold It;
not if wo fall," replied Turcns, qulto
unaffected by WeBterllng's manner.
"Falluro Is not in my lexicon!" Wes
terling shot back. "For great galnB
thoro must bo great risks."
"Wo prepare for tho movement,
your excellency," answered Turcns.
It wns a steel harness of his own
will thnt Wcsterllng woro, without ad
mitting that It galled him, and ho laid
It off only In Maria's presence. With
her, hiB growing senso of Isolation had
tho relief of companionship. ''She be-
camo a kind of mirror of his egoism
nnd nmbltlons. Ho liked to have nor
think of him as a great man unruffled
nmong wenker men. In tho quiet and
seclusion of tho garden, Involuntarily
as ono who has no confidant speaks
to himself, reserving fortltudo for hie
part before tho staff, while sho. undor
tho spell of her purposo, silently, with
sereno and wistfully listening eyes,
played hors, ho outlined how the final
and telling blow was to bo struck.
"Wo must and wo shall win!" ho
Kopt repeating.
Through a rubber disk held to his
ear In tho closot of his bedroom a
voico, tremuloua with norvouB fatigue,
was giving Lanstron nowa that all his
aircraft and cavalry and spies could
not havo gained; news worth more
tnnn a score of regiments; news fresh
from tho lips of the chief of Btaff of
tho enomy. Tho attack was to bo
mado at tho right of Engndlr, Its cen
ter brenklng from the redoubt manned
by Fracasso's men.
"Marta, you gonlua!" Lanstron cried.
"You nro tho real general! You"
"Not that, please!" sho broke In.
"I'm as foul and depraved as a denlor
In BUbtlo poisons In tho middle ages!
Oh, tho Bhamo of It, while I look into
his eyes and feign ndmiration, feign
everything which will draw out hla
plans! I can never forget tho sight
of him ns ho told mo how two or threo
or four hundred thousnnd men wero
to bo crowded Into a ram, as ho culled
It a ram of human flesh! and guns
enough In support, ho said, to tear any
redoubts to pieces; guns enough to
mnko their Bhells as thick as the bul
lets from an automatic!"
"Wo'll moot ram with ram! We'll
havo Bomo guna, too!" exclnlmed Lnn
Btron. "Wo'll sepd as heavy a Bhell
fire nt tholr Infantry as they send Into
our redoubts."
"Don't. It's too llko Wcsterllng. It
haa becomo too trlto!" alio protested.
"Tho end! If I really wero helping
townrd that and to savo lives and our
country to Ua people, what would my
private foollngs matter? My honor,
my soul what would anything mat
tor? For that, any sacrifice. I'm
only ono human being a weak, luna
tic sort of one, just now!"
"Marta, don't Buffer so! You are
overwrought. You "
"I can say all that for you, Lanny,"
sho Interrupted with tho faintest Inugh.
"I'vo said it bo many times to myaelf.
Perhaps when I call you up again I
shall not bo bo hysterical."
Lanatron wna not thinking of war or
war'a combination when ho hung up
tho recolver. It wna some moments
before ho roturncd to tho staff room,
nnd then ho hnd mastered his omo
Hon. Ho wns tho soldier again.
An hour or so hoforo tho nttack tho
telegraph Instrumonta In tho Gnlland
houso had becomo pregnantly silent.
There wero no moro orders to glvo;
no moro reports to como from tho
troops In position until tho assault waa
mado. Olllcors of supply ceasod to
transmit routine matters over tho wire,
whllo thoy Btrnlncd their oyoa townrd
tho rango. Officers of tho staff moved
about restlessly, glancing nt tholr
watches and going to tho windows fre
quently .to boo If tho mist Btlll held.
No ono entered tho library where
Wcsterllng wns Boated alono with
nothing to do. Ills auspenso wns that
of the mothers who longed for nowB
of tholr sona at tho front; his holplesa
ness that of a man In a hospital lobby
watting on tho result of an operation
whoso success or failure will save or
wreck his career. Tho physical desire
of movement, tho conflict with some
thing in hla own mind, drovo him out
of doors.
Wcsterllng wns rather pleased with
tho fact that ho could still smllo;
pleased with tho loyalty of younger
offlcera whon, day by day, tho staff
had grown colder and moro me
chanical in tho attltudo that com
pleted his Isolation. Walking vigor
ously along tho path toward tho tower,
the oxerclso of his muscles, tho feel
of the cool, moist air on bis face,
brought back some of tho buoynncy of
spirit that ho craved. A woman's fig
ure, with a capo thrown over tho shoul
ders nnd tho head bare, loomed out of
tho mlBt.
"I couldn't stay In not to-night,"
Marta said as Westorllng drew near.
"I had to see. It's only a quarter of
an hour now, isn't It?"
Sho seemed so utterly frail and
distraught that Wostorllng, in an im
pulse of protection, laid bis hand on
her relaxed shoulders.
"Our cnuBo Is at atuko to-night," he
declnred, "yours and mine! Wo muBt
win, you and II It la our destiny!"
"You and 1!" repeated Mnrta. "Why
you and 17"
It seemed very strange to bo think
ing of any two persona when hundreds
of thousands wero awaiting tho signal
for tho death prepared by him. Ho
mistook tho character of hor thought
In tho obsession of hla egolam.
"Whatlo Uvea mean?" ho cried with
a sudden desperation, his grip of hor
aiioulderB tightening. "It la tlio law
of nature for mnn to fight. Unlesa ho
fights ho gocB to seed. Ono trouble
with our army Is that It wns Boft from
tho want of war. It Is tho law of na
ture for tho fittest to survive! Other
sons will bo born to tako tho place of
thoso who dlo tonight. There will bo
all tho moro room for thoso who live.
Victory will create now opportunities.
What la a million out of tho billions
on tho face of tho earth? Thoso who
lead ulono count thoso -who dwell In
tho atmosphere of tho peaks, as wo
do!" Tho pressure of tils strong hands
In tho unconscious emphasis of his
passion becamo painful ; but sho did
not protest or try to draw away, think
ing of hla hold In no personal senso
but as a part of his self-revelation. "All
all Is at stake thero!" he continued,
staring townrd tho rango. "It's tho
Rubicon! I hate put my career on to
night's cnBt! Victory means that tho
worm will bo at our feet honor, po
sition, power greater than that of any
other two human beings! Do you
roallzo what that menus tho honor
nnd the power that will bo ours? I
shall havo directed tho greatest urmy
tho world has over known to victory!"
"And dofeat means what docs do
feat mean?" she aBkcd narrowly, calm
ly; and tho pointed question released
her shoulders from the vlso.
What had been a shadow In his
thoughts becamo a llvo monster, strik
ing him with tho forco of a blow. He
forgot Marta. Yes, what would de
feat mean to him? Sheer human na
ture broko through tho bonds of men
tal dlsclpllno weakened by sleepless
nights. Convulsively his head dropped
as ho covored his face.
"Defeat! Fall! That I should fall!"
he moaned.
Then it was that she bow him In tho
reality of his littleness, which sho had
divined; this would-bo conqueror. Sho
saw him as his intlmatea often see the
great man without his front of Jove.
Don't wo know that Napoleon had mo
ments of privacy when ho whined and
threatened suicide? Sho wondered if
Lanny, too, wero like that If it were
not tho nature of all conquerors who
could not havo their way. It seemed
to hor thnt Wcsterllng waa beneath
tho humblest private In his army be
neath oven that fellow with tho liver
patch on, his cheek who had broken
tho chandelier In tho sport of brutal
passion. All senao of her own part was
submerged In tho Bight of a chiof of
staff exhibiting no moro stoicism than
a petulant, spoiled schoolboy.
Whllo his head waa still bent tho ar
tillery began Its crashing thunders and
tho aky becamo light with flashes. His
hands stretched out toward tho range,
clenched nnd pulsing with defiance nnd
command.
"Go in! Go In, ns I told you!" ho
cried. "Stay in, allvo or dead I Stay
till I tell you to como out! stay! 1
can't do any more! You must do it
now!"
"Then this may be truly the end,"
thought Marta, "if tho assault falls."
And silently alio prayed that It would
fall; whllo the flashes lighted Westnr.
ling's set features, Imploring succesa.
In tho Browne' headquarters, db In
tho Graya', telegraph Instruments woro
silent after tho preparations were over.
Hero, also, officers walked restlessly,
glancing at their watches. Thoy, too,
wore gtau mat tno mlat continued. It
meant no wind. When tho telegraph
did apeak It was with another message
from Bomo aerostatic officer saying,
"Still favorable"' which was taken nt
onco to Lanstron, who was with tho
staff chiefs around tho big table. Thoy
nodded at tho nows and smiled to ono
another; and somo who had been pac
ing sat down nnd others roso to begin
pacing afresh.
"Wo could havo oniplnced two lines
of automatics, ono nbovo tho other!"
exclaimed tho chief of nrtlllery.
"But that would havo given too much
of a climb for tho Infantry in going In
delayed tho rush," said Lanstron.
"If thoy should stick if wo couldn't
drive thorn back!" exclaimed tho vice
chief of staff.
"I don't think they will!" said Lan
stron. To tho othora he seemed as cool as
over, ovon when his maimed hand was
twitching In his pocket. But now, sud
denly, his oyes Btnrtlng as at a horror,
ho trembled passlonutely, his head
dropping forward, as if ho would col
lapse "Oh, the murder of It tho murdor!"
ho breathed.
"Bur. thoy brought It on! Not for
theirs, but for ours!" said tho vlco
chief )t staff, laying his hand on Lnn
stron's shouldor.
"And wo sit horo whllo thoy go In!"
Lanstron added. "Thoro's a kind of
injustice nbout that which I cau't got
over. Not ono of ua here has been
under tiro!"
Even tho mlnuto of tho attack thoy
know; and Just beforo midnight they
were standing at the window leoklng
out luto the night, whllo the vice-chief
held his watch In hand. In tho hush
tho faint Bound of a dirigible's propel
ler high uo In the heavens, muffled by
tho fog, was drowned by the Gray
guna opening fire.
Beforo tho mlno cxplodod, by the
light of the shell bursts brenklng their
vast prisma from central spheres of
flame for miles, with the quick se
quence of a movlng-plcturo flicker,
FracaBsc's men could see ono another's
faces, spectral and stiff and pasty
white, with teeth gleaming where Jaws
hnd dropped, some eyes half closed by
the blinding flashes and aomo opened
wide ns If the lids wero paralyzed.
Faces nnd faces! A sea of faces
stretching away down the slope facea
In n trance.
Up over tho breastworks, over rocks
and splintered tluiborB. Pcterkln nnd
tho Judge's son nnd their comrades
clambered. When they moved thoy
wero ob a myriad-logged creature,
brain numbed, without nuy sensation
except that of raplda going over a fall.
Thoso In front could not falter, being
pushed on by tho pressure of thoso In
tho rear. For a fow stepa they woro
under no lire. Tho scream of their
own shells breaking In infernal pande
monium In front seemed to bo a powor
ns Irreslstiblo na tho rear of tho wedgo
In driving them on.
Then Bounds moro hideous than the
flight of projectiles broko about them
with tho abruptness of HghtnlngB held
In tho hollow of tho Almighty's hand
and Huddenly released. The Browna
guns had opened lire. Explosions were
even swifter In aequenco than tho
flnshes that revealed tho stark faces.
Dust and stones and flying fragments
of flesh filled tho air. Men went down
In posltivo paralysis of faculties by tho
icrriiic crashes. Sections of tho ram
were blown to pieces by tho burst of
a shrapnel shoulder high; other sec
tions wero lifted heavenward by a
shell burat in tho earth.
Petcrkin fell with a pleco of Jagged
steel embedded in hia brain. Ho had
gone from tho quick to tho dead ao
awiftly that ho never know that his
charm had failed. Tho Bamo explosion
got Fracasae, sword In hnnd, and an
other burled him whore ho lay. The
banker's son went a llttlo farther; the
barber's son still farther. Men who
wero nllvo hardly realized life, so
mixed wero life and death. Infernal
imagination goes faint; Us wildest
similes grow feeble and banal before
such a consummation of hell.
But tho tide keepa on; tho torn gaps
of the ram ato filled by tho rushing
legs from tho rear. Offlcera urge and
lead. Such are tho orders; such Is
tho duty prescribed; such is human
bravery even in theso days when life
Is Bweotor to more men In the Joya of
mind and body than ever before. Pre
cision, organization, Bolldarlty In this
charge such as the days of tho "death-or-glory"
boys nover know! Over tho
bodlea of Pcterkln and the barber's
and tho banker's sons, plunging
through shell crntors, stumbling, stag
gering, cut by swaths and torn bv
oddles of red destruction In their I
ranks, tho tldo proceeded, until Its '
hosts were oftencr trending on flesh
than on soil. And nil thoy know was '
to kcop on keop on, bayonet In hand,
till they reached tho redoubt, and thero
they were to atay, allvo or dead. i
"After hell, more hell, and then Btlll
more hell!" was tho way that Stransky I
expressed his thought when tho en-1
glneera hnd taken tho place of tho 63d i
of tho Browna In tho redoubt. Thoy
put their mlnea nnd connections deep '
enough not to be disturbed by sholl
fire. After tho survivors In the van of I
the Grays' charge, Bpent of breath,
reached their goal nnd threw them
boIvcs down, tho earth under them, ns
tho mlno exploded, split and heaved
heavenward. But thoao In the rear,
Blapped In the face by the concussion,
kopt on, driven by tho pressure of tho
mass at their backs, and, In turn,
plunged forward on their atomache In
the seama and furrowa of tho mine's
havoc. Tho mass thickened as tho flood
of bodies and legs banked up, in keep
ing with Wcsterllng'a plan to have
"enough to hold."
(TO 1113 CONTINUED.)
Poor Mrs. Smith.
A minister was recounting some ot
his ninupliiR experiences In marrying
people. "There's an old custom,"
Mild ho, "thnt tho bridegroom shall
kiss tho brldo Immediately after tho
marrlago ceremony is over. It's a
good, practical custom, for It serves
moro handily than anything olso that
I know of to dlsslpato tho awkward
pause that almost always follows a
Blmplo, lnformnl ceremony. For this
reason I keep tho custom alive.
"Ono day a man whom I puall call
Smith camo to tho parsonrigo to be
married. Mr. Smith was a pompous,
consequential llttlo man. The pros
pective Mrs. Smith was a fine, win
some girl. After tho coromony, Mr.
Smith, In spite of his pomposity, did
not seem to know Just what was the
next thing to do, so, as is my prna
tlco in such emergencies, I said: 'My
dear sir, It Is your privilege to Balute
tho bride.' lie turned around and ex
tending his hand formally, said: 'Mrs
Smith, I congratulnto you.'"
Barber's Story Record.
During a Portland (Mo.) barber's
SO years in business ho has had one
workman who hns sorvod for 40 years.
This workman lias kopt a record ot
tho number ot tlmeB the employer
tolls bis stories. Ono story which he
thinks his best ono he has told 2,760
times, and says it get betUr very
time be tells U.
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P..
A Knock.
Mrs. Bacon I think tho Sulllyan law
Ib all right. A man has no right to go
about with n revolver.
Mr. I3acon How would you llko a
law passed to provent women going
about with hammers?
Shuts Them Up.
Church I see Mrs. Bortlo Brixle of
Webster county Is tho only woman
sheriff In Missouri.
Gotham Sho is tho only woman tn
Missouri who can shut up other wom
en, I suppose. Yonkers Statesman.
Couldn't Get It
"I llko this quaint llttlo mountain
village of yours, waiter. I suppose I
can get plonty of oxygen here?"
"No, sir; we've got local option."
Sacred Heart Review,
It isn't alwayB tho promising young
man thnt fulfills tho promlso. Dose
rot News.
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You may bo bravo enough to
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A Nebraska Case
Mathlaa Campbell,
retired minister, Ilur
Itett, Neb., says: "I
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I couldn't turn over In
bed without help. The
pains In my back wero
awful and physicians
said I had Brlghl'a
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10-del. pkn. Hleklg Pills $1,00
SO-dot pkot. Blackleg Pllli 4.00
TH (uptrlqrttr of Cutter troiiucu la due to Of l
run of apermitlng In vaoalnei tail lemma only.
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W. N. U, UNCoTTnTno. 12-1915.
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