| Show U oN a he Last En Englishman h J lishman on the Brid j e t Oco JC A THRILLING TH G T TALE TALE ALE OF THE FAMOUS F RETREAT FROM FRO M I c 1 Description of Some of the Fiercest Fighting by a Briton Brilon a Story o of f an Hour When Then Things Were mere H Happening Sappers Sap j pers hers and the Thrilling Part They Played in an Engagement Which i Is I s Bound found to La Become H J 1 Sergeant ergeant Cassidy and His H is Recital m EP HE stories that found origin on lL the retreat from MOllS Mons will al- al l. l J S 'S bo ho viv vivid it ill and intense because the ity Occasion cas on itself was electric It was jh se ne of the picturesque and dramatic Events vents of the war in s IThe The British army was in confusion lv v Wd ind retreat It was a n flight before Jens I of thousands of relentless J 3 ns enel ene- ene l lp pies ics es plunging ng in pursuit rabid pursuit rabid with ill ii ine be h taste of victory The impetus Jre e the true British along with a rush ik ike cattle driven with shouts ant and gods rods rods down clown a chute The he miracle iracle re Out from Pans Paris a line Ime of ofu u came streaming loaded with witha a- a ain in army of Frenchmen that had been irk eft ft out out- of the German Gelman calculations r. r 4 Things were happening H History tory tS unreeling with the speed of thea the a J J ovies OYles Human nerves were at the J tension Stories that will last j i were born bom in those exciting t Writers for years to come comey h y ill Fill 11 find a feast of material Only a aJ aa J a n mall part of it all has been written io 0 far but one of tide tHe best things that e as found type is a n chapter called he The Ile Br Bridge e dg from the boot book book book- Mii Mi l fi i 1 Cassidy Sergeant Sergeant by g gi by by an anglish i lish g-lish lish engineering officer who p-ites p 4 rites under the nom de tic plume of i Sapper Supper JI The rIle book is published byC by byc c C George H. H Doran company Sergeant Cassidy tells the story r There Here ere were about a n. dozen in the enI en- en I party part which was command- command I kl by an officer he calls Mr l Rourke The They had been instructed instructed a prepare a bridge for demoli demolition Hon he guncotton was placed and con con- by wires wires wires' to an exploding e in- in hidden behind a tree The Tile Lien Sen rested two hours hour in in the shade Gray With the Dust II It It seemed as if we had been bren there but hut a minute but bat maybe maj-be it was half an all hour when with a crash one of the horse batteries galloped over the i bridge e. The Thc dust rose in great clouds I and through it we could see seo the drivers dri ers their ers their collars open their faces gray rny with it some with hats and some somo without themselves themselves' sitting down lJ and riding like men possessed while their horses sweated and galloped and the guns s a swayed d behind In a second they tho were gone zone and only the dust reI re re- re- re I Mr 11 1 Rourke 0 he turned to me nie and he said They were going fast even for the Horse Hors Horse he said alona along along alon alonga b a 0 road rond and I would to heaven it had boon been the other way they were galloping galloping galloping gallop gallop- ing g for I should tell you you sir sir thc they J were going going- south hive Five c minutes later wo we heard them come into action a quarter of a n. mile behind us Covering Covering Cover er in ing the retreat again be he muttered and barely had he spoken when an all infantry regiment came in in sight going going going go go- ing the same way Mr I fl 0 Rourke and andI I we went rent ent into the center of the bridge e to keep our eye on the charge and we watched them come b by Walking dogged they were with with witha a fixed fi sort of stare and some sonic were asleep as they the marched and some were whistling through lips that made male no noise The sweat was caked on them and they were gray from head lead to foot and tune the officers were st staggering up and down cheering them hem on for on-for for those lads had been g ging going gong go go- ing ng without rest at all for ten lays days and ind more And one of the sergeants said aid to me as ns he went by ho said There There- are thousands of them thorn and close behind When the they had lad gone gOlle I went to Mr l 0 Rourke and andI I 1 said to him Its It's cl close se work its it's going t to bo be sir Im I'm thinking for taY taYs r. r Y s 1 y r f i i Z f Ji JiZ J r. r Y 4 1 ry i Jk y r x w I c v r Z rf J Ih b bak ak 9 Jl Y q i. i r y V rr its t Q W vt i T h 1 4 i nCi Jr a. a r. r rS f. f N r t J y f Sf it r M Z y y r f N t SP Z AO c N 1 f frt f r r Sty N r r Ct r rr J vt t. t C tSA rrT 1 T e h Y ts 4 s y J. J a CJ r re J P oN j wN t te lot oW S c T they are near behind And then up galloped a staff of of- I t Arc you the engineer officer in charge 7 he said lid I I 1 am that that said Mr fr H There are arc still two squadrons of Lancers between you and the 1110 Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans he said and find the they will be across soon for they arc covering covering cover cover- ing the infantry who have haye just gone over ocr When they are aide over blow the bridge and do not linger to admire the tho view for it will be unhealthy Very good sir says Mr Ir The Most Important Bridge rr H And says he let there be no mistake for the lovo love of heaven for should the charge chargo fail we are undone I This This- bridge is is the most important of any there are to be destroyed and they must not riot get it rc rhe They rhey will not get it says Me Mr and with that he galloped away When Then he had lead gone we ve e walked off the bridge Pray heaven Cassidy Cassidy Cassidy Cas Cas- sidy he lie said that all nIl is well for we will not have hae much time if there is a 11 fault to adjust it IL It It will be all nIl right t sir said I I Ifor for we have it tested H And And then the tho cavalry started coming b back ck i H t Clear out you JOu boys' boys shouted an officer They are re in touch with us usand usand usand and we cannot hold them longer Cassidy said Mr l 0 Rourke take the men back bac for it is no good gooi them stopping here 1 II Would we wo be leaving you sir I cried It You Yon would not he lie said butA but A hat good can you do dol 7 For if tho the thoI I charge fails there will be no time to reI relay a it and if it succeeds twill be easier for me to get away alone than if you are all here I saw his point and I knew he was right though it went against the grain to leave him in tho lurch as it were But he would not alter and BO so BOI soI I took them a away muttering away muttering and cursing they were ere I took them to a a. little rise under cover coyer two or three hundred yards away where hero it was wag easy to clear from when the tho bridge was down without being fired on Before Before Before Be Be- fore I went I said to him I said We Y e will be yonder and ond its it's there thre we will wait for you ou If you Sou go that w way round you ou can get there easily Just after we got there there w we saw aw a major gallop over mer the bridge with his orderly orderly orderly order order- ly behind him and he shouted something something something some some- thing to Mr 0 Rourke We Ye sa saw him running to the exploder er and anti fi fixing ng the leads and then he paused and I straightened himself up behind the tree From where whore we were we could see two coming near the bridge with more of them hundreds s so o of them b behind hind And then he forced down the handle of the e exploder Mother Il of Heaven Hen I screamed for nothing happened He lie did diel it again and it failed again You will mind sir sir that from where he was he could not see aee the and they could not see him him but but we could se see both of Y U One Man Stood on the e I Bridge a an n E En Eng g g lishman He Gave His Hi 1 Life r e as a Sacrifice Sacr fice ice for His Country Coun gun try fry But His Death Deal l Was AVe Avenged ged them from the riseA rise A Race for the Ch Charge rg The men were sobbing and cu curs CUlS rs- rs in lug ing g. g A corp corporal ral caught caught- my ray arm and he lie muttered It was not t to fait fail he said and und it has What will w we e do What can we do I said for they are on the bridge And then of a sudden we aw yaw the lad creep creeping ng alon along g gunder und under r c cover ver of the trees and be ha reached the bridge and ran like a hare to the charge The saw him too and rode at him and the themen themen themen men started screaming and cheer cheering ng for they were off their heads and they thought he lie wOl would d be 00 able to do something But what can CM ho he dot do I groaned for the fuse will not burn bum quick enough They are too close He reached the charge first and his revolver was drawn It was drawn I say but it was not at the it was pointed For a seco second d lie he stood there with his head thrown back and it seemed to us as if he ha laughed at them diem And the lads saw sav what was in his mind mind and and thy they were silent saving only one and he threw V himself himsel r on the ground sobbing And the saw what hat was in his mind and one pulled his horse over backwards backwards back back- wards trying tring to get off the bridge while the others rode at him And nl then he fired From the tho range of an nn aninch aninch inch he fired into the guncotton and the roar of the detonation shook the heaven hea And he and the dis dis- appeared They were there one minute minute minute min min- ute and the next they were not An then with a great sort of r crash the whole bolo thing fell into the river below belo We looked for a n moment and ana thou then we stumbled away away and and the most of ofus ofus ofus us could not see with ease case for the lads had loved him well |
