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Show Berlla N THE Pripot marsh region of S' ' J Volhynla, Russia, to the cast of V Plnsk, In a desolate region, re- lleved by only a fow small vil lages, some or the most bitter L fighting of tho war has taken place since last summer. The J Teutonic drlvo forced the Rus- slanb far to the east of this re-ZZ-j gjon. and then the combined (, Austrian and' German forces - made their stand there, harassed at intervals by f bands of Russians, who. after a disastrous re treat, re-formed and for months have kept up ' an Intermittent attack on the Invaders. It is a barren region in the best of seasons. i but In winter It is bitter cold, and the Russians counted on winter to do as much damage to tho i enemy as tho Russian guns. But, according to f all reports, the invadois have stood the winter j remarkably well. They have their outposts sta- 1 tloned along tho roads as they enter tho lnter- ! minablo stretch of marshes, and further back 1 are the main forces, strongly fortified In various 9 villages, whence tho outposts can fall back if at- 9 I tacked too strongly. ' Thero are roads leading through these swamps, I something on tho order of corduroy roads in certain parts of the United States, and to cross 9 t the swamps excopt by these roads Is practically impossible, in winter as well aa in summer. In 9 the cold season the ground is frozen, but it is just as hard, If not harder, to get through than M In summer, when tho ground is a maa3 of mud M and pools of stagnant water, with huge trees 9 rising from the water and mud. m ' Hermann Wurst, a cavalryman, was In the de- M t tachmont which, it might bo said, opened tho H actual warfare. Ho saw servlco In Belgium, j9 later in the north of France, was In tho drlvo toward Paris, then In the no less spectacular m) retreat, and later his regiment saw sen-ice In M Russia. Bofore going to Russia thero wcro a fow brief dayB of happiness in Berlin with his aged 7M mother, his younger sisters and Mario, his p sweetheart. They wero the happiest days of his 3 life, thoBo in Berlin, and the momory of them "m Borvcd to brighten many a cold, dismal day In bleak Russia. m j He had been slightly wounded in that terrlllc M fighting in tho Argonne, but after a few woeks 9 ln te hospital he had been back in tho lighting 9 Hue again. A younger brother had been klUed ln M the trenches, and another brother. In tho artll- M lery. was still fighting ln Franco. His father, too M old for active duty, was serving his country as B . a guard at a prison camp. 9 After tho active campaign in RusBla, Hor- 9 mann's regiment was Btationed in winter quar- M ters at a village near Prlnsk, and here tho great A 1 event of tho wook was the arrival of tho mall M ' wagons, bringing mosBagca from tho beloved W ones at homo. Whenever those wagons arrived It was tho Dlgnal for every one to gathor about M and receive his lottors. Every word was do- M vourod, and those lettors from homo breathed m tho same spirit of hope and patriotlam aa Uiobo 39 sent back from tho frQnt M Not a mall camo but it brought a letter from 3 I Hermann's mothor and ono from tho dear Ma- 9 rlo, and always those lottors wcro kopt in an ln- 9 side pocket of his coa cloao to tho heart that mil neat c 9 tfcrland. JK Out from tho vlllago a couple of matin-, nlmowt lm at tno odfo ' ftn lmmonBO BWamD ware Bta" mi Joned outpoata of cAValry. Boraowhoro cm tho - ther side of the wnmp wero tho outpost of "jf! he Russian army. Tho Germans wero making 1 Tl -10 efCr - advanco at this tlmo. Thoy wore 1 . Unt .wiWi tJwir f?tatr juarUr, at Ioat un- (9 til further re-enforcements, and especially more artillery, arrived. But there were frequent clashes Once or twice In tho night Cossacks had come tearing toward the outposts, had cut through tho barbed-uhu cntanglomcnts several times, and then been driven back. There was one certain outpost which it fell to Hermann's reglmenC to look after, and at least two or three days out of every fortnight he was on duty at this point. Then back to the barracks in tho village. It was not comfortable, this outpost out-post duty. The weather was frightfully cold at times, and a few rude huts served as shelter for the guards, while lean-tos at the back did duly ns 3tables for tho hor?es. It was moro comfort-ablo comfort-ablo in the village. There ono was not subjected to sudden attacks, ns when on outpost duty, and ono could sleep bettor. But still tho Germans desired to know moro about tho secrets of tho swamp and tho forco or the detachments which tho enemy had to guard the rood. It was one day, a bitter, freezing day, that Hermann, with a detachment under chargo of a lieutenant, was ordered to rollovo tho guard at this outpost. It was early ln tho morning, and aa Hermann mounted his good Minna, tho maro which had carried him through the Belgian and French campaigns, ho noticed that the detachment detach-ment being sent out from tho barracks ivasy much larger than was usually kept on duty at tho outpost But Hermann had boon long enough ln tho army and In warfare to know that It wa3 a waste of time to wonder, so ho dismissed tho matter from his mind, and In a few moments he and his companions were trotting briskly through tho snow out to the most advanced outpost nearest tho swamp three miles away. They Enter the Eed Trail. In a fow moments they had reached tho road, tho road whoso western ond wan held by tho Teutons and whoso caHtorn end was hold by tho Russians. Thoy turned eastward and started at a full gallop. It was but a moment beforo thoy ran into a detachmont of Cossacks. Two of thorn woro acting aa nontries whllo tho othoro woro gathered gath-ered around rudo flron. It wa8 on tho extromo captorn edgo of tho swamp and bovond tho Germans Ger-mans could boo hundreds of rudo huts, scotching scotch-ing far back into tho distance. Thoy woro cIobo to tho main body of tho Russians. Thoro was a short & command and almost Vforo iha CoawwflWs know what had happened ?ho Gorman dotachmont had turned and was opoodlng oaatward again. Then thero woro yolla from tho CosBaekn, nhouts and a fow wild ehbt woro nrod, but tho Germans woro galloping away. On thoy flew over the rough road, and ln five jnuautaji anothot outpost was. lyhtodTii llou- . Y - ,3B8l Wm WiS li && L' I ask msr vm sssa 1 V ' I tenant shouted another command as they 'dashed toward this, but those guards were moro alert, and ns thoy passed through a do.on shots wore fired. Ono Gorman fell and another's horse slowed up. Hermann, contiaiy to orders, drew back his horso, and, as his companion sprang ofT the wounded horse, ho ran up and caught hold of the pommel of Hermann's saddle On they jped, tho man on foot keeping up with "Wurst, albeit the latter now formed tho rear guard. But the alarm had been given, and tho guards ln front of them had been warned, Thoy had not barricaded tho road with barbed wire, as had tho Gormans, but they had telephonic communication com-munication between the outposts, somothlng they had not had until thoy learned their lesson les-son from tho Germans. There wcro barely twenty men at tho noxt outpost. Thoy had no machine gun. but thoy oponod flro on tho advancing Gormans as soon as thoy sighted them. One, two, throe, four foil, and as many, horsca. Hermann's companion com-panion loosened his hold on tho saddle and sprang upon tho horso of another cavalryman who had fullon over, shot through tho head. Lieutenant Palls. Hardly half tho dotachmont pnesod through thin BU?."jCSi tno HoutonRiK van among thoco who foil from hln horuo. Thoro woro nino in tho party whon thoy Btoppod for a moment whero a bond In tho tortuous tor-tuous road hid thorn from their last assailants. Corp, Voct was now ln command of tho party . wid. ho oxamlncd-Jtho-ULnd-oncaoh-jjldo-of. tho road. Thero was no escape that way. Tho ground was too uneven and rough, and the trocs grew too thick together. They waited a moment for their horses to rest. No word was spoken They did not know how many moro guards they would oiicdtintor. Thoy did know, however, that tho onomv in front of them had been nrnod, and was "pre-pajod "pre-pajod for their Jng, and thoy did know that nom"-'d uInd thorn woro Russian cav-clrymon cav-clrymon n puisult A fow momonts nnd bohlnd them they heard tho dull thud of hurrying hoofs on tho snow-covored snow-covored road. Quickly tho ordor to movo was glvon. and tho nlno started on a gallop. But tho punuiers caught bight of thorn and oponod rite. Ono Iioiho woa-atruaJc, and,-af tor atatrgorlns a, fow foot. foil, carrying his rider with him. But tho others oth-ers swept on. Another volley, but no one was struck. Tho Germans did not pauso long enough to return re-turn tho llro of their enemies. It was for them to got through the lines and report back to headquarters. At least It was for one of them to get back. But tho pursuers gained on thorn. Hormann. glancing for a moment over his shoulder, saw them. Thero woro ut lcast a score, and they lot out wild yells as thoy galloped on. Ho know thoy wcro tho Cossacks, of whom so many talcs of cruelty havo boon told. And then camo anothor outpoHt. It also was unpiotccted by barbed wlro, and Hermann breathed a blgh of relief when ho realized this. But thoro was a maohlno gun, which opened llro I on them tho moment they got ln sight Five men M folL Hermann heard the shot whistling by him, fl . and he bent far over on the neck of his mare. Hf whlspoilng to hor. njj Machine Gun Stops. j The Invincible three swept on toward the Cos- j sackb who were gathered in tho road to block HI their progi ess. Tho machlno gun had stopped Its E , fire, for the pursuers were close behind tho Gor- mans. 'j And thon thoro was tho clash of cold steel, J, the roar of shots close at hand, and Hermann rtj swept through tho band of horsomon gathered jS, in the road A saber glanced oft his shoulder after cutting thiough his overcoat and coat and 111 drawing tho blood from the flesh beneath. A R bullet tore off his cap and scraped tho side of jB his head, but on he wont. j White clouds of breath were rising from , Minna. Her rider, partially stunned, leaned fur- H, ther over on hor neck. A bullet struck him In M! the back, anothor in his right arm, but on ho j went It seemed like a hailstorm was pursuing H him as ho dashed cier the rough road, and sud- jl;, denlv tho hailstorm ceased. He thought ho was fti ln a" dream. He saw a detachment of soldiers U, galloping toward him. They passed him without , a word. They wero Jlrlng. Thoro were answering l shots. Then shouts. Then very gently and quiet- U 1 ly ho bllppcd from tho back of his good maro JTj and fell into a downy couch, the snow. V It was bovcral hours later when ho returned l! to consciousness. Ho know at onco whero ho was the hospital back ln the village, hcadquar- j tors. I A Red Cross nurse stood near him. When sho saw him open his eyes she motioned to an or- jh derly. A fow moments later nn oinccr ontered j . the room with a note book. Without u glanco at M Hermann ho drow up a stool, seated himself bo- j sldo tho bed and brusquely queried, 'WeI17" W Whon Hermann had told him all that hap- l pencd and what ho had notlcotl In that mad n clash through tho s,wamp, the ofllcer prepared h to dopart J' Tho others?" faintly asked tho wounded cav- . J alo'man. . , .4 j;. "No othors came through but you. They loft a fl red troll through tho swamp, but wo learned (j what wo wished." was tho sharp reply, j ih ' J |