Show I 1 R I 1 D J ob OF dell r iasi A romance of the american army fighting on the battlefields of france by VICTOR ROUSSEAU copyright ight by W G chapman CHAPTER xiii continued 10 suddenly uie the german uttered it a choking cry and dropped blood spurting from liis ills throat where a chance bullet had found him As lie fell mark precipitated himself apon lim him and lay flat on the ground the firing died away captain mark began to crawl back toward the parapet of 0 liis ills lines A whispered challenge an answer and he be had scaled the s sandbars sandbags sand bags and descended into the mud of the trench to find the bring posts crowded and himself facing kellerman find and the company captain inwardly boiling he stood still it was too loo dark to see the expression on X ellermann eller mans face but he could imagine the sneering grin that disfigured it well V 1 said kellerman sharply the naan man you sent me me to bring in was dead ile he had bad been there for days where are your companions demanded kellerman captured and you we were attacked in the dark I 1 fought with my man until a bullet killed him the others were taken and your stretcher asked kellerman with a bland sneer 1 I left it between the lines do you wish me to go back tor for it sit sir this roan man Is lying said kellerman to the captain calmly lie he abandoned his companions and ran away he lost his stretcher put him under arrest the captain beckoned to the platoon sergeant who came forward id like to say one thing said mark striving to keep his voice steady we three were sent out to bring in a dead man who had been dead for days anyone here will bear me out in this was any man wounded tonight there was only one body in this section cut it out said the sergeant laying his bis land hand on marks shoulder but mark swung clear of him and till turned arned and faced kellerman again you sent me out tonight to put me out of the way he cried losing all self control for reasons that you know iv coir and I 1 know you wanted me lead and you were willing to send two others to their death also you lied to me to put me off my guard d a you you treacherous dog and heres the blow you gave back again 1 he struck kellerman a buffet that sent him reeling back against the parapet CHAPTER XIV i the three officers who had brought in id their verdict and the fourth of high rank who had passed the sentence stood rather stiffly at the door of the little headquarters i billage house watching mark as with hands chained he was marched away by two armed guards toward the jail when he was out of sight they un bent D n iti said one my sentiments answered another what do you think mckinnon 1 I dont want to think about it it if it had been some tough who mho had got roped into the army a gunman or that sort butil but il well if the fellows a gentleman why did he do it lie ile must have known aud after all he might have been res for the blow but the gross cov 1 I dont see that the blow was wase than the cowardice A new land hind between the lines at night his bis firt night kellerman have sent him 1 I dont follow you there kellerman had known the man in the U S and wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself at nightfall marls mark was sitting in ills his cell ne ile had bad eaten lie he had bad composed himself to meet his end according to the traditions of hla his caste and race but he could not meet it calmly lie had deliberately flung everything away he had let kellerman KeU erman goad him to madness he be was going to dle die without even tile the soldiers satisfaction of duty honorably done anil and he could not compose himself suddenly he heard beard the outer gate of the prison click then came the sound of voices voice footsteps a womans comans swishing skirts eleanor and colonel howard stood at the barred entrance with the guard mark rose from his bed and stood staring at them he could hardly believe thi 2 real The guard unlocked the doun of the cell eleanor shrank back against the corner of the ma soury her kerchief to her lip her fact face chalky white suddenly she started forward the lie colonel whispered a word woid ahlie be brushed win him aside as if she had not heard him her arms sought sough barkr neck and found it she pressed to ills his capitain Cali C tain mark maricl I 1 dear captain lf mirl irk she sobbed A d folding lier closely to him and f g howards wards orp vire Bence sence nud and ev cv rth liia else mark hark found ills his peace IIo nril was ti us trying to calm calin L s tv co tier her frantic grief at jwj aji ji idil id il berlo glicr down lie ile I 1 took mark hark by the arm as if he were a child and placed him beside her mark alark my dear boy mark I 1 heard ot of it only five minutes ago he said 1 I lind had to spend the night here and eleanor had got leave to meet me file ive just learned the outlines of lc ii rm irn trying to get gel the general yes yes I 1 know he refused this morning but he know im only going to ask tor for a respite till I 1 can see him personally it will come out all right now tell me mark what happened tow itow I did kellerman meet you why did you strike him I 1 dont ask about the charge of cowardice because that worth speaking about aboul ill settle that with the general I 1 forgotten santiago but about that blow mark how did it fill all happen tell me exactly so that 1 I it was unlike the old colonel to gabble so fast perhaps he was afraid of breaking down can toll tell the general now begin mark tell me from the beginning but mark did not open ills his lips and before colonel howard could resume eleanor had sprung up and faced mark eagerly now captain mark listen 1 if youve never listened to me before listen now bowl I 1 she cried 1 I know you arent going to tell the Po colonel lonel its like you captain mark youre stubborn you have a stupid wicked streak of stubbornness in you that always makes you pretend things and always prevents you from letting tho the world see what a dear good splendid mart man you are I 1 know you through find nd through though youve never known I 1 did youve ruined yours your life by your silly silences you seem to like to be misunderstood you like things to go wrong with you so that you can suffer undeservingly but it of you captain mark its stubborn and wrong and where others are concerned its criminal where others are concerned others who love you captain mark she spoke with intense passion but when she ended she put her arms Z fill now capt mark listen quietly about his neck tell the C colonel captain mark because of me she said theres nothing to tell my dear said mark groping tor for the words that would not come 1 I struck him because hep he P and lie he could say nothing of kel bermans ler mans blow outside the inn of his false offer of friendship ot of the treachery that had risked three lives that mark might die on a false errand nothing I 1 and it if he had been able to speak he could not have told yet he was ignorant of the inhibitory process that now as always held him in silence cut but eleanor clung to him yes captain mark because he hc ne ile sent three of us out to rescue a wounded man unnecessarily said mark lamely lie ile saw a spasm pass over howards fuce face this was worse than howard could have believed the colonel was shaken his faith was strong but he was one of those who accept the obvious listen captain markl mark I 1 said eleanor speaking as if to a baby that what you wanted to say you had bad no thought of criticizing your superior officer even if you thought him wrong that what you meant perhaps hell tell me father I 1 stand back a little now whisper it captain markl mark P but in the shelter of eleanors arms mark felt altogether at peace what did it matter au all this of long ion ago are you going to marry kellerman mean TO eanar dr he be asked very softly in the obscurity lie ho felt her shake her head and the action had precisely the opposite effect of what eleanor had intended for nothing mattered any more nothing at nil all ho find excuses mark wallace had never excused himself in ills his life eleanor drew herself out of his arms and looked at him he looked from her face to the Colo colonels neils why were they worrying him now could he hope to save his life by going into the obscure details and explanations that they required of him and what a ion long rigmarole beginning back in th the war department I 1 mark could not string a case together his mind was not constructed in that fashion eleanor laid her hand on ills arm captain mark dont you see that every moment Is torture to us she asked there was a terrible intensity in her tone as it if she were holding herself rigidly in restraint tor for fear that she would fall should she ehe yield to her emotion 1 I struck him stammered mark 1 I told you why I 1 thought he was wrong to risk those lives IP I 1 P the look upon each face seemed to be frozen there it was as it if their lives and not marks hung upon his words suddenly a shriek pierced the sky cutting off marks speech and a shell burst somewhere by with a shattering detonation followed by the dull boom of if ff distant gun the colonel started and then resumed ills his gaze it seemed to mark as if that was 1 an I eternity of torture he struggled in ills his mind desperately to find words to say when the noise subsided but there came a stunning sound that seemed to split his eardrums ear drums he tell fell forward and felt as it if some one had lifted him looked out into dark ners sought eleanor and knew nothing CHAPTER XV when he slowly grew conscious it was with the glad realization that he had found her he felt h her r hands supple and warm binding a bandage round his arm he opened his eyes to see her face bent over his and it was dawn vague cries rang la in his ears distant cries blending surging swelling and dying down but never ceasing the rattle of small arms was continuous and punctuated by the loud timbre of guns ile he was lying amid a heap of debris that had been the village jail not far away he saw the colonel sitting with eyes closed propped up against the fragments of a wall a bloodstained blood stained bandage round his head 0 thank god I 1 cried eleanor you have been unconscious so long captain markl mark and the colonel la is badly hurt I 1 saw the red cross wagon pass and cried but they could not hear bear me all round them the guns were booming all round them they saw khaki clad americans swarming over tile the fields and yet the village seemed deserted they were alone in a little oasis of calm amid the tumult what are we to do cried the girl can you waltz walk try to stand on your feet let me help you we must get the colonel somewhere the question on marks lips died away as there came the howl bowl of a heavy shell followed by a stunning impact A column of broken bricks spouted into the air at the end of the street dissolving into a cloud of dust an interval and again there came a missile from the monster gun A house in the next nest street went down like cardboard it was the threatened attack on the american lines the enemy was in force somewhere across the fields the reserves were rushing up to repel them mark staggered to his feet and found that he could stand its his arm ached under the bandage but it was not broken probably a splinter had bad struck him he made his way toward the colonel who eyed him vacantly as he approached take eleanor UP to safety and leave me mark lie said in a choking voice ill take you both sir this cant last long our men will be in id the village age in a few minutes or an ambulance will pass mark put his hands bands beneath the colonels arms and tried to lift him As the colonel tried to stand he collapsed forward in marks arms ile ho looked at mark piteously take her and leave me he whispered and listen to me mark she cares for you all will corne come right if 1 I 1 can keep my worthless carcass alive until ive seen the general hut but I 1 never counted on being done up like this there were tears in the old mans eyes forgive me my boy he be muttered and tell fell into unconsciousness mark set lim him down against the wall again it was impossible to move him oven with eleanors help mark looked at eleanor its safest here he said the village will be occupied soon help will come he broke off abruptly as another of the heavy shells dropped nearer sending the brick fragments flying in all gi erections lons ions of a sulden sudden it imil had occurred occur rp to him that the reason v why hy the amerl cans ila did not enter the th villa vas ans that it was ft a deathtrap death trap its ranges wore were all mapped and plotted and the germans were bent on its systematic destruction st mark stood by eleanor in irresolution cursing his fate ile he did not know what to do he could not leave her and yet he felt a burning im impulse pulse to play some bome part in affairs nis ills eye trained by long years of practice took in the tactical situation fit at a glance the germans must have made a prodigious thrust in the night bursting through the center the reserves still rushing over the fields were trying to nil 1111 and hold the gap and ana the little headquarters village was wag the key to the whole battlefield wounded men camo came streaming down the street followed by the merciless shells the aeroplane above was s still till circling like a hawk it seemed incredible that no aeroplane attacked it and it was quite clear to mark that only treachery calculated and long planned could have brought about the situation for the germans must have advanced four miles since nightfall help will come il mark repeated and suddenly even above the drumfire lie could hear the sounds of cheering and topping the ridge that ran before the village there came a swarm of gray gruy green figures thrusting back the thin scattered line that held it the bullets were whirring overhead audible and like a swarm of bees clouds of hust dust rose up and hid the battle eleanor clutching marks arm stood tense beside him mark saw that she understood and the two held their breath as the dust clouds eddied along the ridge suddenly they dissolved and the attacking swarm poured like a great flo flood od into the village it looked as it if all were lost but an instant later mark saw a lit tle tie company of americans thrust out a maxim gun from behind a wall where they had hidden st it the gunner took his seat and just as the ranks were closing in on him swept the street from side to side the ranks recoiled and fell body piling on body then as a torrent forces its way through the ice crust of a river the attackers overwhelmed the maxim section and swept into the streets and as torrent meets torrent with a surge and a rush a body of american troops swept forward to meet them the battle was all about themi them every house was a fortress every mound of bricks a rallying point mark raised the half conscious colonel la in his arms and drew him into the shelter of a little hollow in the brick wall he beckoned to eleanor to crouch down beside him there they were sate safe from flying bullets and might hope to pass u unnoticed ile he still hesitated when a body of germans rushed shouting past him upon a troop of americans who came round a shattered corner led by a young officer carrying a bloody sword etwas it was quick and short bayonet work mark saw the blades flash heard the panting gasps of the thrusters and the moans of the wounded ile he taw saw the young officer stagger and fall a b bayonet a y 0 through his shoulder the sword fell from his hand before the german could withdraw his weapon mark had snatched up the sword and with a mighty blow cloven the germans arm from his body TO BE CONTINUED |