the carefully measured range within which our fire was terribly
effective. Suddenly the mad stampede came to an abrupt standstill,
and then the Cossacks scattered precipitately to the right and left,
only to disclose in their rear the advancing Russian infantry, the
movements of which it had been their endeavor to veil.

The infantry moved forward in loose lines, endlessly rolling on like
shallow waves overtaking each other, one line running forward, then
suddenly disappearing by throwing itself down and opening fire on
us to cover the advance of the other line, and so on, while their
artillery kept up a hellish uproar spreading destruction through our
lines. Simultaneously a Russian aeroplane swept down upon us
with a noise like an angered bird of prey and pelted us with bombs,
the effects of which, however, were more moral than actual, for we
had regained the security of the trenches and opened fire on the
approaching enemy, who in spite of heavy losses advanced steadily
until he reached our wire entanglements. There he was greeted by
a deadly fire from our machine guns. The first Russian lines were
mowed down as if by a gigantic scythe, and so were the reserves as
they tried to advance. The first attack had collapsed. After a short
time, however, they came on again, this time more cautiously,
armed with nippers to cut the barbed wire and using the bodies of
their own fallen comrades as a rampart. Again they were repulsed.
Once more their cavalry executed a feigned attack under cover of
which the Russian infantry rallied, strongly reinforced by reserves,
and more determined than ever.

Supported by heavy artillery fire their lines rolled endlessly on and
hurled themselves against the barbed-wire fences. For a short time
it almost seemed, as if they would break through by sheer weight of