ground wire and a woman's word for shaping vast
affairs was not reflected in any scepticism or hesitation as to the
method of meeting the assault.

The fortifications that had sheltered the Brown infantry, including
Stransky's men of the 53d, would be the object of the artillery fire
which was to support the Gray charge. Well Lanstron knew that no
fortifications could withstand the gusts of shells to be concentrated on
such a small target. The defenders could not see to fire for the dust.
Their rifles would be knocked out of their hands by the concussions.
They must be crushed or imprisoned by the destruction of the very walls
that had been their protection. So they were withdrawn to other redoubts
in the rear, where a line of automatics placed under their rifles were
in pointblank range of their old position which the Grays' shells would
tear to pieces.

Back of them was a brown carpet of waiting soldiery of as close a pile
as Westerling's carpet of gray. The rain-drenched Brown engineers dug as
fast as the enemy's. Lanstron massed artillery against massed
artillery. For every Gray gun he had more than one Brown gun. The Grays
might excel by ratio of five to three in human avoirdupois, but a
willing Brown government had been generous with funds. Money will buy
guns and skill will man them. Battery back of battery in literal tiers,
small calibres in front and heavy calibres in the rear, with ranges
fixed to given points--more guns than ever fired on a single position
before--were to pour their exploding projectiles not into redoubts but
into the human wedge.

In the Browns' headquarters, as in the Grays', telegraph instruments
were silent after the preparations were over. Here, also, officers
walked about restlessly, glancing at their watches. They, too, were glad
that the mist continued. It meant no wind. When the telegraph did speak
it was with another message from some aerostatic officer, saying, "Still
favorable," which was taken at once to Lanstron, who was with the staff
chiefs around the big table. They nodded at the news and smiled to one
another; and some who had been pacing sat down and others rose to begin
pacing afresh.

"We could have emplaced two lines of automatics, one above the other!"
exclaimed the chief of artillery.

"But that would have given too much of a climb for the infantry in going
in--delayed the rush," said Lanstron.

"If they should stick--if we couldn't drive them back!" exclaimed t