COMEDY OF THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 179, 7 January 1915, Page 3

COMEDY OF THE WAR.

THE UHLAN'S DECEIVED. CLEVER FRENCH TRICK. j ~ I Twelve dragoons under the of a sergeant, sent out from one of the cavalry bases to get in touch witli with the enemy and ascertain their positions in a wood near the forest of Largue, with a view to an attack tlie ■.next day, cvaptured 70 Uhlans and covered themselves with glory. They had pushed nearly as far ns their objective when one of the who had been riding ahead TeporV.'l (hat there were SO Uhlans coiuiiig up Iha road at a trot. The sergeant in charge (f the dragoons was a man of resource. He told his men to dismount, and led t'um to a farmhouse, which he l'.ad noticed close by, and which proved to be 'V&frtcd. His men were used to outpost work. They led their horses inio the farmyard end fastened them in the stables, and placed before it a farm rait I that had lost two of its wheels. They l then entered the farmhouse, hurriedly pulled tin; furniture before the door and windows, and followed their sergeant I upstairs, where an excellent view on tlie road could lie obtained.

They watched until they heard the Uhlan squadron approach. The sergeant whispered to his men not to fire until he gave the word. Laughing and talking the- Germans drew near. Suddenly the report of a volley rang out. Oaths and shouts came from the road and the curse of a man who tried to rein in his Jiorse and found that a bullet had ■broken his arm. The Uhlans were still in a confused mass when a second volley rang out and sent them scuttling to shelter behind the trees.

A minute later a few desultory bullets began to whistle round the farmhouse. The Orman firing was wild and it was clear that they had not yet recovered from their surprise and were unaware with what force they were dealing.

The sergeant reflected for a minute and then he turned to his men.

1 fancy we will lie able to get the whole lot if you only follow out what I tell you," he said. "Six of you will stay here with me and keep up firing as fast as possible with all the I*2 carbines. The rest of you will go downstairs and kick up a row. Shout and throw the furniture about." The six men clattered downstairs. The sergeant and the rest of the section shot faster fian they had ever done yet at field practhe. At the same moment a. terrible noise broke out below. It sounded as if at least a whole battalion wore mustering in the farmyard, while a trumpeter irlio was with the party sounded the "Stand to arm" for all he was worth. The fire from the Germans died down and a minute later a solitary figure advanced into the roadway waving a white handkerchief.

The sergeant asked if they wanted to surrender, and getting an affirmative reply shouted, ".March your men out into tfie road and make them pile their arms up. T will send a file of men to receive them," as if he were an officer commanding at least a company. TTe llu'n ran down and with six ' ; .! en marched out and took possession of the fblans' rifles and swords. Next he made the T T !dan's fetch their horses and mount them. Then he mustered them up in the road, and with six men riil'ie; in front and the other six and himself with levelled carbines riding "behind he gave the order to start. The Lilian lieutenant when he saw that he had been fooled and that there were only _V2 troopers in all Avould have gladlv tried to escape, but only a couple of feet behind his head was balanced the loaded carbine of the sergeant. At the strange procession rode through the rain into the brigade headquarters, the 12 troopers with their TO prisoners.