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AFTER THE BALL 109
yatagans of flame, like demons of darkness in a
duel, now sailing forth like globes of fire which
burst, flinging their rays in all directions and
making, for a moment, the whole landscape stand
out in a weird, pale light under the low sulphur-
yellow clouds which chased each other under the
inky sky. And there were other lights, narrow,
sharply-defined cones of white light, passing over
the hills and the valley in front of us, and sudden
showers of radiant sparks, sinking slowly through
the night. The Russians had no less than nine
searchlights at work, more even than on the
memorable night of the 23rd, and star-shells were
sent up from all along their lines in rapid suc-
cession. The rain poured down in torrents, and
as the passing light struck and clung to the rain-
drops, making them shiver in their rays like
dropping diamonds, the effect was of almost
supernatural beauty. To complete the picture the
flashes from the firing guns and bursting shells
and shrapnel leapt forth everywhere and every
second, looking red like glowing coal through all
this white weird light.
Add to this the noise and roar of battle in the
heavens and on earth, the rolling of never-ceasing
thunder, and the booming and barking of guns of
all sizes, the incessant rattling of rifles and
machine guns, and now and again a tremendous
thunder-clap which drowned all other sounds,
making them seem tame and insignificant in
comparison
What was happening ? We did not know, we
could not follow, and we hardly cared. We were
too much absorbed by the magnificent spectacle
unfolded before us, and which nature and the wit
of man had combined to make the most wonderful
and brilliant we had ever seen. Later we learnt
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