e, were ordered by Colonel Guard to return to Verst 18 on
the road and dig in.

For a few days both sides used the winter sleigh roads for all they were
worth in bringing up artillery and supplies and men and wire, and so
forth. The Reds had sixty versts to haul their loads but they had the
most horses, which they used without mercy. An American soldier who was
ambushed and taken prisoner during this fighting says that he never saw
before nor since so many dead horses, starved and overdriven, as he saw
on the winter trail south from Bolsheozerki. The Reds brought up
artillery enough to cover approaches to both their west and east fronts
where the Allied forces were menacing them.

Ironside ordered out five pieces of French-Russian artillery, a
hazardous but necessary move. These guns were set along the snowpacked
broad corduroy highway near Verst 18, twelve miles from Obozerskaya, and
four miles from the overwhelming force of Bolsheviks. Day and night the
old howitzer, with airplane observation, roared defiance at Bolsheozerki
and the Russian 75's barked viciously first at the village positions of
the Reds and then at their wood's artillery and infantry positions which
the Reds were pushing forward at this devoted Allied force that stood
resolutely between them and Obozerskaya.

Fresh companies of Americans and Russians relieved those who were
shivering and exhausted in the snow camp at Verst 18. Company "C," 310th
Engineers platoon, hastily threw up barricades of logs for the doughboys
and before the day of attack, had completed two of the several projected
blockhouses. Part of them, who had not been sent back to build the
second defense position that now seemed inevitable, were found with the
doughboys, rifle in hand, during the desperate days that followed. The
company of Yanks who now took over the active defense of this camp, "M"
Company, was a resourceful outfit which soon improved its barricades and
built brush shelters within which they could conceal their warm fires.
By their reputation as fighters and by their optimism they won the
spirited support of the green Russian supporting company. And the
machine gun crews of Russians who stood with the Americans at the
critical front and rear road positions did themselves proud.

Every day made the Verst 18 position less hazardous. The Reds made a
mistake in waiting to mass up a huge force, seven thousand--their
prisoners and their own newspapers afterward admitted