The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-08-17
THE HUMAN
SLAUGHTEpHOUSE'
Continued From Page 2

On our right they have already
pushed on the advance line. On
our left the skirmlshcrs are Just
breaking through the hedge and
opening out TO extend our limo OF
attack.
The heavy noise in tho air IL in
cessant.
can't see where they are firing.
and / cant see what they are fir
Ing az. The air In heavy with iron
thunder. II closes like ring
round my chest. ] am distinctly
conscious that my chest In rover
berating like tense sounding
board.
What on earth IA that7
A sound like the cracking OF
whips from somewhere or other
i. the sound IL so sharp. so dis
tant, SO Intermittent, as II II were
coming from the rifle-rangc.
Then-by my side man falls
down. falls on his rifle. and lies
still. never stirs again shot
through the head. clean through
the brain that's what the
cracking OF whips means: It's com
ing from over there. out OF the
wood. Somewhere over there the
enemy's sharp-shooters are lying
and lining Its edge and opening fire
on us.
What's the next thing7
Lie down - Mark distance -
Cover,
But no order comes We push
on toward the wood undeterred. as
II these bullets did not concern US
in any way.
The sharpshooters' fro Ia not
hot enough as yet. we have not. so
far, got into sufficiently close
touch with the enemy.
As / move forward. l turn my
head and look back. Behind me
see new lines OF skdrmishers nd.
vancing ono behind the other--sup-
ports to be pushed forward later.
What 10 that crawling along the
ground behind our liner There
10 ono here, another over there--it
looks 80 novel and 20 odd. They
are crawling back out Of the firing
line. And | see how one Of them
suddenly tries to rise, clutches hIs
rifle with both hands, and hauls
himself 10 his feet by his gun. And
now he 10 spreading hIs arms out,
tumbling over backwards, and fling
ing his hands away from him, far
apart his hands are still flap
ping up and down on the grass.
/ am looking back a. n fascinated
while my legs keep on advancing.
Suddenly something begins 20
set up a rattle over there In the
wood and buzzes like huge alarm
clocks running down.
lie down"
And there we are lying down.
flat on our stomachs. as II we had
already been mown down. for every
man OF us knows what that was.
They have masked machine guns
in the wood over there; they are
opening fire on us. feel how my
heart il humping against my ribs.
A machine gun 10 equivalent 20
a company, the Old Man once OK
planned TO US, after we had been
shot down In heaps 20 the last man
by the machine guns In the autumn
msneuvcrs.
What's tho next thing7
Cautiously. without raising,
turn my head. Behind us, too. the
lines OF skirmlshers. close up to us.
have disappeared from the face OF
the earth: they too, have gone to
cover in the grass. Only outside
the firing zone are they still being
pushed forward.
Shall we have 10 retreat7 Are
we going to attack?
Rapid fire, Into the wood"
Yes, but what are we TO fire att
Lying down, there Is nothing to
be seen of the sharpshooterB.
They won't do us any harm; n
another minute they will have dis
appeared among the trees. But
the machines--they have hidden
them away among the foliage 10
good purpose.
Ito Be Continued Tomorrow