The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-11-12
DopGING SHELLS
Light Hearted Frenchmzn Describes
Battle.

serving at the front, sends to hi
journal a picturesque account Of som
Of the Incidents OF his life there.
On the high road, he says. ! foun
a German bicycle abandoned. Heave
knows what il had gone through. Thi
find conferred an unexpected dignit
on me. | was at once appointe'
cyclist to the colonel.
Almost at once ! had to justify m.
appointment by setting off on four
mile message to another brigade. II
General is at we'll sheltered farm
about coo yards off the high road.
So long as the German shells ar,
silent | am easy in mind for tn,
enemy has a holy horror Of cyclist!
in red trousers.
Now the sun is silvering the roa,
and pedal along briskly so as to ge
through with my errand as soon a.
possible. Suddenly a whistle like tn,
siren of motor-car passes over my
head. Bang! The Germans hav,
spotted the little cyclist on the road
and they don't care about expense.
Well, as long as | can hear them
whistle they won't do me any harm
It's when you don't hear them tina,
they are most dangerous. Boom
bangl bang! ! put my bicycle on my
shoulders and run across the fields
run as il were 16 again.
Far off | see the church spire, still
standing by a miracle. To amuse
themselves the Germans begin to fire
at that A string Of shrapnel forms a
necklace all around it. Suddenly
there is great road like a waterfall.
The pretty church spire stands no
longer.
| keep on still running. 1t is not
six O'Clock when | deliver my mes
sage. Then off again.
By this time the concert is in full
swing. Our guns are replying to the
Germans. Every moment down
the wooded paths come groups Of SOL
diers opening out by company, by
battalion. It's real battle this
time.
A handful Of men rush on among
the bullets. At run they cross the
several hundred yards that separate
them from the enemy. Some Of them
fall on the way, the brave fellows.
But irresistibly the little party
reaches the first line Of German
trenches.
By the side Of my colonel, on a
little slope, | am, so to speak, in the
front row of the dress circle. Stray
bullets whistle past our ears. Some
she'll splinters fall near the colonel,
sitting statuesque and impressive on
his big bay horse.
One Of the splinters hits a little in
fantryman close by in the stomach
a Pari ian whose dry wit has often
kept us amused. Even now he must
have his joke, "Well," he says, 81 have
often wanted to be operated on for
It's been done for me
now"
Alas! and done too well-the little
Partisan will suffer no more.
Suddenly amid the din a musical
note rings out piercingly and at the
same time formidable mass of grey
springs out Of the heath 800 yards
away. The Germans are going to
charge.
They come on in great blocks of 60 /
,r so in tours. Their flies and drums
play slow and heavy tune. The
men shout loudly, "Vorwarts! Vor-
vartsw they seem to say. From
where | am can only make out a
,oise like "Wah! Wahw
1t is rather terrifying in the early
morning, this fierce believing, and it
eems that the first time that our in
antry heard it they we're rather dis
urbed by it. Now they pay no at
ention to it.
"Shut up, Wagner" shouts a big
ergeant, leading on his men at
ush against the wave coming towards
hem And in him recognize one Of
he best known Of our music hall ar
lists.
Come on, boys. Vive la France
)ut from their cover springs sections,
battalions. Soon the hand
o-hand fighting is general and the
rtillery stops for little.
In moment, though, the range is
hanged The guns of each side try
0 stop their adversary from sending
p reinforcements. The slaughter is
errible. Men fall like cut barley.
An infantryman comes toward US
4 triumph. He leads two German
oldiers whom he had wounded before
apturing them, two men Of IS to 3s,
air, dirty and in rage.
The plucky little soldier hands over
is prisoners 10 some mounted rife
,op aNa orndoa auaipct thau, - he /