The Dolores star., 1914-11-13

MAnifestly the picture In composite one.
but the Incidents are authentic. every
oncO
London. - Yesterday morning !
marched with my regiment from the
village Of Roye in . northeasterly d.
rection. not being exactly aware Of my
destination. We knew, however. that
we were going to the front to relieve
. regiment which for week had been
facing the shrapnel fire from the Ger.
man howitzers. The march was not
long one, which pleased us nightly.
for when there Is fighting to be done
We like to get II over with n quickly
n possible. All the way We could
hear the booming of great guns, and
the lesser but no less ominous rattle
OF what they used to cali musketry.
This roaring and rafting grew in vol
ume so steadily and at last became SO
terrific Though 1t was little more than
dawn that we realized We were ap-
preaching the big muss.
Furnished With Days Ration.
should say. Of course. that we were
in reality part Of great detachment
Of whose numbers I have no definite
knowledge. At q guess. there must
have been $4,000 of US marching for.
ward on this morning. We were fur
nished. each Of us, with days ration
in addition to the emergency ration.
with which We we're each provided on
leaving Paris, and upon which We
have had as yet no occasion to make
demand.
All the ground over which We
marched had been fought over in the
past week and there were many burned
and ruined houses. Great trees had
been cut down by shells and now and
then in the open fields we could see
immense caverns made by exploding
shells, some OF which we're wide
enough and deep enough to hold a
horse and wagon. In other places We
saw the beginnings Of trenches which
had probably been evacuated before
they were half completed. Now and
then We would pass q scared pea SAINT,
but whether woman or man. they
ohoWVK nttiC duiH0uOu. hc uOIIVt
Of the 0ermans was too fresh In their
minds. III was funny now and then to
see tiny little house surrounded by
trees with autumn flowers blooming in
the garden all about II, and no sign Of
war about the place. except the utter
absence Of life. The fields were bare
Of cattle. No dog rushed out to bark
at the. passing troops and defy their
invasion; only now and then cat
summed herself In the embrasufe Of
the desQlate window.
counded Men Gay.
Ws for while heavily laden
am&S trains and chugsing mo.
tor-dlSS<sQ guns. big ones. even II
they are Not the 16-inchers they say
the Germans are using. They looked
quite big enough to US a. we passed
them.
Then We passed ambulance trains
going in the other direction with poor
wounded fellows. and some dead ones,
too. probably. stretched out inside.
We were ordered to halt while passing
one Of these trains, and the fellow sta.
toned next to me and myself peeksd
under the cover. A young fellow lying
inside raised his hand to US. Go. get
'em. boys. bin. biz" he said. "Bin.
biif." by the way. Ii ~ much Of \ slo-
gan a. We have yet conceived. u
doesn't sound like much In telling. but
II means . whole lot when wounded
~.lataR
Funny enough. the sight Of that fel.
low did not brighten me or my pal In
the slightest degree. We Just wanted
to 70 out there and "bin. bin" ~ he
said. Il wasn't long after this that We
felt Ne were very nearly In the midst
Of the engagement. Dusty fellows who
had been In the trenches all night
passed NJ going toward tho rear.
Bleary eyed some Of them were. but
others were 20 cocky and jubilant you
would have thought them drunk. AL
this time. remember. that same rattle
and roar was In progress, and now q.
ually We could smell the powder. and
once . shell that must have contained
shrapnel burst In Q little clump Of
trees 10 our right and the shot kicked
up . dust In the road not far ahead Of
%.
MN Tenn ~ Gxpisdlee ohs,la
Damn poor shooting. that" said
my pal. but be- was wrong. because.
without knowing Il, We were almost ct
the battle front. A fellow dashs1 By
us on q horse. an adjutant he must
Aave been. for almost Immediately
thereafter 70 were ordered 70 1eploy.
We left the road. and our company
:. scatssred over . front probably nifty
Md vide. There was Q hill risht In
9oat q us--not = steep bill. but San.
Vie vise. I,s whole surface vas torn
up With tysnches and great cavsrns
that nuse have been made b sxplod.
Ing shslls u shs nshtins Of ~ Gay
before.
AZ this ae0soe n began 10 rais.
We hal bsss egDsellng it all ths noea-
ins. bot ~ hsps1 that the storm
vouil blov Ovss. ~ tAsrs was -