The Calumet news., 1914-09-15

death and destruction | catch myself
trying To make out where the shells
are falling, as If am an Interested
spectator / am not the only one.
see many serious faces around me.
bearing expressions full of interest.
just as if the owners of the respective
faces formed the auditorium of a high
ly-entertaining theatrical perform
ance, without having anything To do
with the play itself
The human mind is a curious and
complicated thing. Now that we were
shooting at the enemy. and often af-
terwards i'm the midst Of a fierce bat
tie, | heard some remark made or
some funny expression which proved
that the speakers thoughts were far
from realizing the terrible facts around
him. 1t has nothing to do with heart
lessness or anything like that. don't
know what it is. Perhaps / shall have
anopportunity to philosophize on it
later.
'Nolley after volley We sent in the
direction of the enemy. The German
shells and bullets passed over our
heads. The Germans may be and are
our superiors in executing parade steps
but they are Internally bad shots.
Feels Like Fever.
"a rain of hostile bullets passed over
our heads. Instinctively we stopped,
although when one hears the bullet it.
has passed already. 1t is a queer sem
sation which comes over us the first
time we are met with a hail of bullets.
We suddenly feel as if attacked by
fever, but this feeling very soon leaves
us.
The earth was shaken by the in
cessant cannonading and the air was
torn by continuous rattling rifle fire
a comrade on my right stumbled and
fell forward without uttering a sound,
killed by shot in the breast a man
in front of me threw his arms up, fell,
struggled To his feet and fell again
"A shell exploded near us, followed |
by a terrible cry. Five of us were
wing dead in a little square. one man
had both legs blown away and was
still alive, conscious and imploring us
to KIN him. An officer ran past, stop
ped and after a short look at the man, |
shot him through the heart. Ca Vaut |
Mieux.' he said. 'Pauvre Diable.'
The officer opened his mouth to ut
er command, and at the same mo- ]
nent got a bullet in the mouth. lie
.urned round twice and fell heavily on
he dyke, close by me.
Kill Red Cross Workers.
at a good distance behind us Red
ross soldiers and Red Cross friars,
'arrying the Red Cross flag, wcro
STOPPING over the wounded and remov-
ng them to ambulance vans. A shell
exploded over their heads and only
ouple of the Red Cross men were left.
More hostile troops have been ad-
,ancing. They have suffered heavy
osses, but on our side the number of
is very large and our posi-
ion seems to become critical. We are
our men display a remark
Bile self-control. Notwithstanding the
ppalling scenes around me, l, too,
eel perfectly calm now. Terrible
hough it may seem, l confess that
Without a moments tremble aim at
~ living targets, shoot, and watch the
fleets of my bullet
"The retreat was carried out splen-
idly. | have just reached the crest
{ hill when | felt a slight shock in
he left shoulder. | do not heed II,
ut some moments afterward ! feel
urning pain and l perceive that l
m wounded and the weight OF my
rm seems to increase. Some time
forward find mseylf neatly installed
n field hospital"
Battle in Thunderstorm.
The London Evening News prints n
,ngthy dispatch from correspondent
{ Crecy describing a phase of the
ghting in the Marne valley. British
nd French cavalry united i'm a charge.
is stated, which completely over
helmed the German cavalry, who had
cen moving i'm force to attack the
llied lines. a single battery of the
oyal Horse artillery, although half