Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-11-26


turned by post to the soldiers wife, along
with the photograph of child and SUM
of money found in the pockets.
Near DiXmudc, Belgium, oct 2i.-Tho
part which | am taking in this battle.
which has been raging for three days, Is
beginning to convince me that tn" duty
of n so!dier nay simply 5e TO remain n
spectator instead Of an actor.
This morning at i've O'Clock we were
ordered to stand in compact formation,
guns to the ground. at the foot of "a
small hill covered with bushes. y white
frost covered the ground and the men
when We arose from the trenches Ny
joints are so stiff that to stand is a tor
ture. a pound of coffee for 10 men was
our breakfast If the coffee was like mud
dy water, ii was at least hot and 1t did
us good And there we are, not allowed
to smoke or exercise our stffcned joints.
In the distance we hear the cannon near
by passes the cavalry, with a noise re-
semhling an earthquake. The size of the
hill shakes under my feet, so numerous
arc the horses. The sabres clashlnG
against the mems boots and the flanks
of the horses add to the noise Above the
HILL right over our heads, shells have been
lying for nearly an hour. In the light
Of early morning each shell as it goes
shreking by. is surrounded by a it'll,
cloud of white smoke.
Little by little the horizon is filled with
smoke. one would think thunderstorm
was approaching. Soon other regiments
come and take position alongside of us
, Between each regiment is posted a bat
terry of artillery, mouths turned toward
the coming storm. In the plain before us
a multitude of men are moving. Large
compact masses all coming toward us
They are our regiments. but why are they
coming this way? The enemY's shells hi
behind us on the other side of the hill
They have not got the range-lucky fol
us.
Officers gallop by, three automobile.
pass on the road at our feet, while over
head two of our aeroplancs fly backward
and forward. They seem to chase aftel
the French shells. They disappear in tn,
horizon, losing themselves in the clouds
of smoke, then are back again over ON
| heads dropping messages which our off
GERS pick up. one of my comrades whlsp
ers in my ear; when are We going t,
start in?"
! We have been here three hours now
the shells come nearer to us. Some ex
plode over our heads And we are stand
ing still Something is going to happen t,
us, but what?
Through the smoke which now cover
the plain something dark shoots out the;
another and still another. What is it
Now | can see. Cannons galloping to
wards us. our cannons.
But what are they doing? The Trenc!
are on the other side
| Suddenly alongside me the earth seem
! to open with a crash ! am deaf. m,
head whirls. ! am covered with mud ant
/ st!fed by smoke through which ! can
see the men even next to me. a shell ha
fallen 10 yards away And | am still
alive, thank God To my light anothe
crash, but this time our guns are firing
over my head, seemingly cominy
straight from the sky a huge bird
! might be, and a half second after
( dtafening thunder. Again ! am covere
with mud but unframed Two men
those closest to me, are on the ground
one whmpers like little child. like m
t'reda does when | punish her. The 9th
err the one who spoke to me a while age
Is silent--he is dead, | guess. No one goe
near; We are not allowed to move unles
ordered. Lowering my eyes I see hi
neck, the back of it, from which a piec
of steel is protrudng. These two are tn
first of our regiment to fall. An Office
cries, Close your ranks" and | NOV
to the left two PAGES, stepping over tn
body OF my Comrade
Another shell shrieks by and another