Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-12

L1Sm OF nT6 was 11OCkeE 3 ueAC cApcIf
ence of fighting tho allies at close
range, which he describes with truly
admirable skill. While leading his
company, far in advance of the main
force of Germans, in an endeavor to
feel out the strength of the enemy,
they suddenly found themselves ex'
posed to a hot fire from several direc'
lions. Tho captain had just admon.
ished his men to keep COOL take
cover, aim carefully. Then, suddenly:
The Deadly EnfiIade.
Are those men over there ours?"
asked my trumpeter. "Over there on
the high road, behind us"
l looked. A feeling of horror came
over me. Yes, while their artillery held
US back their infantry, advancing un'
seen on our left, has f1anked us. And
now, from the right, the fire Of the
French machine guns adds its monot.
onous rhythm to the hellish concert.
No sound behind US. Our artillery
battery is evidently without ammun1'
ton. SO,
Order from the commander Of our
brigade: Company must fall back
slowly" A man in the squad which
has advanced to the highroad passes
the order along to me. ..rm. ~
1t is passed, all along the line. A
couple of men start to stand up.
call out to them: Down! Lie Down!
Crawl
But already the movement has been
seen from over across there; shrapnel
strikes close beside us. With bent
back, faces ground into the earth, all
Of us lie there. .a
No Hope Left. sg.
My fieldglass is covered with sweat
and earth. I put it down. Shells drive
clouds of dust into my eyes. l close
them. Gr,s .-r1.a $40, .us b.
l am unable to utter a word. l crawl
along for about five hundred yards. My
revolver grinds into my left side, my
tieldglass presses against my stomach.
And for a moment this thought rushes
through my mind. What would you,
being an officer, do if attacked in front
by artillery, on the left by infantry,
on the right by artillery? ]tg1
What would you do? Answer; 1
would give this order: Helmets of
for prayer!" fa'
Helmets of for prayer! Yes, there
Is no hope for us now. All we have to
do Is die like men. 1sEi NtA
Don't rum" -. -. > ~ a&&S 2l
The road which we must take is
showered with shot. / climb hillock.
Yes, nothing matters now. If only
do not fall into their hands alive. To
die. l strike out over q field. For a
few seconds, Inconsistencies. Them
once more, the ta~ck-tack-tacA of the
machine guns. God, please, please, let
me die an honorable soldiers death.
And without long suffering. Now, God,
now at, once, please. II only my men
don't start running.
SLOWLY, men, slowly" 49,.
/ can go no farther. "Of with you,
youngsters!" Greetings to my people.
God be with you. You have behaved
we'll.
His Flowers Calling.
II OILY l could have one more look
at my little garden. I'm a child OF the
city and I've learned to love flowers
SO, and that little spot of earth. :.
Whee.ee-ee.ee! There it goes again,
screaming over our heads. I greet
death. My lips dig into the soil. Dust
thou art, to dust thou shalt return.
Onward, onward. >. '
None of us know whittier we are
bound. Night falls. Somewhere or
other a cavalry patrol tells us: Some
of our men are camping over In that
fort" III ta
We 60 there. Soldiers on bicycles
meet us. They tell us that nobody ex.
pected one of us to come out alive
from that hellhole. My orderly runs
to me, with wet. eyes:
Captain, my c~aptain!"
1 shake many hands. I warm my.
self at the campfire. Light rain is
falling, Someone brings me a half
bottle of champagne. The men get red
wine from the baggage train . . i.
and rice soup. ~
My lips are still black with earth. l
gulp it down with the first swallow of
foaming wine. ... o.. "... ..
"Greetings, life! Greetings, earth!"'
After a period Of comparative peace
and luxury in the conquered city Of
Lille, Captain Hooker marched his
company out to the vicinity of Mes
sines, where some of the most des.
perate fighting of the war has taken
place, and there he and his men got
their first taste of life in the trenches.
Day after day they lay in subterran'
can cells, under orders from head
quarters ito hold the position at all
costs, even if your trenches are blown
up" Rockers commanding skill as a
writer is shown here again: #4.
Our trench is not three meters long,
a full meter deep, with a frontage 40
centimeters high. It is 80 centimeters
wide. The entrance consists Of three
narrow steps, AS the trench has q
roof you must crawl into it backward,
You cannot stand inside, scarcely
kneel even, without striking your head
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