South Bend news-times., 1915-06-09

The Villa artillery on our right mas
| begun TO Boom. / wish / were back
| IN the trains. Even r-- TO TINS mo-
ment it has been the greatest expe-
rience in my life although no bullets
| have been exchanged.
J To me the air seems charged with
sinister something that l can't de
scribe To think before morning 40.-
600 men will be engaged in death
struggle appals me
Away 10 our left there is heavy rifle
fire Each shot sounds like two be-
cause il echoes against the hills First
/ there was one single report followed
by two and then many until it sound
! ed like big hail falling on a tin roof.
I wonder If it is going TO be like that
in our trench?
No one seems TO worry 4 great
big fat soldier 10 my right is sound
asleep. He is lying on the sand and
his face is covered with his big SOM
( brerO. A young captain not over 3
years old has ridden mp 10 our trench.
THE enemy is sending a column in
1 this direction" he shouts First ser
geants. prepare your men. There is
| a column Of our own men 10 the rear
/ who will shoot down any one who at
/ tempts 10 flee in case there is much
/ fighting in this trench"
He looked curjOusly at me. smiled
I and galloped away. / heard him give
the same orders further down the line.
/ A soldadera woke up the fat man
and he has begun 10 curse for all he
is worth. At the same time he is ex-
/ amining his rife Manuel has taken
/ his position Immediately in
! front of me and hos rested his rifle on
/ the bank of the trench after placing
/ two large rocks on each side.
you see, l stand less chance Of be
/ ing hit this way" he smiled, turning
/ to me
Don't you ever get afraid " l ask
| ed. remembering my own state of
AFRAID" he asked. I'VE Mexicans
are never afraid except during our
/ first battle. If this is YOUR first battle.
amigo. / know how you feel. II is a
! terrible experience and you shake like
a young leaf in one of our dust
storms"
I II is dark now 7 have been in this
| trench four hours, but ii seems ages.
| There seems TO be fighting all around
| us. but ! can see none of il. Each side
/ has discovered the positions OF the
| others artillery by the tongues OF hre
| emanating from the cannon at each
shot Every man in our trench is pa
! tiently waiting.
! The sOldaderas-most OF theH- are
| sitting down in the hollow of the
I
4 had to move near Manuel s campHrS-
/ A horse which was standing outside
/ the trench near us was killed and U
! rolled i'm on our right, putting OUT the
camp fire ManueIs wife 10 Whon
i had given five pesos, made anotheT
! fire on this side OF the morse SO 'mac
1 can see. I have 10 laugh at my
/ writing. 'Tis like a school chlld
| treulblv and crooked. | wonder II L
/ am only greatly excited or deathly
scared, perhaps its both
A big round moon is just peeplng
/ over the eastern mountains Inc Iat
man who reclnes next TO Manner Is
/ glad there are no clouds in the SKY
because they will be able TO see the
enemy if they attack.
/ 7 have broken three cigaret papers
( irving to roll cigaret Manuel SOL
! dadera smiles and offers me one OF
| her own ready made cigarets.
A girl further up the trench just
/ screamed: -
iztas,, She is running this way now,
greatly excited. Her hair Is down ana
! a fixed grin gives her diaoolcal eN-
nression. No one seems to notice her.
| Rnt Manuel has thrown away his Gig
aret and shifted his position into one
/ Of preparedness. -
| The fat man has begun to curse
again. The girl tripped on my Ioot
| as she ran past. knocking my booh
! and Dencil on the ground. She got up
cursing me roundly and contlnueu OH
! Lo,. v,-av screaming the news.
/ Here they come. the Carranzaistas:
/ viva ViIlai You are all my lovers II
,,o, 6ebt braveIv," Her voice died
! away in the distance.
(One-Half Hour Latero
would like to he back on the
/ train. The enemy opened ire on Us
( almost Immediately after the girl an
nounced their coming. l lave never
! hoard so much noise in all my llIe.
/ II seems as though 1 had taken a peep
into hell. I tried to write. Dut
couldn't. In fact I forgot an ADouo A'
i until the enemy's attack hao oeeh
renuIsed. The fat man is swearing
apafn He was hit in the shoulder.
Trenches are wonderful things no
ono seems TO get killed. In the trench
toward our right a woman Is weep
ing hysterically and moaning loii'-
asito, Tomasito. .;o-u-o.
Manuel's wife is smoking a cigaret'
but Manuel himself is attending TO
business. leaning against the trench
bank awaiting the arrival OF the en-
eunv He hasn't turned except TO drink
/ some dirty water from botiJa Whlcn
! his wife handed him. tie Is sun
smiling. -. ,-;lod
over 10 Carranzaistas and because OF
( the bullet in his shoulder has promised
| 10 annihilate the enemy's army II IL
/ attacks again. -.
am not trembling so much now
/ because I can see that l am safe, COM
paratively SO long as I keep low In
I the ditch There were enough oule'S
/ Tred to kill Villas whole army
/ imagine-but no one in our immediate
vicinity was hurt except the rat man,
Terrific firing is going on all over
the prairie Fifty of Villas cannon
are trying 70 dislodge as many OF the
/ enprny's cannon on the hills. hese
I are returning the FIRE, but 10 place
I away from us.
thousands of smells are popping to
/ our right. 10 our left and in front.
con.t imagine whether we are near
| the hulk of the enemy's army or not
/ have decided not 10 peep over the
| trench. ,
SAYS. .,.
s,ite his wounded shoulder. has jump
- - orufnOuSlV clicking his