The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-03-13

the joker was struck twice In rescu-
ing II.
"a wounded private OF the Buffs re.
lates how an infantryman got tempo
rarily separated from his regiment at
Mons, and lay concealed in a trench
while the Germans prowled around.
Just when he thought they had left
him for good ten troopers left their
horses at a distance and came for
ward On foot to the trench.
The hidden infantryman waited I'M
I'll they were halfway up the slope,
and then sprang out of his hiding
place with a cry, Now, lads, give
them hell!' Without waiting to see
the lads the Germans took to their
heels"
From Men in the Fleet.
Equally interesting are some of the
letters from men with the fleet. Tom
Thorne. writing to his mother, in Sus-
sex, says:
Before we started fighting we were
all very nervous, but after we joined
in we were all happy and most of US
laughing till it was finished. Then we
all sobbed and cried.
Even II | never come back, don't
think I've died a painful death.
Everything yesterday was as quick as
lightning.
I'VE were in action on Friday morn
ing off Helgoland. 1 had a piece of
shell as big as the palm of my hand
go through my trousers, and as my
trouser legs were blowing in the
breeze, l think l was very lucky"
A gunroom officer in a battle cruiser
writes:
The particular ship we we're en-
gagged with was in a pitiful plight
when we had finished with her-her
tunnels shot away, masts tottering,
great gaps of daylight in her sides,
smoke and flame belching from her
everywhere. She speedily keeled over
and sank like a stone, stern first. So
far as is known, none of her crew
was saved. She was game to the
last, let it be said, her flag flying till
she sank, her guns barking till they
could bark no more.
Although We ourselves suffered no
loss, we had some very narrow es-
capes. Three torpedoes were OBJ
served to pass us, one within a few
feet. Four-inch shells, too, fell short
or were ahead of us. The sea was
alive with the enemy's submarines,
which, however, did us no damage.
They should not be moderated, these
Germans. That cruiser did not think,
apparently, of surrender"
What naval warfare seems like to
the black squad" imprisoned in the
engine room is described by an en-.
gine-room nan of the Laurel, who
went through the scrap" off Helgo-
land. Writing to his wife, he says:
1T was a terribly anxious time for
us, l can tell you, as we stayed down
there keeping the engines going at
their top speed in order to cut off the
Germans from their fleet. We could
hear the awful din around and the
scampering Of the tars on deck as they
rushed about from point to point, and
we knew what was to the fore wheI
we caught odd glimpses of the stretch
er bearers with their CHASTITY bur
dens. /
I'VE heard the shells crashing
against the sides of the ship o.
shrieking overhead, as they passed
into the water, and we knew that a
any moment one might strike us in
vital part and send us below fol
good.
1T is ten times harder on the mer
whose duty is in the engine room thar
for those on deck taking part in the
fighting, for they, at least, have TIE
excitement of the fight, and if the
ship is struck they have more thar
a sporting chance of escape. We HAYS
none"
From a Dying Frenchman.
The most dramatic letter come!
from the French. On one of the field!
of battle, when the Red Cross soldiers
were collecting the wounded after
heavy engagement, there was founC
a half sheet of notepaper, on which
was written a message for a woman
of which this is the translation:
Sweetheart: Fate in this presen.
wal has treated us more cruelty than