The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-03-04
The captain said politely that he
hannened To nOssess a safety razor

| happened 10 possess a safety IdHoi
The idea of being shaved by Bel
gian didn't appeal to me at all" he
grimly remarks
Just as they crossed the French
frontier a packet Of letters frol home
arrived, giving Hooker the news that
a play by him dealing with the wars
in Germany 100 years ago had Just
been performed In Berlin. On receiV'
ing that letter he tells US he sat down
and reflected:
Where was | when that play or
mine was being given in Berlin? on
yes; sleeping on mattress by rail-
way line threatened with Belgian at
tack. my revolver by my side"
From such duties Captain Hooker
and his men moved southwark into
! the real fighting zone and got their
baptism OF fire with a vengeance in
the outskirts of Lille, siding along
narrow alleys amid the whistling OF
! bullets from roofs and windows, creep
ing on all tours through the ditch lin
| ing a high road, charging into burning
villages while unseen enemies poured
| shot and shell at them. 1t was all
! long, long way from that little rose
| garden outside Berlin.
But far more terrible than the bap-
! tism of fire was Rockers next expert
ence OF fighting the 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 hot fire from several direc.
tons The captain had just admon-
ished his men to keep cool, take
cover, aim carefully. Then, suddenly:
The Deadly Enflade.
Are those men over there ours!
asked my trumpeter. over there On
! the high road, behind US
! looked. A feeling Of horror came
over me. Yes, while their artillery held
| US back their infantry advancing un-
seen on our left, has fanked US. And
| now, from the right. the fire OF the
French machine guns adds It's monot-
onous rhythm to the hellish concert
No sound behind US. Our artillery
battery is evidently without ammuni-
ton
Order from the commander of our
brigade: Company must fal! back
slowly" A man In the squad which
has advanced to the highroad passes
the order along to me.
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.
No Hope Left.
My fieldglass is covered with sweat
| and earth put it down. Shells drive
clouds of dust into my eyes. close
them.
| am unable to utter word | crawl
| along for about five hundred yards. My
revolve~ grinds into my left side, my
feldgass 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?
What would you do? Answer; |
would give this order: Helmets off
for prayer"
Helmets off for prayer Yes, there
Is no hope for us now. All we have to
do Is die like men.
Don't rum"
The road which we must take is
showered with shot. ! climb hillock.
Yes nothing matters now. If only
dc not fall into their hands alive. To
die. | strike out over a field, For a
few seconds, Inconsistencies Then
once more, the tack-tack-tack 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"
can 30 no farther. on with you
youngsters" Greetings to my people
God be with you. You have behaved
well
His Flowers Calling.
VI only | could have one more look
at my H. le garden. I'm chi, OF the
city and I've learned TO love flowers
so, end that little spot OF earth.
Whee-ee.ee.eel There II goes again
screaming over our heads. | 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 OIL
other cavalry patrol tells us Some
Of our men are camping over In that
fort"
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