The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1915-09-03
La Basee Woodland Soldiers

They were a mans legs from the knees
down. Apparently, he had fallen head-first
into that deep tangle of boughs and twigs in
such way as to leave his legs supported IN
the air. lie had fallen backwards or side.
ways for the boots at the end of those stlff
limbs pointed toes first towards our trench.
knew him for Alderman by the shade OF
his dirty, tattered trousers and the high
square oed boots into the tops Of which the
trousers had been tucked. One trouser leg
still hung in the boot top, the other had been
torn from its hold and jerked half way to the
knee Between boot top and wrinkled trouser
cleaned a livid stalk OF leg 1t was apparent
that the man had been thin and dark and
very hairy.
looked down at the Buffalo Canadian.
GLOW long has that thing been out therei''
/ asked.
"Wot thingi"
"Those legs"
ooh, them" he said, darkly, climbing up
beside me, 81 don't know They was there
when we was brought here three weeks ago.
Must have been there since the last German
charge about week ago Don't look appe-
tizin', do they, stickin' up there with them
boots waving at yeri"
shuddered and stepped down into the
trench. The Buffalonian followed me.
WOODS FILLED WITH BODIES.
"Its hell, amt iti' he said, "this whole
business. An wot's it all erbout !" II ia
knowed wot we was goin ter see an hear and
do I'd Of stayed right there in my job in
that type foundry in good old Buffalo"
couldn' get the picture of that dead Ger
mans legs out of my mind
al sunnose those woods are filled with
bodies like that" | suggested.
Then the Canadian said:
"Sure. The chaps wot we relieved had
made charge through there. That is, they
started a charge, but turned back before they
got half way into the woods. They said it
was so horrible they couldn't 20 on, even il
the Germans didn't fire shot. One Teller
told me he tripped in the branches and dove
head first against dead German. When he
got 10 his feet he seen that the blow Of the
body had knocked the Dutchman's head clean
off.
can another Teller, Who got into the wood
quite piece found German sitting with his
back against fallen bough. He died there
from his wounds and had taken out his diary
and was writing in 1t up to the last minute.
lie still held the diary in his lap and the
Britisher brought it back with him and give
IL 10 lHe OlllceT. lHt btIBtunl lOlu tIH tnttI
the officer said the wounded Germans writ
ing was all about his family at home and the
officer had sent the diary TO be mailed back
TO Germany Jus think o. that poor wound
ed Teller sittin' out there, two days an nights
bis diary said, before he died, with all that
dead around him an the smell an every
thing an writin goodbye messages TO his
family. That's wot | call some brave guy,
if he was Dutchman.
"Well, them Londoners couldn't charge
through the wood. Wot they seen and the
smell got their goats an they came piling
back. Their officer reported that nobody
never could get through there He told his
colonel that 1t was a physical imposs bility.
II looks like them woods has everybodys
goats. They has mine all right, especially
them legs stickin' out of that brush. hate
ter look at EN- an yet can't help it. keep
gettin up and takin' another peek"
"Why doesn't someone go out in the night
and cover them upi" | asked
81 thought of it," he said. "But |. amt
got the nerve / started to do II last night,
but the wind was from the woods and-well,
Just couldn't make it."
"And how long do you have to stick ii
herei"
"Till tomorrer. Then we gets relieved.
Ny, but I'll be glad I'd rather be somewhere
f:ghtin' and takin' my chances than just sit
tin here, guardin this trench and watchin'
them legs wavin at me. An them woods is
Just plumb full Of such. ] heard an officer
say they must be 5000 dead British and Ger