The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1915-03-04

! happened to possess a safety razor
The idea Of being shaved by Bel
eian didn't appeal TO me at all he
grimIy remarks
Just as they crossed the French
! frontier 4 packet of letters fro-l 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 recetV-
ne that letter he tells US he sat down
and reflected:
Where WAS l when that play OF
mine was being given In Berlin2 on.
! yes: sleeping on mattress by rail
way line threatened with a Belgian at
tack. my revolver by my side
From such duties Captain Hooker
and his men moved southwark into
the real lighting zone and got their
! haptism OF fire with vengeance in
the outskirts of Lille. siding along
narrow alleys amid the whistling of
bullets from roofs and windows. creep
| ing on all fours 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 Are 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 a hot fire from several direc.
tions The captain had just admon-
3, ished his men to keep cool, take
cover. atm carefully Then, suddenly
The Deadly Enfiade.
Are those men over there ours
asked my trumpeter. over there on
the high road. behind us.
looked \ feeling OF horror came
o.er me Yes, while their artillery held
us back their infantry advancing I'm
seen on our left. has hanked 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" \ man in the squad which
has advanced to the htghroad passes
the order along TO me
II Is passed all along the line. 4
couple of men start to stand up |
call out to them. Down Lie Down
GRAY ="
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 feldglass is covered With sweat
and earth put 1t down Shells drive
clouds OF dust into my eyes. close
/ them.
am unable 10 utter word crawl
along for about five hundred Yards Ny
revolye grinds into my left side my
fieldglass presses against my stomach
And for moment this thought rushes
through my mind What would yoc,
being an officer. Go II attacked in front
b, artillery, on the left by Infantry
on the right by artillery
What would you do? Answer, |
would give this order. Helmets OF
j for prayer
Helmets OFT for prayer Yes, there
! is nc hope for us nov All We have to
do is die like men
Don't run"
Tho road which We must take is
i showered with shot climb a hillock
Yes. nothing matters now. II only |
do not fall into their hands alive To
/ die | strike out over a field. For a
/ few seconds, unconsciousness. 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 90 no farther ON with you.
youngsters" Greetings TO my people
/ God be with you. You have behaved
well
His Flowers Calling.
II only | could have one more look
4 at my T. le garden. I'm a Chi. OF the
city and I've learned to love flowers
/ so. end that little spot OF earth
Whee-ee-ee-ee, There 1t 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 or
other a cavalry patrol tells us: Some
of our men are camping over In that