Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-03-26

The captain said politely that h
happened to possess a safety razor
The idea of being shaved by a Bel
gian didn't appeal to me at ALL" b.
grimly remarks.
Just as they crossed the French
frontier packet Of letters from hom,
arrived. giving Hooker the news tina
a play by him dealing with the war;
in Germany 100 years ago had JUS
been performed in Berlin. On receiv
ing that letter he tells us he sat dowr
and reflected:
Where was l when that play oil
mine was being given in Berlin? Oh
yes; sleeping on mattress by a 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 fighting zone and got their
baptism 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 tours through the ditch lin
ing high road, charging into burning
villages while unseen enemies poured
shot and shell at them. 1t was all a
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 Enfiiade.
Are those men over there ours?"
asked my trumpeter. "Over there on
the high road, behind u.s."
l looked. A feeling of horror came
over me. Yes. while their artillery held
us back their infantry. advancing un-
seen on our left, has flanked US. And
now. from the right, the fire of the
French machine guns adds its 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. l
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. I close
them.
/ am unable to utter a word. crawl
along for about five hundred yards. My
revolve- grinds into my left side, my
heldglass presses against my stomach.
And for a moment this thought rushes
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 OF |
for prayer"
Helmets of for prayer! Yes, there |
Is nc hope for us now. All we have to |
10 is die like men.
Don't rum"
The road which we must take is
'howered with shot. climb a hillock.
Yes. nothing matters now. II only I |
10 not fall into their hands alive. To
lie. / strike out over a field. For a
ew seconds. Inconsistencies. Then,
,nce more, the tack-tack-tack of the
machine guns. God. please, please, let
ne die an honorable soldiers death.
Ind without long suffering. Now. God.
low at once. please. If only my men
Ion't start running.
Slowly, men, slowly"
can 60 no farther. "Of with Won.
Greetings to my people
'od be with you. You have behaved
veil. Il
His Flowers Calling.
II only I could have one more look
t my IL lie garden. I'm a chi, of the
ity and I've learned to love flowers
o, End that little spot OF earth. i
Whee-ee-ee-ee! There 1t goes again
dreaming over our heads. greet
cath. My lips dig into the soil. Dust
hou art. to dust thou shalt return.
Onward, onward.
None of us know whittier we are
ound. Night falls. Somewhere or
Their a cavalry patrol tells us: Some
our men are camping over in that
,rt."