Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-08-13
WHEN LIFE GROWS INTERESTING
AND DEATH MUCH MORE LIKELY
Night Visit to the Trenches Interestingly Described by Frederick
Paner-Wen the Human Soldier Fox Comes Out Of His War;
and Sneaks Forth the Lookout for PreyFIaes Of
Light Only Evidence Of Proximity of Hostile Force.

Sometimes a patrol hears a fusillade
from both sides sweeping past him.
Follow me-"
We climbed out of the ditch and
stopped low. We were in the midst
or tangle of barbed wire protecting
the trench front which was family WIS.,
IDLE in the hedge, as it were. kept
open for just such purposes as this.
When the patrol returned it closed the
gate again.
Look out for that wire-just there
Do you see it,"
Everything to keep the Boches off
our front lawn except Keep off the
grass, signs"
1t was utterly still-a warm sum-
mer's night without a catspaw of
breeze stirring. Through the dark
curtain of the sky in a parabola ris-
ing from the German trenches swept
a brilliant .sputter Of red light-one
Of the flares which the Germans used
by the millions to assist them in their
night watches. Machine guns, mortars,
bombs, flares and guns of all calibers-
the Germans keep everything in their
locker in mechanical appliances which
will economic human force This
was coming as straight toward us as
If it had been aimed at us. 1t cast a
searching, uncanny red glare over the
tall wheat in head between the
trenches
Get down." whispered the officer.
Just Take the Hint.
It seemed sort of foolish to grovel
before piece Of fireworks. There was
no firing in our neighborhood, nothing
to indicate state Of war between the
British empire and Germany, no visual
evidence Of any German army any,
where in France except that fare
However, If guide who knows as
much about war as this one knew,
says to get down when you are out
between two lines of machine guns
and rif1es-between the fighting pow.
ers of England and Germany-you take
the hint. The fare sank into the
earth few yards away after last in
sulting ugly fling Of red light in our
faces.
What if we had been SEEM"
They'd have combed the wheat in
this neighborhood thoroughly-and
they might have got u.s."
It's hard to believe" suggested
So it was, he agreed. That was the
exasperating thing about it. Always
hard to believe, perhaps, until after
all the cries of wolf the wolf came
until after nineteen flares the TWEEN
tieth revealed to the watching enemy
the figure Of man above the wheat
when a dozen rifles and perhaps a
machine gun suddenly broke the ST.
lence of night by concentrating on a
target.
Then there might be another name
on tho British casualty list, which
meant an able-bodied officer or soldier
whom his country had trained was
transferred from the asset to the liza.
bility column of the ledger. Keeping
cover from German flares is a part of
the minute, painstaking economy of
war.
Ever on the Watch.
We crawled on slowly through the
wheat, taking care to make no noise
till we brought up behind two soldiers
lying fiat on the earth with their rifles
in hand ready to fire instantly, II was
their business not only to see the
enemy first. but to shoot first-and to
capture or kill any German patrol.
The officer spoke to them: they an.
swered. 1t was unnecessary for them
to say that they had not seen anv.
thing. II they had we should have
known it.
he was out there less to scout him.
self than to make sure that they we're
H