The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-08-30
Brigand With a Brickbat.

Brigand With a Brickbat.
In a lull Ia the action l happened to
look around Ia time 10 see the villain
GUS looking bandit picking up a brick.
| made a bee line for him and received
a good clout on my bean for my trou-
BILE. The guards eventually separated
Us. but we carried the day.
landed at the infrmary and had
my head bandaged. They locked Pa
velka up. but he should have come
with me. as a friend Of the bandits
hit him on the forehead with a dish
pan. He needed bandaging and was
sent back Immediately. We all shook
hands and called IL square.
Resumed Writing May II.
The next day we marched to the
railroad and came north. IL was a
wretched trip. as we were overcrowd-
ed. We disembarked at a town called
Aubigny. but located In another town.
At night we used 10 march down to
the trenches and work. IL was very
dangerous. One night the third fellow
Ii good TO work when In those condi-
lions. as work takes the mind from
tile bullets. ~Inaction under Dire IL a
terrible strain on the nerves.
Champagne district Is not a circum-
stance to this. The outposts here are
only fifty yards apart. and at night
we 40 out on the field and lie down.
-four hours at a stretch. to guard
against a surprise.
We went back to a small town. ar
irving there at 10 a. III At ! o'clock the
following morning we were routed out.
At sunlight we reached the third line
of trenches and at 8 "A. IN the bonn
bardment commenced.
Brothers Killed Side By Side.
You remember In my letter from
Lyons | spoke about three brothers
from Argentina and how inseparable
they were. Well, they are inseparable
even In death. as they were killed side
by side. Our regiment. the First. lost
heavily In killed and wounded. not
more than half coming back. One OF
the Belgian ~legionnaires and the little
Italian kid | spoke about were too
frightened to leave our trenches.
After leaving our trenches and cross
ing the Germans, which were battered
to pieces by the bombardment. our first
stop was In the shelter OF a road. Here
the good looking bandit, the fellow who
hit me with the brick, became reckless
and tried to survey the landscape. lie
was killed instantly by a bullet through
the heart. No conyulsive tossing of the
arms one reads about or sees In the
movies: he just sank down and IL was
all over.
Soon after We left this position the
other bandit was shot through the leg
There vas absolutely no I'll feeling be-
tween us ON account Of our scrap.
We advance by sections. When the
order comes we jump up and, carry.
Ing the sack as a shield. run about 1OG
feet. and talk about Ty Cobb sliding
into second base-it isn't a cireum-
stance to the way ! hit the grit. And
what a strain 1t was 10 the nerves
waiting for our turn to advance again
fellows all around being hit. In a COZ
pie OF cases | have seen men almost
lifted from the ground. SO hard were
they hit.
One fellow very near me got hit and
began to squeal. Almost immediately
a second bullet hit him. and he made
for the rear on all fours. crying like q
baby.
The field was full OF such sights. But
compared to the shells the bullets are
nothing. Give me most anything but
an artillery bombardment. Shortly aft
er we gained the crest Of the hill their