New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-06
By ARTHUR GLEASON.

have to be done over again.
This young man is Waldo Pierce, the
artist 1t was he who once started on trip
to Europe with friend but didn't like the
first meal, so jumped overheard and swan
back. He sailed by the next boat, and ar
rived on the other side TO find his friend IN
trouble for his disappearance.
Through the side of Pierce's coat, just at
the pocket and just over the heart, saw q
bullet hole.
pretty STACEY, isn't it?" he explained. of
lit had been a ragged, irregular hole, some
where else, say at the elbow, it would have
been all right. But this neat little hole just
at the vital spot is conventional stuff. 1t
locks like the barn door, and five yards
away.
"And this is worse yet" he added, as he
took out from the inner breast pocket a
brown leather wallet. Through one flap the
same shrapnel bullet had penetrated. To-
eether. coat and wallet had saved this young
mans life.
That's the sort of thing that wouldn't go
anywhere" Pierce went on. He is Maine
man, and has pleasant drawl.
Wheeler's car was shot through, the slat-
! ting ripped at the drivers place, the sides
mess. A man on his right and man at his
left were killed. The stuff passed over his
head as he knelt before a tire. The boys
have been playing in luck. dozen fatali-
ties were due them in the June drive at
Verdun. This was the fercest offensive OF
the four months, and they stood up to it.
! We were looking west, and as We looked
an aeroplane burst into flames As it fell, it
left trail of black smoke, funnel shaped,
and always at the point Of that funnel the
bright spark. and at the heart of that spark
q man burning to death. The spark descended
rather slowly with a spiralling movement,
and trailing the heavy smoke. II burned
brightly all the way 70 the horizon line,
where It seemed to continue for a moment,
like a setting sun on the earth's rim. Then
il puffed out and only the smoke in the sky
was left In another moment the light wind
had shredded the smoke away.
Il was o'clock in the afternoon, and we
had been coming from Paris at full tilt 10
get 20 the Fiat Major and report ourselves
So. after watering the car and shaking hands
the rear left tire went fat, and its successor
went fiat, and for the third time it went fiat
So we crawled to a village at midnight and
laid by for repairs, which ate up the next day
At a. m. we rose. There was no dressing
to be done. as we had rested in our clothes
We ran out past the city Of Verdun on the
road going east TO Fort T. Wheat was
ripening to the full crop in hundred fields
about US. All the birds were singing. The
pleasant stir and funess OF summer were
coming down the air
Then on sudden the famous Tier de Bar
rage broke out-the deadly barrier of fire
that crumbes line Of trenches as child
pokes in an ant hill! The FIRE that covers an
advance and wthers an enemy attack. Here
was what | had been waiting for through
twenty-one months Of war. had caught
snatches OF il at a dozen points along the
line had eaten luncheon by battery near
Dixmude. but they were lazy, throwing shell
or two only for each course. But here. jus,
before the sun came up, 200 feet from US, 8
battery Of twelve 75s fred continuously for
kwenty minutes. Just over the hill another
battery cleared its throat and spoke. In the