The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-03-02
IN THICK OF FIGHT.
Fierce Exaltation Of Battle Told
by Frenchman.
Corporal Describes the Hoarse Shouts,
} the Rasp Of steelnons Steel, the
- Appeals for Mercy In Street (
Fighting. -.- IT. =

Paris.-"No more excitement; an
astonishing calm fills us as we open
fire upon the Germans who have taken
! cover in the houses in the outskirts
of the village" writes Charles Tar
dieu In a recent installment of his
! Impressions Of a Corporal" published
In the Figaro.
From windows, embrasures, from
the cover of doorways they blaze away
at US. Forty bodies are strewn across
+ the interval between us; a few wound
ed men are scrambling and wriggling
in the mud. Little by little we re-
gain our breath.
AT the top of the village street de-
bouches a company of German infan.
try. A hellish fire welcomes them.
but still they come on, sowing their
! dead by files. Faster and faster we
pump our breech bolts. Their first
ranks crumple, they tramp over them ;
, the next rank falls, still they come
on. At last their chief, a huge devil
of an officer, who is waving them on,
goes down. A new volley drops seven
or eight more men. This time they
stop, hesitate a second, then turn and
run.
Charge!' roars the captain. Give
them the steel!' We rush in, our two
buglers, their neck veins swelling
playing US the heartstirring notes OF
the charge. A heroic intoxication
swells through US and we run like be-
ings possessed into the narrow streets,
through the humming bullets.
Into houses, through gardens, past
open doorways the skirmishers throw
themselves, to come out with dripping
bayonets. No more shots-death
shrieks, groans, hoarse shouts, piteous
cries for mercy are mingled with the
crash of falling furniture, the slam
ming of doors, the nasty rasp Of steel
on steel. And over it ali the strident
notes of the charge!
From each house as it is silenced
pour our men, some of them wounded
Hatless, coatless, without their packs
one man has discarded his blouse and
AS WOIhlu6 Win ASAASN ~F
"Trampling ON the corpses that
strew the way, leaping over obstruc
tions, we make our way up the street
when a machine gun section appears
in front of us. But before they have
time to unlimber we are upon them
! An instant of hard work with butt
and steel and it's crew is down be
side their overturned piece. We pass
on.
Into the cross street we turn. A
few bodies are lying there; one house
is burning briskly. Spiked helmet:
bob over the walls as their wearers
retreat through the gardens. A scat
tered fire is heard on all sides. A
/ the end of the street, behind bar
ricade of overturned wagons and wine
barrels, some of the Germans who Still
hold out open up on us. Charge bay
onet!'
I'VE rush on, when shattered win
dow bursts open and the head o
Lugagne, the bugler of the Third, pops
out, blowing a frantic charge. Oul
comrades, making the frontal attack
have won their way through.
Sweeping everything before them
our comrades join US, shouting VIII
| the Joy of battle as they scale thu
barricade. BY groups, rallied at haz
ard, we search the houses. All whE
show fight are finished; those who sur
render are rapidly hurried to the rear
At last there are no living forms bu
! those clad in French uniforms and WI
arrive at the other end of the village
which is now completely cleaned out
Our officers, in the dusk, rally thei
! men, bringing order out of the contu
sion. Some three hundred prisoners
livid, trembling, are herded into TIT
courtyard of a house, under guard o
the sergeant major and twenty men
They will be well guarded.
But what is this? Crash! Booooom
They are opening fire with their artil
lery upon the village. The captain
| comes running.
Corporal, what are you loanni
there for? Find the major and asi
for orders!'
Il go running. aimlessly. The ma
jor? Where is he? Bodies, bodies
everywhere. Wounded men who within
per, helmets, knapsacks, rifles, strewl
about. Blood everywhere-on thu
walls, on the doors, on the paving
stones. Cries, shouted orders, thu
plants of the wounded. A stream
of injured men looking for the sur
geon.
Somewhere bugle blows the as
sembly and rush through the wound
ed, who are patching themselves VI
as best they can, some dragging
leg, some with arms in sings.
THE major? Where is thu
MAORI" 80 sGsr