The Washington times., 1916-01-16

terrific explosion at the roadsid,
the Shrek OF shell. A shell
a tunnel through the air and thr
this tunnel the echoes of the Wits
ono long whine. The shell We heard
was leaving us. Through the ampu-
lance window we saw first cloud OF
Smoke and then the outline of a huge
gun which stood at least eight feet
above the ground on giant wheels and
had a mouth that a man could have
put his head into. The great cannon
stood within fifteen feet of the road
but 1T was so cleverly sheltered anf -'~-
den by decorations of holly that W
not seen 1t.
But. now It was a battlefield.
non on the top OF the hill roared
other cannon further away roare'
British cannon behind us roared
arc all ally cannon. And then
different sound. 1t was a shrek tina
didn't grow less with the passage OF
seconds. but louder. Look into the sky
above you: you can see nothing: yoI
feel helpless: all around you the air is
filled with that growing whine; it may
end in burst near YOU: il that's the
case, you won't hear the burst. in al
likelihood. In common parlance. the
light will go out and YOU won't know
wha. hit you. You have an infinitely
intense desire to hear the boom; yoL
want to have the thing over with: as
long as that whine Is in the skv over
your head you may be killed at any
minute.
An Alarming Experience.
l am not writing this in order to
boast that have been under shell fire
but in order to point out that being un-
der shell fire is an alarming thing, and
that If the experience doesn't stir UP a
heavy thrill within you, then you must
be a dumb animal that cannot under
stand the things that are going or
around it. Some men say they liz
thrill; that the feeling is plea
Others say they don't like it, and
among them. It's too much like b.
in a terrific electrical storm with hare
lightning than human being ever sa
in the sky, any bolt of which mean.
death.
But here the shell is, in the sky
above us.
There is a terrific roar. On the hill
side above us huge cloud, bigger than
a siX-story building, of mud, stones
Let it be recorded that Richard Hard
ing Davis, John McCutcheon of the
Chicago Tribune: John Bass OF the Chi
cago Daily News. and James Hare.
the war photographer, were not hit.
Neither was !.
How 1t Feels.
said | didn't like it. | had been un-
der shell fire in Russia. in Serbia, on
the English front; | had lodged DO
ally and anti-ally shells and h
made up my mind months before. tt
the next time | was near flying she
| would try to study the working
my mind and nerves and discover,
possible. whether l was frightened
whether or not the shaky feeling Il
comes from knowing that death
somewhere in the sky near by is rea
pleasant one: whether the thrill of
kiss or a drink compares with
thrill Of being in danger of sudd
death by bullets or shells. had ma
the study this time and found that
did not like the thrill In the Or,
ence of the other war reporters I s,
that | didn't like it,
We'll" said Davis, I'm old enougl
hes almost fifty and he's seen
score of wars-"Tn. old enough to
init. without being accused of bravado,
that I like it."
Which | took to mean that all YOUNG
rnporters are afraid to admit that they
like shell fire.
| was tC have more experience with
shell fire before the day was out.
CThe fourth installmont Of the Shepherd
story will appear lator)