Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-05-25

farther away; Immediately more reports nearer at
hand, and instantly it is followed by crash and
tear of sound. The first impression is that the
town is being blown up in a bombardment. Few
have ever heard anything like 1t. The soldiers look
at each other.
1T is the attack beginning" they say Later
they get their orders.
In smaller town nearer the trenches where
there Is even more artillery the noise is still great
er BY the sound there seems to be a gun to
every few square feet, one thinks when thinking is
possible. The scream of the shells passing over
from batteries In the rear is drowned In this din
1t Is an inferno Of ear-splittng noise
In the trenches the few soldiers cover in the
dugouts Heaps Of debris fall about them To
them the noise Of the guns in the rear is drowned
In the crash Of hundreds of shells bursting I'm the
Germans trenches before them and the shrieks of
the shells as they tear above them in the air faster
than sound in such numbers that the noise is in
descrbable. Where the enemy's trenches are Is now
continuous mass Of spouting dirt that shuts out
everything The whole German line here is be-
ing beaten to pieces.
Few of the soldiers have ever experienced any,
thing like this The trenches of the Germans are
but 400 feet away. Now and then shell falling
short OF Its range comes near the French trenches
or tears into them, but with the innumerable shells
now tearing about 1t cannot be helped.
The Germans, taken by surprise do not reply
until some time later. They open up their own
artillery little by little. Their guns is seems are
aimed at the batteries of the French they know
for few of the shells fall about the trenches But
1t is nothing to the madness Of the fire they are
fighting against
Some of the French guns are aimed at the Ger
man batteries and an artillery duel is The Ger
man guns ere outnumbered. Other French guns
are firing on the roads Of the enemy to prevent
troops and supplies from being fastened up.
And now In the rear Of the French lines-no-
body seems to know where they coming FROM
where they have been concealed all this time-still
other guns Of all sizes are being rushed up. They
tear through the amazed villages drawn by wild
steeds maddened by the drivers. Efforts of spies
are now In vain.
The line bearing assorted equipment has ceased
In measure Instead are the guns and the heavy
skidding caissons bearing ammunition. Darkness
falls and the whole countryside is covered with
tsshes. 1t is impossible to distinguish sound from
soud, but the flashes dart out from everywhere
IKE summer lightning More guns are being
rusneu Up. an increased number of ammunition
wagons nd troops-countless numbers.
line leiifc cannonading continues all night.
Huieis' W. are able, sleep in dozes. Morning
o1aks' A"e soldiers nearer the front begin TO
"eh up az elders enter the towns those
forS rd SD'p-n'H' ''"'' ""u ""''ns' ~
the xds along the th frequently turn on into
wagoA Numbering BY A. Sor .s ono con seo the
whole vpd, ahead and hind 20 a comnact mass
of trod> marching up
The mans are now ,ho,,,ro ,h. -oods O.,
many p As ~. ".snes Ills fall among them.
every makr. while the CHI oeao' torn up IN
the almosk ertain death of Sn-pries's' facing
through ntklearings in the THU iot are seen
ing smoke 4 ing about. some thS.ouus VI cnos-
ed. helping asking f, i.