The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-12-25
BY MAJOR DONALD MeRAE.

N inc previous NHdpltl Nolu w
| leading scouting expedition OF
= Canadians out into No Mans Land
under cover Of darkness, each man
armed only with knife, and how we
discovered that the Germans also had
a patrol out scouting over the same
ground Ii was a tickliSh situation.
We we're quiet until the German
patrol was at a safe distance Then !
decided toIake a chance, | drew my
self along on my stomach by digging
my elbows into the ground until
was abreast Of my foremost man. a
sergeant in whim ] had the utmost
confidence.
Lying with my lips directly at his
car, in Just as few whispered words
as | could possibly make myself clear,
| told him that we would gather quick
" what information we could and try
to ambush the German patrol when il
returned.
He was 10 take one other man back
with him to our lines with whatever we
could pick up in the way OF equip
ment or articles OF Identification, and
|, with the six other men, would try
to capture man from ths Getmau
patrol or at least kill them and get
their equipment, which, II we could
get away with Il, would give us the
very information we wanted. In The
neighborhood Of the German wire en-
tanglemerits, a number o1 bodies were
lying. II was an unpleasant thing TO
do, but we crawled over arpapg them
We knew where the openings N the
German wires were, because our ad-
vance man had seen them crawl out
We picked up few articles anNseni
them back as arranged, while the rest
OF us disposed ourselves among the
dead near the entrance TO the path
through the barrier.
Has weird Nightmares Lying Among
" Dead.
What thoughts chased themselves
through my mind as | lay there play
ing dead amongst the dead, il woult
be hard TO describe. So far as the
grewsotnenes OF il was concerned
was accustomed 10 that, but It some
how started my mind to working n'
though ] were in a waking dream. Al
'sorts of iancies chased themselves
through my head.
! thought once that a, body beside
me was only feigning death like my
self and ! almost lost the lives OF m,
entire party by giving way to Graz,
impulse to plung my knife into 1t.
Then | thought heard breathing
coming nearer and nearer, but though
| strained my eyes in every direction
| could see nothing though the breath
ing came right beside me.
Then | would think that my owf
men, some OF whom | could see lyini
in grotesque poshres, were really dea,
and that ] was alone there waiting To-
the German patrol
But at last my nerves we're steadied
Dimly, like shadows, saw the Bocbe
sneaking back toward us, and at ono
my mind was clear and active ant
my nerves as>good as new.
T NOTED with satisfaction that onl.
four figures were crawling towar'
the German lines. That meant bette
chance 70 bag them without givinl
| ourselves away.
hoped to get one OF them bac'
alive, though ii was wild fancy an
mad dream. | had instructed IN
men 70 allow the first man TO pass''t
me, and TO knife the others noiselessl
when they came up.
There was considerable distance be
tween the men, about. twenty-ilS
yards, ! should say AS the leade
drew nearer dared not even brcatly
Would he get past my men, or woul
he discover that they we're not bodie'
but real living soidiers2 could Sc
TO- the Germany tight hand a knit
like the ones we we're carrying.
"Stillel"--and Calf Of a Boche Lay Stil
turned sick at the thought that j
might plunge It into one of my met
1t was not that ! feared to be killc,
but wanted to take back a Germa
alive
He passed so close To one OF my sol
diers that it seemed as though he mui
feel the heaying OF his chest, but I
kept ttolidly on, / was lying almo'
in MS path. dared not stir until L
was upon me. 1t was ticklish bushes
/! he should discover me but preten
not-to, ] would have his knife thtoug
my throat before ! had a chance I
move.
Onward inch by Inch, the big for
numbered. My muscles tightene
With a supreme effort kept my lml
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