The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-02

Somewhere in France, November 15
 (SpeciaL)-It was early dawn and g
 thick fog hung over the battlefield. The
 battalion which had attacked, was lyine
 down on the wet spongy earth, awaiting
 further orders. For the present moment
 nothing could be done as the British
 barrage was setting down" immediately in front and its shell splinters were
 hissing back over the heads of the boys in khaki.
 The German airplanes, flying low and
 hidden in the mist, were sweeping down
 close to the battle ground and now and again machine gun rapped overhead and plastered the ground with bullets. Private Lidder, lying in a shell hole, with the slush covering the greater part of his body, cursed heartily as a stream of bullets dabbed the ground near him and whisked the simy sludge against his
 faqe. Happen he knows where we are.' said the man. He came from York shire, and he alluded to the hidden air. man overhead. The sound of the propel- Ter cut through the mist and the machine seemed to be very close.
 Lidder looked up at the cloud above him and then along towards the enemy lines where the barrage had Sat down." The German lines seemed to be alive with machine guns. the air was full of bullets. ,Lidder had seen his comrades fall round him and Lidder was angry Although an old soldier, wise in the ways of war and conscious of the vices of the Hun, he had never before felt so angry with the enemy. And he had reason to for had not his only brother newly out from England, fallen in the charge of a few minutes before. Somewhere behind on the field the young boy lay dead: Lidder could visualize him. limp heap in khaki huddled on the ground with a bullet wound, showing red on the white unwrin- kled forehead Lidders brow contracted savagely< as thoughts fierce and impet- uous swept through his mind.
 Suddenly, out in front of him, hardly D paees away, he saw a light glimmer for moment and die down. Probably one of his mates was lighting his cigar cite But as far as he knew, none of his mates had gone so far forward He was well ahead of the rest. The shell holes 1 near were not peopled with men in khaki 1 And certainly none of his mates was in l front. Then who was responsible for the | light?
 The swish of the hostile propeller sounded nearer Lidder looked up and | saw the airplane sweeping over his head 1 clear of the clouds and a bare 100 yards l above him. A fire of sparks escaped ] from beneath it's body, like a shower of | gold confetti. and this was followed by ! three puffs of white smoke. Iidder re- membered that 1t was unwise to look at hostile airplane and he turned his face to the ground again and l stared out in front. He was just in time l 10 see rocket rising from the ground l as if in answer to the signal of the air | plane.
 That's funny said Lldder, Nun be some of Fritz's doin's. the swine signallin' on us. bet"
 He pulled himself out of the she'll hole and crawled toward the shel1hole In which the rocket had risen. fierce | anger held the man, an anger th1t threw discretion to the winds The airplane overhead might sight him aiid open machine gun on him. But kc l. did not care. All he could see was the l hole in front and a mental vision of his dead brother lying on the field behind. the white, unwrinlzled fore head pierced with bullet All oth5r things were out of Lidders reckoning. Anger gave feverish haste to his movements; he wanted to kill kill |
 The barrage was rising and the men