Arizona republican., 1917-10-31

gun and others of the battery placed in nearby hills in sight and sound of each other to commence firing. The gun on the farthest hill went off with a roar, and a faint stream of smoke was blown backward from the pit. 1n- side the pit in which the correspon- dent stood a voice shouted out the range figures and the lieutenant re- peated them. A voice inside the pit moment later yelled that the gunner was ready to fire. The lieutenant gave the command to the gunners, watch your bubble.'
 The lieutenant, who was standing on a pile of mud which had been re- moved from the pit cautioned those about him to place their fingers in their ears. This was done and the lieutenant shouted the word: fire"
 The gun parked quickly, the noise being followed by a metallic clanh and the shell case was elected and the gun made ready for the next load. The lieutenant told the correspondent the story of the first shot of the war punctuating the narrative throughout with the orders: ready to fire" and fire" which each time was followed by the report of the gun and the whizz of the shell.
 We came up the night peIore,' said the lieutenant, and got into position i'll a driving rain. No horses had ar rived. I was anxious to get off the first gun, and so were my men. asked them if they were willing to haul the gun by hand to this place so that we could get the first crack at the l Germans. They agreed unanimously, so we set out across the fields until We got over there at the base of that hill you can just see in r1e haze.
 We had a hard time getting the
 gun, which we have not named yet
 over those shell craters but we labored
 for many hours and finally reached the spot. Then I got permission to fire.
 Strictly speaking, the first shot
 which was in the nature of a tryout } for the gun, simply went into Ger l many. The sergeant put a high ex- plosive shell there at 5:f5 o'clock 1T
 the morning."
 Another officer here took up tn, narrative.
 | T was in an observation point" h, 3 said. There was a fog as the frs shot went singing over. Suddenly th' fog lifted and I saw group of Ger : means. directed my gun at them. Tn
 shrapnel burst overhead and they tool : a dive into the ground like so man. t labbits."
 fl The lieutenant grinned broadly g shook the water off his shrapnel hel 5 met, and using both clenched fists t l punctuate his remarks, said expressive : ly: Tt was great" He paused for g moment, pointed to the field filled wit fresh craters and continued: r We had a hot time here last nigh s Fritz tried to get that gun on the hi T | there and put all those shells behin i it. So we all let the Germans hay |. shot for shot That's the game ou Q here-give them as much as the Q send"
 The gun itself gave visible and audi ble proof the next second that tn
 Germans did not get it or any of tn d gunners serving it.
 t From the artillery lines to the in fantry trenches was a considerable dis | tance over more muddy hills. Tn : correspondent found the infantry ir y side the trenches. There also wel 5 many wires which ran into switch
 boards, and American and French or e orators were sitting side by side d e recting operations.
 A guide is necessary to reach u 1t first line, especially when some of u ' trenches resemble irrigation ditche n The trenches the Americans are ot
 cupying begin from a screened pos l. tion. On the way there shovels al
 tools were piled high below a hill ( l. which there was a great bell for givir
 the alarm in case of a gas attac is There under cover were the company