New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-19
Boches Don't Know Americans,
Declares English Sergeant
Underesmated the French, Too, Says Veteran OF the
Trenches-F1e Tells of Mettle of British Youth
on His First Day at the Front
BY A. ]. DAWSON

along pretty frequent from the same
place then, as it might be from four
or five rifles. Once or twice Mister
Miss moved a few inches, and then
back again, as though he wasn't sure;
Then he said to me, very sharp ana
sudden, Look after the platoon, SER
geant. I'm going to have look
round. Keep half the men facing rear
and half front, in case they try to rush
US. If ! shouldn't come back you
you'll carry on, you know, sergeant
81 think he didn't like to say any
more lest | should think that he
thought | was afraid. Well, he took
the senior corporal's rife and bayonet,
the corporal's right arm being ma
pooed, and gave him his trench dagger
in exchange, for the left hand; and
off he went with a kind of parade
swagger. you know, as if he was TAX
ing stroll for his health. .
"Well, | mean to say, what could |
do? And his first night out, too!
put the second corporal in charge and
went after Mister Miss on my hands
and knees. No walking out game Tor
me, thank you. But had to get move
on and use my feet after bit, because
| was afraid of losing Mister Miss in
the dark. could see ne was making IN
half circle for the rear of the position
where those rife bullets came from,
and, taking the circle bit closer IN,
could easy keep track Of him.
It's Creepy Business
when he got far enough back he
began working TO his front again, and
now he went down on his ham bones
and crawled very cautious; 80 | did the
same. And all the time | was wonder
ing what he was fooling and thinking
about it all-his first night out. SOUNDS
nothing when you come 70 tell 1t, but
let me tell you it's a mighty creepy
sort of business clambering about IN
the open that way over strange ground
when you don't know whether the
Boche is behind or in front or al
around you. Different from the ola
patrol game, you know, between the
lines when you and Fritz have been
in the same places for a year and you
know most every yard OF 1t.
Gall of a sudden Mister Miss let out
4 veil you could have heard a half
mile out. Put your hands up, you
blighters!' And he said some other
words; queer things, he said. lie was
right among 'em. So let out snout
then, as though I'd a company behind
me, you know. Come on, lads! and
all that; and doubled up. There were
six of the Boches, and | had TO Stuck
one, who was tricky; but the rest pied
arms for US, like lambs.
"They were all lying facing. their
front when Mister Miss put the. fear O.
God into 'em, in the remains OF an ora
passed 'em in going forward. Mister
Miss marched the five along. to our
little strong point, and l carried their
rifles. And he made 'em keep step,
too. tell you. Then he sent EN- BACK
vsitb our senior corporal and two men
for guard, and his chit to the o; C..
COMPANY. They reinforced before day
light, and by night that little strong
point was part OF our 'front.': / IeiI
You YOU can catch our officers as young
as YOU like, there's more in the young
est than Fritz's best can put up