Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02

from the trenches. for bristling as 1t
did with machine guns and rapid airing
Our artillery had been busy since
daybreak. God knows where we got
30 many pouches do feu" (mouths Of
flre). Thousands Of our seventy-nves
coughed together till you could not
distinguish any individual report from
the discordant chaos OF sound. And.
when the big guns in the rear were
fired. you could feel them rather than hear
them. the conclusion was so great. The
air. rushing into the vacuum caused by
loose a sort Of electricity which tensed
your nerves to the breaking point
Even those Of US who had been under
for any one who loves the. dolce far
niente.''
Squad B was grouped around its ser
geant. who at the telephone awaited
the command to set OF the mine. AT
s:45 o'clock it came. and he threw the
switch that was to open the way Tor
the infantry. Holding our breaths. we
pecting to see them blown skyward.
but nothing happened. The sergeant
tried again, but with no result.
An impatient voice on the telephone
told us that the general wanted that
mine to be exploded Immediately.
The sergeant held a hurried consul
tation with Squad b. The wire must
lar animal There was no time to
verify IT. The quickest way to ex-
plode the mine was to connect regu-
lar powder fuse to the detonator.
sst ss roll # f snspp aad tS ss on
geant to the squad in general.
only thre.-meter length Of fuse:
the roll At the supply house in the
rear. because 1t was SO heavy to carry
French regulation fuse burns one
meter to the minute. Even for an
active man. 1t was six-minute crawl
The general called again at the
phone.
Explode that mine at once. 1t is
too late to stop the infantry. who have
blockhouse is still there the entire Of
fensive may fail. Explode that mine
The sergeant rnotioned the squad
around him.
Men" he said, the mine must be
exploded with those three meters OF
fuse. 1t is almost sure death. but the
lightest and most agile of you has the
best chance of getting away before It
goes of. ! hate to command any of
you to do such a job. Come. boys
volunteer! IT is for France. You. La
rousse. or you. Martin. you are the
now Volunteer before l am forced to
command YOU"
Larousse and Martin looked at each
other. but neither met the sergeant's
eyes.
You pick on US. because we are thin
and active" muttered one OF them.
1--WE should die because we do not eat
like hogs, when the man that is to
blame is not sent since he Is SO fat
that he can hardly squeeze through
the tunnel"
Never mind. can squeeze through
all right" spoke up Michelon Just as
the sergeant was about to designate
1T was my fault. I will make it
good, Give me the fuse
"But you are too SLOW" demonstrated
the sergeant. 1T is certain death for
YOU Think II nnns o. y11r children La
hut Michelon had already disap-
peared into the black mouth of the
Eight minutes later the mine ex-
First the earth heaved upward and
settled back into place. while a black
pall~of smoke appeared over the Ger
ssa, r as. tts n black
ana fell back into it again. And some
of these specks fell all around us, and
some of them were red, not black
Almost simultaneously a line of men
dashed out of our trenches toward the
German line or rather toward the mine
crater. which was all that remained OF
it-and I cannot tell any more, for
was busy from then on.
The offensive was a success. and the
general sent q war cross to Michelon's
widow.
A few weeks ago l took a car at the
IN tHA
Ambulance Hospital at Neuilly. where
Sergt. Edgar Bouligny. New Orleans
only representative In the Foreign Lee
xion. was under treatment for a
smashed-up leg. Bouligny has moth
ing to do with this story. but might
mention. while am about 1t. that he 10
one Of the squarest pals . fellow ever
had. and one Of the coolest suboacers