New Britain herald., 1917-11-16

! their captors and all seemed to enjoy the prospects of a French prison l camp.
 Meets Tank "in a Hurry.'' "On Thursday we had another trip which, in some respects, was the 1 most interesting one I have to look back upon, although it had it's l drawbacks at the time. We received orders for four o'clock Thursday a. m., the trip to be a double one for 1 "A cars, and, in order to expedite l matters, the chief decided to send l them in groups of six cars each | instead of waiting until all 24 were l loaded and unloaded We got off in ] the first ram or group, but in loading l for the second trip got delayed and l started out the last car in the second ram. In some way there was an CT TOT made about food and there was nothing to eat, but as indications pointed to the early arrival home, no one objected very much. On the be l ginning of the second trip we got tangled up in an immense line of 1 traffic, then were held up for over two hours waiting for marine gun to get pulled off the road and we be- gan to see that We were to go with out supper as we'll Our route took us due east to the town of where we turned north and took a road heretofore forbidden to cam ions. The road out of is up
 an exceedingly steep hill and in the middle of this misfortune overlook Camion No. Il in the way of car- ouretor trouble. Flashlights were
 forbidden, so we had to do our best
 in the darkness of a cold rainy night foS hrn r%o~ 0F
 started, not knowing where we were
 to stop, as all the others had long
 disappeared. The stop came all too
 easily only half-mile further on. We had reached the crest of the hill
 and started to descend when we struck an artillery train loaded with
 ammunition. The road here was far
 from the haunts of the steam roller
 and road markers I pictured in an-
 other letter and, in addition, it had
 been soaked With almost a weeks
 rain.
 You have read of what mud is in
 France but you can't picture it even
 in the most vivid reading. Mon Com- {!
 arade and I debated as to whether to
 attempt to pass or not and decided |
 to try it. We managed to get along 1
 well to where we could see the open i
 road ahead when we struck a spot
 where the road sloped to the left 9
 bit and we gently but firmly began
 to skid and in spite of the skilful and
 heroic maneuvering of the premier conductor, yours truly, we skidded inch by inch towards the ditch eventually making sudden stop when the rear wheel buried itself way over the hub We were stuck and stuck fast in 'an unpleasant spot without camions to aid us, not knowing where we were or even if we were on the right road, with cold drizzly rain falling and no prospects of getting out. So we sat with top up, storm curtain up. floor board up to furnish heat and engine running to supply fresh heat with no signs of the arrival of the third ram or of the return of the first. We sat and sat from 6:3O until 11:3O when I heard a peculiar rumbling in the dis tance and getting out to investigate got my first sight of a caterpillar tank. It came numbering along and 1t immediately occurred to me that if the contrivance could jump trenches and knock down trees and roofs as had read, it would be 8 simple matter for 1t to pull a lost camion onto the road, so with much the manner of a Fifth avenue traffic cop, I got into the road and halted the contrivance explaining with much difficulty in my best French through a barred window, our predicament. The man in com mand said he was very sorry but he was in great hurry as the French were to continue their attack and he was to take part. l don't know wheth- CT I was humorist or not but where he got that stuff about hurrying I can't imagine. His vehicle had much the same grace and celerity as a snail. His words must have been a aignal, however, for just as he start ed on, the guns which had been si- lent, began to bleat again and we
 found to our 'chagrin that we were
 right in the middle of some batteries
 On each side of the road few yards
 away were some 21Om which went |
 off with big flash and 0 bigger noise ]
 at the rate of about one a minute |
 while below in the valley the smaller
 150's and 75's began the barrage at |
 the rate of about one a second.
 Right then and there I mado a
 decision. They could put me in the
 front line trenches, they could present
 me to the Boche the first prisoner
 of war. but never would they get me
 into the artillery. You know how
 crazy I have always been ;' 1t Fourth of July celebrations, Wild West shows and other noisy celebra- tions so you can sympathize with me. It has long been my contention that the man who first started the canl- paign for a safe and sane Fourth should be honored. That night I would have voted him the Croix de Guerre, Metallic Militaire and Gross of the Legion of Honor had the u,- portunity.
 About 12 o'clock the thing began to get on my nerves and suggested