Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-12-04

N AT II
|Tf[EF!RoNT
An American Boys
Baptism of Fire
By WILLIAM J. ROBINSON
Copyright Little. Brows 4 Co
The most graphic account Of the
great war that has yet been written
] comes from the pen Of twenty-five
year-old Boston boy. who has just re-
turned from France. where as dragon
guardsman. dispatch rider and motor.
car driver he served fourteen months
under the British flag. Out Of thirty. :.
one motorcycle dispatch riders ho Wa
one of four survivors
them to halt all right, and they start.
ed yelling "Friendr' at the top Of their
voices. l twisted the searchlight on
my car around until the light shone full
on them, and then I called to them to
keep their hands In the air and come
back on the road.
They didn't seem very anxious about
It, but l assured them If they didn't l
would all them full of holes GER
tainly felt fierce enough to do II. They
came up on to the road and l made
them stand one on each side Of the
car. Then l noticed that one Of them
had on a pair Of German soldiers
boots, and then I knew that | had q
fish for sure. ! got out and searched
them, but they were unarmed.
What was worrying me was the fact
that In taking them back one Of them
would have to sit behind me In the
car. took of my spare tires and put
them In the back Of the car, and with
the straps l bcund one fellows feet
and hands. I piled him into the ton.
neau and made the other sit In front
with me- assured him II he made
single move didn't like ! would
pump him full Of lead P. D. Q.
In this way I took them into camp
without accident They were shot as
spies two days later. Our haul for the
twenty-four hours was thirty-one spies,
and every one of them was a German.
One Of the most terrible things !
ever witnessed was the destruction OF
the chateau at Hooge. The chateau
was In a very peculiar position, being
on the dead ground between our trench.
es and the Germans. Sometimes we
would hold It and sometimes they
would, and 1t offered great chances to
both for sniping.
Sometimes we held part Of Il, and
they would hold the other part. Then
there was some great hand to hand
fighting. Our fellows in one room
would be digging holes through the
wall to pot at Germans in the next
It was 80 close to our trenches that
we did not dare to shell 1t, and the
same thing applied to the Germans
It was decided to mine the thing and
blow It of the face Of the earth. !
think the Germans had decided the
same thing, and It was simply case
Of who would get their mines laid hrst
We got the jump on them, and when
everything was ready our boys enticed
the Germans into It, and then the work
Of destruction started. was sitting
on horseback behind some staff officers
We were about half mile from the
place, but we had our ears stuffed
with cotton to prevent the explosion
from injuring our hearing.
When the mines were set of We saw
q sight srch as one observes only once
In q lifetime. The earth trembled, Q
low, growing rumble ensued, then q
mighty crash, and the air was filed
with smoke, fame, bricks, dust, flying
bodies, heads, legs and arms. Our fel.
lows let out mighty cheer and charg-
ed across the crater formed by the ex.
plosion. The German, seemed stunned
BY the awful sight they had witnessed,
and we took several lines Of trenches
from them with very little trouble. The
losses on the German side were terri.
BILE, and we lost heavily ourselves. The
chateau at Hooge will always be 70
membered by those who saw it
/ His majesty the king paid his armies
q visit In the fall, and as had never
seen King George | was much inter.
ested. / had seen the king Of Belgi-
um and also President Poincare Of
France, but up to this time ! had nev.
or seen the king for whom was fight
Ing.
We were warned the day before,
and every one had to be bright and
shining for the big event The king
drove up In a car bearing the royal
standard on It. and you may be sure
that car was given the right Of way
over everything. Two dispatch riders
had dashed along the road ahead Of
the car, clearing the way 80 that moth.
Ing should delay the royal party.
was one of a large detail OF mounted
men who acted as escort to bis maj.
esty.
When he left the car he mounted the
beautiful horse that was waiting for
him, and, escorted by the guard. he
rode out to the reviewing stand. He
made q speech to the men, who were
formed up on the parade. and he thank
ed them for their loyalty and devotion
to England In her time Of need.
Il could only hear few words Of
his address, as was stationed quite
q distance away from him. AS he in-
ished the speech he saluted. The fel
lows threw their hats into the air and
let out a mighty cheer. When this
happened every horse on the ground,
including my own. stood right up on
bis hind legs and reached for the blue
skies above.
The king was thrown In some way
and sustained injuries that were rather
serious. The, accident acted as q
damper to the enthusiasm, and the
kings visit ended much differently
than was expected.
CHAPTER KIN
Last Day at the Front
THN last engagement Of any I'M
portance that was In was the
big attack at Loos In September.
In big attack like this no one knows
but the commanders just where the
real thrust is coming Several attacks
are made, and for all we knew ours
.s-lA - A. -..1 @on ~ kho rao1 os,o