The Washington herald., 1917-10-28

Az they gathered about the Kitchens
there was much chafinS and good-na-
tured laughter.
Wonder what kind of a sconin. We
got tonight1,
Then the nnal march began. The
orizzie grew into . peltins rain The
first company swung along at q brisk
marching step.
Reach Front Tresehes.
Finally the cross roads were reach
ed. o milestone Of history.
From somewhere out Of the dark
ness appeared a little girl In a rub
Der cape. without q word she march
ed alongside Sammy until the col
umn arrived at the point where Il
swung out batdewards.
At the. cross roadways there was a
sign board that had been spared by
the German fire. II pointed 70 wiz
lages that now stand behind the Ger
man lines. The little girl gazed In
the direction of the sign board and
then looked. up at the sammies, a
queer questioning look IN her eyes.
A few PAGES away stood. watch
in hand. the major In command Of
the battalion. He looked at the time
piece and remarked:
Another battalion on my right
should be leaving the village Of -
now."
He looked at the watch again.
THE first company of my battalion
might have reached the trenches by
this time. am now listening to see
what the Germans do to them"
A sharp breeze Just then once more
brought the muzzled murmur OF dis
tant guns. Then there was silence
again, only the rattle of wagons and
the steady tramp Of troops. on into
the darkness turned column after col
umn.
The little girl in the rubber cape
still stood at the cross roads sign
and gazed after the departing Sam
mics.
Beside her. the correspondent Of the
International News Service and five
other correspondents were the only
civilians that saw them go.
There are various accounts OF the
first infantry fire. The one heard
most is that a young Sammy OF a
certain regiment blazed away at the
German trenches at daybreak Of the
first day on the firing line.
British Gain in Flanders.
London, Oct. N.-The Anglo-British
offensive In the Flanders region OF
France continues. The ground taken
by the British east OF Ypres is being
consolidated. The Germans, however
are fighting desperately to check the
onrushing allied troops. The wal
Office reported today that heavy
counter-attacks by the Teutons were
repulsed by Canadian troops in the
Passchendaele region.
The French reported the capture oi
additional German trenches north ol
the objectives gained yesterday.
Berlin, however, disputes the
french claim and states that the
enemy was thrown back to the cratei
fields after he had reached Butte
hoek.
Paris reported that German avia'
tors threw 20 bombs on Dunkirk. caus'
ing 30 casualties among the civiliar
population.
The British carried out bombing
raids on Varssenaere airdrome anc
the Thourout Railway junction in Bel
gium, bad weather hindered observa
tons by the naval airplanes but al
the machines returned safely, the ad
miralty announced
BerIin's Big Claims
Berlin claims the capture Of 5000
prisoners in Mackensen's drive; also
the taxing OF 40 guns. Inestimablt
booty is claimed besides.
The attackers have captured th,
steep mountain ridge Of Stol and the
strongly fortified summit OF Monte
Matajur. 1,s41 meters high. The lat.
ter was taken Thursday morning
twenty-four hours after the begin.
ming OF the drive.
THE achievements in battle and
marching of all our troops are be-