Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-07-27
shallow graves Of the dead. Most of
the soljicsr legs are SCARED to the
knees with bites.

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the soljiesr legs are SCARED to the
] knees with bites.
The one thing Of which we constant-
| iy lived In fear was a gas attack
used 10 wake In the middle OF the night
in cold sweat dreaming that ] heard
the clstter and whistle blowing all
along the line which meant that the
gas was coming. And finally really
did hear the terrifying sound. just at
4 moment when II couldn't have sound
ed worse. | was In charge OF the daily
ration detail. sent back about ten miles
to the point Of nearest approach Of the
transport Iorries to carry IN rations,
trenches. We had lot OF trouble re-
turning with our loads Passing n
point which was called shrapneI Cor
Tier. because the Germans had precise
range of II. we were caught IA ma
chine gun fire aud had 10 lie on our
stomachs for twenty minutes. during
which we lost one mnn wounded
sent him back aud went on with my
party. only 10 run into another machine
gun shower half mile farther on.
While we were lying down to escape
this concealed British battery OF
i've inch guns. ab0ut which we knew
nothing. opened up right over our
heads IL shook us up aud scared us so
that some Of our party were now worse
or than the man who had been bit and
carried 10 the rear We finally got to
gcthcr and went on. When we were
about "a mile behind the reserve trench,
stumbling Ia tie dark through the last
aid most dangerous path overland, we
heard lone siren whistle. followed by
wave OF metallic hammering and wild
footing which seemed 10 spread over
all Of Belgium a mile ahead OF us All
any OF US could say was:
Cast"
Al you could see IN the dark was n
collection OF white aud frightened
faces. Every trembling finger seemed
awkward as a thumb as we got out our
gas masks aud helmets and put them
on. following directions as nearly as
we could. | ordered the men to sit
stli and sent two forward 10 notify
me from headquarters when the gas
alarm was over They lost their way
aud were not found for two days. We
sat there for an hour. and then ! ven.
tured to take my mask OFF. AS nothing
| ordered the men TO do the
same. When we got into the trenches
With our packs we found that the gas
alarm had been one Of Fritz's jokes.
The first sirens had been sounded in
the German lines and there hadn't |
been any gas
Our men eyened things up with the /
Germans, however. the next night
Some of our scouts crawled clear up |
10 the German barbed wire. ten yards /
In front OF the enemy fire trench. tied /
empty Jam tins to the barricade and |
hen, after attaching small telephone
wires TO the barbed strands. crawled
back TO our trenches. When they start
ID pulling the telephone wires the
amply tins made clatter right under
Fritz's nose Immediately the Germans
opened up with all their machine gun
md rifle Gre. began bombing the spot
rom which the noise came and sent
NJ IS o S" signals for artillery fire
along mile OF their line. They fred
/ $4,000 salute aud lost a nights sleep
,ver the noise made by the discarded
containers Of shillings' worth of jam.
L was good tonic for the Tommles.