American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-30
By WILLIAM ]. ROBINSON
An American Boys
Baptism of Fire
Copyright. Little. Brown & Co.
CHAPTER VII.
The Attack on Hill No. so.

n Il last we came 10 the place Wnere
n the communication trench began,
and l explained it to him. The
trench lay about 100 yards off the road,
running parallel to it. 1t was awfully
muddy and one of the dirtiest holes to
get to that i ever saw. He noted this
and wanted to stick to the road, so 1
shut up and said no more for a few
minutes.
Pretty soon a few shells began to
come over, and 1 could see them burst
ing farther up the road. 1 spoke again
and pointed out the danger we were
running into. He had to consent then,
so we slipped and sid through the
mud and finally got into the trench.
1t was easy after that, and we reach
ed the trenches just in time to have
some lunch.
In the afternoon he was shown all
through the trenches there and then
came back and asked to see some
bombs thrown. They threw some bombs
for him and then started firing rifle
grenades. Everything was lovely un-
til about 4 o'clock. Suddenly some
thing whizzed owe and landed in a
trench not a dozen feet from where we
were standing. l didn't wait to see
what it was. 1 didn't even hesitate.
My feet just acted automatically, and
/ think 1 broke the worlds record for
the standing broad jump right then
and there. AS it happened, the thing
didn't explode, and it's a good thing
~ didn't, for the colonel just stood and
watched 1t.
Soon after this he decided to go back,
so We returned the same way we had
come, and all the way back he had me
picking up shell noses and pieces Of
shell until, when we reached the car
again, 1 resembled a junk wagon.
To put the finishing touches on it all
they were Smelling Viamertinghe when
we returned, and we passed through
that place as fast as that car could
travel, while the houses were tumbling
down on either side Of us. Taken all
in all, it was about as exciting a day
as / wanted.
But my troubles were not over yet,
for / was informed that l was to take
him to the Ploogsteert trenches the
next day. l did not mind that so much.
for the Saxons were holding the trench
es opposite us on that part OF the line.
and they did not bother us very much.
Sometimes days would pass with hard
ly a shot being fired. OF course the
German artillery gave it to Us just the
same as everywhere else, but the Sax
ons themselves are pretty decent chaps.
, The village of Ploogsteert is a very
4 interesting place, as there had been a
great deal Of hand to hand fighting
there in the earlier days of the war and
the houses and trees left standing were
all scratched and cut by bullet marks.
We started out about 10 O'Clock the
next morning. and by IL we were on
our way up to the trenches. In going
TO the trenches one passes through a
big wood, and this place, too, vas alive
with snipers. We arrived without mis-
hap, however, but things were warmer
than usual. for it seems that there were
some Bavarians in against us at this
time.
While the colonel was housing around
l picked up one of the new periscopic
rifles that had just come out and start
ed potting at a chap who was digging
a sniping trench out in front of the
German parapet. l could only see the
fash of his intrenching tool as he threw
the dirt out, and once In awhile his
head would show for a fraction of Il
second. But l kept potting away more
to kill time than anything else.
& He soon knew that l was after him.
for every once in awhile be would
wave his little shovel at me just after
I had taken a shot. All afternoon l
kept this up, nj about 4:30 l was be
ginning to get rather tired Of the game.
l just happened to glance into the glass
of the periscope. and there was his
whole head and shoulders showing
above the little parapet.
pulled the trigger. and he seemed to
disappear almost at the same instant.
1t sounds rather long to tell about, but
it all happened in the fraction Of a sec
ond. / didn't know whether l had hit
him or not, and l was beginning to
= doubt it when some N threw his body
o u and went on digging in his place.
: I had fred nearly 400 rounds of am
' munition TO get one German, but l felt