The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-22
u. S. FRONT Line
SammieS Now Hold Allotted
Position Against Germans.
It's a Zigzag Trench Across
the Slope of a Hill.
LINED WITH KHAN-CLAD men
e. S. Batteries Answer TeutOn
Cannon, Shell for Shell.
Dugouts Handy for Protection
From ShrapneI Showers.
BY ]. w. PEGLER.

| With the American battalions in the
front line trenches, France, Nov IL
A zig-zagging ditch, walled in with
hand woven twigs khaki-clad Sam
mics standing on the firing step-thls
| is Americas first line.
1t winds like brown scar across
the face of the hill. Sammies peer
| ing cautiously over the parapet, have
an unobstructed view across valley
to where the boche is sulking in his
own front line trenches.
Americas front line in the land
branch of tie battle for democracy
| isn't just plain ditch. To the I'M
| initiated it is a labyrinth of twists and
Sammy, it is as simple as Main street,
back home. He knows every dugout,
every traverse, every listening post.
Raced Village Between Lines.
Standing on the step at one place in
the trench beside a Nebraska soldier,
1 strained my eyes across Death VAL
| ley to where the enemy holds forth.
1t was a dank, tangled tarn. Weeds,
run wild for three years, luxuriated
J here. A battered village stands mid
| way, waiting the day of reclamation.
In front of a smashed farm house one
| could see a rusted pillow.
| 1t was still. Not a sign of a move
showed anywhere. Nothing moved
over where the German trenches were.
Suddenly an American gun cracked
| twice. Shells shuffled instantaneously
| over US and detonated lover there" in
wriggly puff ball fashion. Perhaps
unseen boches were sent scurrying
underground by it's wicked fragments.
A crow wheeling in midair was
struck by bit of this shrapnel. He
| dropped to the earth like a plummet.
/ There amt any use writing about
that to the home folks" said the tail
Nebraska soldier. They wouldn't be-
lieve me if L told it to 'em."
Dog Hunting in No Mans Land.
At that moment the Nebraskan OBJ
served a movement in the rank grass
and weeds among the American en-
tanglements. He hadn't taken his eye
off No Mans Land. His rifle stead
led, his figure tensed and then re-
Taxed. The grass parted and yellow
dog-juSt plain dog-emerged, paused
finquiringly, his fore foot lifted with
the graceful gesture that some point
er forebear's blood had bequeathed
| him and then he loped from Germany
to the United States.
He dropped into the American
nnes-his tail wagging the signal
'kamerad.' He was adopted on the
spot. We passed on down the trench.
A Memphis, Tenn, machine gunner
was our next acquaintance.
There are plenty of ducks in Death
Valley" he volunteered after some
one had mentioned the crow incident
| There's a small lake over No Mans
Land and they gather around there
From somewhere an American
sniper's rifle cracked the deep still
ness and then quiet settled down
again. In growing shadows we passed
on down the trench. AS we sto>Sed
there came abruptly the unmistaka-
BILE whistling of shells, then instantly
three gangs as the three shots struck
a hundred yards away, near the first
line. There were no casualties.
Take Up Challenge
Immediately the American guns
took up the challenge, measure for
measure. Then it was quiet again.
That brief interchange suggested
inquiry as to what took place in the
first lines when shells came over. A
, Wyoming boy proudly showed his
, dugout.
TT accommodates thirty-eight OF
us, also million rats" he remarked
with a grin. And 1 forgot the dozen
, or so CATS
We passed still farther along and
got by machine gun post in time to
see the little death dealer rattle a
, lively barrage over against a German
| village when the boches were seen
/ to be hanging out their shirts on a
. clothes line. The Huns fed-leavine
) their laundry.
Reaching the end of the American
sector, We turned to the rear. A
, tomblike stiffness reigned at that mo-
= HfenI 1t was so quiet Jnat the loud
: est sound was the water splashing and
swishing under the duck boards
/ Qattice work pavements) beneath ou1
feet.
Half an hour later the lulI was
broken. The boches started a sudden
spasm of artillerying. They hurled
fifty shrapnel shells with drum fire
speed-twenty-f five a minute. perhaps
Distant thumps and red flashes neal
US showed the American gun volley
sent painsta kinglY in reply