The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-05-04

above them. 1t is thus for only brief period.
AS suddenly grows new confusion in front. Al
first it sounds like murmur, babble of many
voices. They turn out to be shrieks. The order
has been given to jump out and advance Ihey
come from men delirous in frantic haste to rush
on after the strain OF 1t.
As the men in front jump out and rush along
In advance, rifles held almost at arms length win
the bayonets in the dim smoke clouds sticking out
In front the other crowds back in the trenches rush
out to fill their places and in turn jump out and
rush 1t is all done quickly as possible; there
Is no times lost and hardly a motion.
And while the mass Of frsnzied men rush on to-
ward the trenches of the Germans, falling by
scores whole groups Of them turn this way and
that the Germans concentrate their fire 6nong
them. others keep filling in from the rear 1nere Is
end to their number, apparently The entire
rear is now packed with men and more men, while
behind them still more men-men without num-
Der.
"There win be a signal when you get out there
told. ut is an order to fall on your faces
Fall them! No time to lose"
The who first eaped out and started to rush
along fell in another way long ago-it was but
several seconds or so-and the ranks behind them
In turn dissolved Still others came on and now
the first of the advancing mass are at the first
trenches of the Germans.
Comes the signal Suddenly in the frenzy men
cease to leap from the trenches, while the advanc
ing ranks rushing blindly on fall fiat. Almost at
u
to the men lying there comes a noise that is even
greater than the crash Of few minutes before
But 1t is hardly perceptibe, for the Senses work.
Ing at capacity cannot grasp 1t all.
1t is the French guns opening up again. They
tearing out way for the infantry, tearing
away what humanity is left in the second and third
line trenches Even during the previous hours OF
bombardment the Germans tried to keep these In
semblance Of holes. There cannot be many
beings left In them, but re-enforcements probably
coming up.
few seconds later the gunfre of the French
again ceases as though by magic. Immediately the
soldiers jump to their feet and again rush on
They pass over the first line of German trenches
reach the second line and on to the third line.
Another signal, a loud shouting and they again
fall down. The guns open up again.
This time the guns pound away German
works farther in the rear. They stop again and
the troops dash Every man knows his place In
the drive and every body of men, When one man
falls another is there to do what he was doing
The soldiers feel the success of 1t by this time
They are instilled with enthusiasm. the wild Joy Of
victory. Shells fall among the advancing hordes
but In the wild din just passed those who escape
hardly know it.
Now there are fewer guns firing on the German
side Others Of the French artillery, when not FIR
ing at places ahead Of the advancing soldiers.
quickly change their range to the batteries.
The French have passed the first four lines
of regular trenches and running over the net
work Of connecting trenches. Masses Of Germans
are in these. Terrified by what they have been
through few show resistance. 1t Is useless. The
French soldiers continue to advance, charging
when resistance is offered delirious with the wine
Of a successful drive. They do the feats Of super
beings and are unaware Of 1t.
Hours later, after 1t has ceased and the lines are
again deadocked, soldiers In the towns Of the old
gather in groups around the bulletin boards
where is posted the brief official communque.
The soldiers standing around reading are new
troops. They are on their way to the trenches.
Ambulances still rush up from the rear and back
again, catching up with the work.
The masses Of prisoners are already on their way
southwark. Included In the number taken was a
detachment, a crowd of 20 men who were all that
remained Of several hundred German soldiers
They were caught In a trench and unable to es-
cape during the terrible bombardment explain the
few able to think coherenty. Retreat had been cut
of by shells falling behind them.
OF the number yet alive are maniacs-men who
raving violently. They are initiating the noises
of shells and the motions of men struck by them
William T. Martin. In New York Sun.