The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-04-11
Il1|IE,k
CHAPTER XVII.

II cHApTEa xv,,.
Out In Front.
After tea Lieutenant Stores Of our
section came into the dugout and In
formed me that was "for" reconnoi-
bombs.
At IL 30 that night twelve men. our
lieutenant and myself went out In
front on patrol in No Mans Land.
We cruised around In the dark for
about two hours. just knocking about
looking for trouble, on the lookout for
Boche working parties to see what
they were doing.
Around two in the morning We were
carefully picking our way about thirty
yards In front of the German barbed
wire. when we walked into q Boche
covering party nearly thirty strong.
Then the music started. the fiddler rem
dered his bill, and We paid.
Fighting in the dark with q bayonet
Is not very pleasant. The Germans
took II ON the run, but our oficer was
no novice at the game and didn't fol-
low them. he gave the order down
on the ground, hug 1t close"
Just In time. too. because q volley
skinned over our heads. Then In low
tones we were told to separate and
crawl back to our trenches. each man
on his own.
We could see the flashes OF their
rifles In the darkness. but the bullets
were going over our heads
We lost three men killed and one
for our odicer's quick thinking the
whole patrol would have probably
been wiped out
After about twenty minutes whit we
went out again and discovered that
the Germans had a wiring party work
ing on their barbed wire. We returned
to our trenches unobserved with the
Information and our machine guns i'm
mediately got busy.
The NEXT night four men were sent
out to 60 over and examine the Ger
man barbed wire and see II they had
cut lanes through It 4; II 80. this pres
aged an eariy morning attack on our
trenches
OF course had to be one OF the four
selected for the Job. II was Just like
sending . fellow to the undertaker's
to order hfB own conn.
At tea O'Clock ve started out, armed
with three bombs. q bayonet and re-
volyer. After getting into No Mans
Land we separated. Crawling four or
nve feet at time, ducking star shells
with strays cracking overhead. I
reached their wire. I secuted along
this inch by inch. scarcely breathing.
L could hear them talking in their
trench, my heart vas pounding ag8inst
my ribs- One fAlse move OF the 1eiiss
noise from me meant discovery and
almost certain death.
After covering my sector 1 quietly
crswied back I had gotten about half
way when I noticed that my revolver
was missing. II was pitch dark. I
turned about to see II could find 1t /:
Il couldn't be far away. because about
three or four minutes previously had
felt the butt IN the holster. crawled
around In circles and at last found Il.
then started on my way back to our
trenches. as I thought.
Pretty soon reached barocd wire,
and was just going to give the pass
word when something told me not to.
put out my hand and touched one OF
the barbed wire stakes II was iron
The British are Of wood. while the
German are iron. Ny heart stopped
beating; BY mistake I had crawied
back to the German lines
turned slowly about and my tunic
caught on the wire and made q loud
ripping noise.
A sharp challenge rang out.
sprang TO my feet. ducking low. and
ran madiy back toward our lines. The
0ecmans started nrinG. The bullets
were biting all around me. when bnpgi
I ran smash Into our wire. and sharp
challenge, Alt, who comes theref"
rang out. Easped out the password.
and. CROPPING my way through the lane
in the wire. tearing my hands and
uniform. I tumbled into our trench and
was safe. but was 4 nervous wreck
for an hour. until Q drink Of rum
brought me round.
CHAPTER XVII.
49, le>l~- El.~