The Jasper news., 1918-08-29


squad. Then the bombers came up to
the ladders, masked and with loaded
sacks on their left arms. "one min
ute now" said the officers. getting on
their own ladders and drawing their
reyolvers--though most of the officers
Of the Legion charged with rife and
bayopet like their men.
Then-Booml Slam Bangi--and
the mines went of.
"Allezp and then the parapet was
filled with bayonets and men scram-
bling and crawling and falling and get
ting up again. The smoke drifted back
on US, and then our own machine guns
began ahead Of us.
Up toward the front the bombers
were fisb'"g In their bags and throw
ing, just IKE boys after a rat along
the docks. The black smoke from the
Jack Johnsons" rolled over us and
probably there was gas, too, but you
could not tell.
The front lines had taken their
trenches and gone on and you could
see them, when you stood on para
pet, running about like hounds through
the enemy communication trenches,
bombing out dugouts, disarming pris-
oners-very scary-looking In their
masks and goggles. The wounded
were coming back slowly. Then we
got busy with our work in the dugouts
bays, with bayonets and bombs, dig
ging the BOches out and sending them
west" And every once in while
Fritz on one side would step out and
yell "Kamerad." while, like as not. on
the other side, his pal would pot you
with revolver when yoL started to
pick him up. thinking he was wounded.
Then we stood aside at the entrance
to dugout and some ,Boches came
out in single file, shouting "Kamerad"
for all they were worth. One of them
had his mask and face blown off; YET
he was trying to talk, with the tears
rolling down over the raw flesh. He
died Ave minutes later.
One night, while was lying back In
the trench trying not to think of any.
thing and go to sleep the bombs began
to get pretty thick around there, and
when / could not stand 1t any longer
] rushed out into the bay of the fire
trench and right up against the para
pet, where 1t was safer.
Hundreds of star shells we're being
sent up by both sides and tho field
and the trenches were as bright Gs
day. All up and down the trenches
our men were lodging about, keeping
out Of the way of the bombs that
were being thrown In our faces. It
did not seem as If there was any place
where It was possible to get cover.
Most of the time was picking dirt out
Of my eyes that explosions had driven
into them.
II you went into dugout the men
already In there would shout, Don't
stick In bunch-spread outl While
you were In dugout you kept expect
ing to be buried alive and when you
went outside you thought the Boches
were aiming at you direct-and there
was no place at all where you felt
safe.
But the fire bay looked better than
the other places to me. had not been
there more than few minutes when
big one dropped In and that bay was
just one mess. Out of the "a men In
the bay only eight escaped.
When the stretcher bearers got there
they did not have much to do in the
way of rescue-it was more pallbear-
er's work.
A stretcher bearer was picking up
one of the boys, when grenade land
ed alongside OF him and you could not
find fragment Of either Of them.
That made two that landed within
twelve feet Of me; yet l was not even
scratched.
When 1 got so that I could move I
went over to where the captain was
standing, looking through periscope
over the parapet.. was very nervous
and excited and was afraid to speak
to him, but somehow / thought l
ought to ask for orders. But I
could not say word. Finally q
shell whizzed over our heads--just
missed US, 1t seemed like, and broke
out: "What did you see? What's all
Of the newsr and so on. guess
chartered like monkey.
Then he yelled: you're the gunneA
officer. You're Just In time-rve To-