Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-09-04


to die"
"You are all right, old man." the
lieutenant said. "You will be home
soon. The stretcher bearers are CON-
ing" So we passed the word for the
stretcher bearers.
Then he took the water bottle from
the boys side and sat him up and gave
him some water. He left the water
bottle with the chap and went to
hurry the stretcher bearers along.
When he got around the corner of the
trench the boy was slipping back and
the water bottle had fallen down. So
l went over to him and propped him
up again and gave him some more
water.
The lieutenant came back with the
stretcher bearers and he asked one Of
them, so the boy could not hear him, if
the boy would live.
The stretcher bearer said: II don't
think so. One through his chest and
right leg broken"
The boy had kept quiet for a while,
but all of sudden he yelled, "Give me
cigarette l handed him ciga-
rette butt that had found in the dug
out. We were all out Of cigarettes.
So they lit 1t for him and he kept
quiet. AS soon as they could they got
around the corner Of the fire bay with
him and through a communication
trench to a field hospital. The lieu
tenant and walked little way with
him and he began to thank US, and he
told the lieutenant, "Old man, you
have been q father and a mother to
me-"
And the lieutenant said to him:
"You have done we'll, old boy. You
have done more than your SHARE"
When they started into the commu-
nication trench the boy began to
scream again. And the lieutenant
acted like wild man. He took out
his cigarette case, but there were no
cigarettes in it, and then he swore and
put it back again. But in a few min
utes he had the case out again and
talking to himself.
1.-THE boy isn't dying like a gentle
man." he said. "Why couldn't he keep
quiet" I do not think he meant it.
he was all nervous and excited and
kept taking out his cigarette case and
putting it back again.
The other officer had gone on to in
spect the sentries when the boy rolled
into the trench and a poilu came up
to tell US that the officer had been hit.
We walked back to where I had been
and there was the officer. If I had
been there would have got it too,
l guess. He was an awful mess. The
veins were sticking out Of his neck
and one side Of him was blown off.
Also, his foot was wounded. That is
what shrapnel does to you. AS I
crawled past him happened to touch
his foot and he cursed me all over the
place. But when I tried to say I was
sorry I could not, for then he apollo
gized and died moment later.
There was silver cigarette case
sticking out of the rags where his
side had been blown away and the
lieutenant crossed himself and reached
In and took out the case But when
he pried open the case he found that
it had been bent and cracked and all
the cigarettes were soaked with blood.
He swore worse than ever, then, and
threw his own case away, putting the
other officers case in his pocket.
At this point our own artillery be-
gan Smelling and we received the order
to stand to with fixed bayonets. When
we got the order to advance some of
the men were already over the para
pet and the whole bunch after them,
and, believe me, I was as pale as a
sheet, just scared to death. I think
every man Is when he goes over for
the first time-every time for that
matter. But was glad we were going
to get some action, because it is hard
to sit around in trench under fire
and have nothing to do. I had all I
could do to hold my rifle.
We ran across No Mans Land. I
cannot remember much about it. But
when we got to the German trench
fell on top of a young fellow and my
bayonet went right through him. It
was crime to get him, at that. He
was as delicate as pencil.
When I got back to our trenches
after my first charge I could not sleep
for long time afterward, for remem-
bertng what that fellow looked like
and how my bayonet slipped into him
and how he screamed when he fell.
He had his legs and his neck twisted
under him after he got it. 1 thought
about it lot and it got to be almost
a habit that whenever I was going to
sleep I would think about him and
then all hope Of sleeping was gone.
Our company took a German trench
that time and along with another
company four hundred prisoners. We
had to retire because the men on our
sides did not get through and we
were being flanked. But we lost a lot
OF men doing it.
When we returned to our trenches
our outfit was simply all in and we
were lying around in the front line,
Ike bunch of old rags In a narrow
alley. None of US showed any signs
OF life except working party that
was digging with picks and shovels at
some bodies that had been frozen into
the mud of the trench.
used to think all the Germans were
big and fat and strong, and, of course,
some of the grenadier regiments are,
but lots Of the Boches 1 saw were
little and weak like this fellow 1 "got"
In nv first CHARGE