Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-03-08
"OVER THE TOP"
By ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
An American Boy Who Got Into the War Two
Years Before His Country
Copyri.h,, 1911. Ly Arthur Guy EmIy.

Th" man 10 my left seemed TO lauSc
in mIdiir. then pitched head down IN
10 IN" German trench. l laughed Out
loud IN my dcliriun. Upon alightlnr
un The Oth"r Sid" Oi the trench ! cam"
To with Il sudden jolt. Right in front
Of IN" luumcd Il giant form with rii'"
which locke dabout ten feet long. on
the rnd al which seemed seven bay
nnctS These flashed in the air in front
uf me. Then through my mind Hash
,d the admunition of our bayonet in
StrI"tnr back III Bliphty. He had
said, whenever you get in Il charg"
and run your bayonct up To the hlli
into 4 German the Fritz Will fall.
PERHAPS your rifle will be wrcnChrd
from your grasp. DO not waste time.
if the bayonct is fouldcd in his equip
m"ni. by putting your foot on ms
stomach and tugging at the rifle To cN-
trIcaic the bay"nct. Simply press tn"
trigger and the bullet Will free 1t.
In my present situation this was III"
logic. but for the life Of IN" cUulG
not remember how he had told me To
get my hayonct into the German. To
rnr this waS the paramount ISSUE.
closed nv eyes and lungCd forward.
Nj rifle Was torn from my hands.
must have, gotten ia" German h"ca,ISc
feet To my left front was Il hug" lruS-
san nearly six feet four inches in
height, Il fine specimen Of physical
ruanhood. The hayonct from his rifle
wnS missing. but he clutChcd the bar
rel in both hands and WAS Swin"in"
the butt around his head. ! could al
most hear the swish of the butt pass
rnr through the air. Three littl"
TomlniCS We're engaged vain MN.
They looked lik" piSmieS alongside of
the prISSian. The Tommy on the left
MAS gradually CirClin" lo the rear al
hIS opponent Il WAS u funny sight Ia
S", them duck the swinging butt and
try IT, lab him at the same time. The
Tommy nearest me received the butt
of the Iirrmans rifle in Il smashing
blow below tn" right temple. II
smashed his head lik" an cggShcll. III"
pitched forward un his side and Il con-
rulSiVr Shudier ran through his body.
Meanwhile the other Tommy had
gained the rear of the PruSSlan. sud
denly about four inches of bayon"i
I,rutrudcd from the throat OF tn"
PruSSian soldier. who staggered for
ward and fell. I viii never forget the
look of blank establishment that cam"
over his face.
Then something hit me in the left
Shpllli'f ana my Slut went nHlllp'
II felt AZ i! Il hot poker WAS being
driven through me. ! felt no pain
just Il sort of nervous shock. \ bay
Onct had pierced me from the rear.
fell backward On the ground, but WAS
not unconscious. because ! could 81"
dim objects moving around me. Then
i flash of light in front of my eyes and
Something had hit
me on the head. have never found
out what IL WAS.
dreamed | WAS being tossed about
in an open boat On Il hcaving sea and
opened my eyes. The moon was shin
ing. wGis on Il Stretchcr being car
ricd down one of our communication
t5eeuit. tieG ll( saPstss =
post my wounds were dressed. and
then I was put into an ambulance and
sent to one of the base hospitals. The
wounds in my shoulder and head were
not serious and in six weeks ! had re-
joined my company for service III the
front line.