The Washington herald., 1918-03-12
"OVR THE TOP"
By ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Copyrighted by Arthur Guy Empey.

CHAPTER 'XXVI-CoNTINUE
We had cut a lane about half way
through the wire when. down the cen
ter OF our line, twang! went an i'm
properly cut wire. We crouched down,
cursing under our breath, trembling
all over, our knees lacerated from the
strands of the cut barbed wire on the
ground, waiting for a challenge and
the inevitable volley Of rife FIRE. Moth
ing happened. suppose the fellow
who cut the barbed wire improperly
was the one who had sReezed about
half an hour previously. What we
wished him would never make his
new year a happy one.
The officer, in my opinion. at the
noise Of the wire should have given
the four-tap signal, which meant,
"On your own, get back to your
trenches as quickly as possible" but
again he must have relied on the spiel
that Old Pepper had given US in the
dugout, Personally believe that that
part of the German trench is unoc-
cupied-" Anyway, We got careless, but
not so careless that we sang patriotic
songs or made any unnecessary noise.
During the intervals of falling star
shells We carried on with our wire
cutting until at last we succeeded in
getting through the German barbed
wire. At this point we were only
ten feet from the German trenches.
II We were discovered, we were like
rats In a trap. Our way was cut on
unless We ran along the wire to the
narrow lane we had cut through. With
our hearts in our mouths we waited
for the three-tap signal to rush the
German trench. Three taps had got
ten about half way down the line when
suddenly about ten to twenty German
star shells were fred all along the
trench and landed In the barbed wire
IN rear Of US, turning night into day
and silhouetting US against the wall Of
light made by the flares. In the glar-
ing light we we're confronted by the
following unpleasant scene.
All along the German trench, at
about three-foot intervals, stood a big
Prussian guardsman with his rifle at
the aim, and then We found out why
we had not been CHALLENGED when the
man sneezed and the barbed wire had
been improperly cut. About three feet
in front of the trench they had con-
structed a single fence of barbed wire
and We knew our chances were loo
to l Of returning alive. We could not
rush their trench on account of this
second defense. Then in front of me
the challenge, Halt" given in Eng
ish rang out, and one of the finest
things have ever heard on the West
ern front took place.
From the middle Of our line some
Tommy answered the challenge with,
"Aw. 60 to hell" 1t must have been
the man who had sneezed or who had
Improperly cut the barbed wire; he
wanted to show Fritz that he could
die game. Then came the volIey. Ma
chine guns were turned loose and sew
eral bombs were thrown in our rear.
The Boche in front Of me was looking
down his sight. This fellow might
have, under ordinary circumstances,
been handsome. but when / viewed
MIN from the front of his rife he had
the gohiins Of childhood Imagination
relocated to the shade.
linen came flash in front of me, the
hare OF his rifie-and INV head seam
ed to burst. A bullet had hit me on
the left side of my face about half
an inch from my eye, smashing the
eheek bones. I put my hand to my
race ana reh forward, biting the gound
and kicking my feet. I thought I was
dying. but do you know, my past
life did not unfold before me the
way 1t does In novels.
The blood was streaming down nv
tunic. and the pain was awful. When
came to said to myself. Emp,
old boy. you belong In Jersey City
and you'd better get back there ar
quickly as possible"
The bullets were cracking overhead.
Il erawled a few feet back to the
German barbed wire. and in n stoop-
ing position. guiding myself by the
wire. I went down the line looking
for the lane We had cut through. Be
fore reaching this lane came to a
limp form which seemed like a bag
Of oats hanging over the wire. IN
the dim light could see that its hands
were blackened, and knew Il was the
body OF one of my mates. put my
hand on his head. the top Of which
had been blown on by bomb. My
fingers sank into the hole. I pulled
my hand back full OF blood and brains,
then went crazy with fear and hor-