The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-24

they crossed, nor was there as they
returned. They had cleaned that Ger
man trench. And they brought back
the body of a man--dreadfully mutt
lated. 1t was the Canadian SERGEANT
j had met earlier In the night,
What had happened was this. The
man had been captured by a German
patrol and they had held him up above
the parapet In the early dawn. His
comrades not knowing what it was
riddled him with machine gun bullets
in the dim light. When they saw that
it was one Of their men they went
over, men, officers and all. Nothing
could have stopped them.
The Canadians we're reprimanded
for going over without orders. TAKE
the words of your experienced little
friend and believe that personal en-
counters on patrol are to be discreetly
avoided.
Occasionally the temptation is too
great once / was out on patrol, hav-
ing sent my man back with a message,
when / encountered n Heinie. l was
lying down at the time. A flock of
lights went up and showed this fellow
standing about ten feet from me. He
had frozen and stayed that way till
the flares died but was close enough
to see that he was a German. Also
marvel OF marVels-he was alone.
HOLMES FIGHTS A DRAW
When the darkness settled again
got to my feet and jumped at him. lie
Jumped at me--another marvel. Go
ing into the ciinch / missed him with
the persuader and lost my grip on
it, leaving the weapon dangling by the
leather loop on my wrist. lie mad
struck OF me with his automatic, which
7 think he must have dropped, though
I'm not sure of that anyway we fell
into each others arms and were al
II barehanded. He was bigger than
I got under the ribs and tried to
squeeze the breath out OF him but
he was too rugged
At the same time ] felt that he
didn' relish the clinch. | slipped my
elbow up and got under his chin, fore
ing his head BACK. His breath smelled
of rum and onions. ! was choking
him when he brought his knee up and
got me in the stomach and again on
the instep when he brought his heel
down.
II broke my hold and staggered
back cropping for the pusaude-, He
Jumped back as far as ] did J felt
somehow that he was glad, So was /,
We stood for 2 minute and / heard
hin, mutte- out something that
sounded like ''Nerdamder swine
hund." Then we both backed away
II seemed to me to be the incest
way out OF the situation. No doubt he
felt the same.
! seem to have wandered far from
the quarries and the Grouse Holes
Let's go back.
We we're two days in the Grouse
A~,r
back to the quarries and taking the
place of No, 9 In support. While ly.
ing there ! drew a patrol that was in
tereSting becaus 1t was different.
The Souchez river flowed down from
Alkaline and Souchez villages and
through our lines to those of the Ger
mans. and on to Lens. Spies. either
in the army itself or in the villages
had been placing messages I'm bottles
and floating them down the river &c
the Germans.
Somebody found tins out and net
Of chicken wire had been placed across
the river In No Mans Land Someone
had to go down there and fish for
bottles twice nightly. l took this
patrol alone The lines were rather
far apart along the river, owing to the
swampy nature OF the frourd, which
made livable trenches impossible.
SAVES LIFE WITH BONE
I slipped out and down the slight
incline, and presently found myself
in a little valley The grass was rank
and high sometimes nearly up 10 my
chin. and the ground was Shiny and
treacherous. l slipped into several
shell holes and was almost over my
head in the stagnant, smelly water
! made the river all right. but there