The Huttig news., 1918-04-06


 cry was rushing past me. The Ger mans had put a barrage of shrapnel across No Mans Land, and you could near the pieces slap the ground about you.
 After I had passed our barbed wire and gotten into No Mans Land a Tommy about fifteen feet to my right front turned around and looking in my direction, put his hand 10 his mouth and yelled something which could not make out on account of the noise from the bursting shells. Then he coughed, stumbled, pitched forward and lay still. His body seemed to float to the rear of me. l could hear sharp cracks in the air about me. These were caused by passing rife bullets. Frequently, to my right and left, little spurts of l dirt would rise into the air and a rico chet bullet would whine on its way. If Tommy should see one of these little spurts In front of him, he would tell the nurse about It later. The crossing of No Mans Land remains a blank to me.
 Men on my right and left would stumble and fall. Some would try to get up, while others remained huddled and motionless. Then smashed-up barbed wire came into view and seemed carried on tide to the rear. Suddenly, In front of me loomed a bashed-in trench about four feet wide.
 
 were anbling up its wall. One of these forms seemed to slip and then rolled to the bottom of the trench. leaped across this intervening space The man to my left seemed to pause in midair, then pitched head down into in my delirium. Upon alighting on the other side of the trench came to with sudden jolt. Right in front of me loomed giant form with a rifle which looked about ten feet long, on the end of which seemed seven bayonets. These flashed in the air in front of me. Then through my mind flashed the admoni tion of our bayonet instructor back in Blighty. He had said, whenever you get in charge and run your bayonet up to the hilt intosa German the Fritz will fall. Perhaps your rifle will be wrenched from your grasp. Do not waste time, if the bayonet is fouled in his equipment, by putting your foot on his stomach and tugging at the rifle to extricate the bayonet. Simply press the trigger and the bullet will free It." In my present situation this was the logic, but for the life of me l could not remember how he had told me to get my bayonet into the Ger man. To me this was the paramount issue. I closed my eyes and lunged forward. My rife was torn from my hands. I must have gotten the Ger man because he had disappeared. About twenty feet to my left front was a huge Prussian nearly six feet four inches in height, fine specimen of physical manhood. The baysnet 1 from his rife was missing, but h, clutched the barrel in both hands ant was swinging the butt around his head I could almost hear the swish of tht butt passing through the air. Three l little TOmmies were engaged with him They looked like pigmies alongside of the Prussian. The Tommy on the left was gradually circling to the rear of his opponent. It was funny sight to see them duck the swinging butt and try to jab him at the same time. The Tommy nearest me received the butt of the Germans rife in a smashing blow below the right temple. It smashed his head like an eggshell. He pitched forward on his side and a con- vulslve shudder ran through his body. Meanwhile the other Tommy had gained the rear of the Prussian. Sud denly about four inches of bayonet protruded from the throat of the Prus- sian soldier, who staggered forward and fell. l will never forget the look of blank astonishment that came over his face.
 Then something hit me In the left shoulder and my left side went numb. It felt as if hot poker was being driven through me. I felt no pain just sort of nervous shock. A bay onet had pierced me from the rear, tell backward on the ground, but was not unconscious, because I could see dim objects moving around me. Then flash of light In front of my eyes and unconsciousness. Something had hit me on the head. I have never found out what 1t was.
 dreamed l was being tossed about in an open boat bn heaving sea and opened my eyes. The moon was shin inE. 1 was on stretcher being car ried down one of our communication trenches. At the advanced first-aid post any wounds were dressed, and then l 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 in the front line.
 Continued Next Week.l
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