Evening star., 1918-08-26

HAD close call yesterday" was
part Of q message Mr.. and Mrs. Ber-
nard A. Dyer. 1885 NJ street, recently
received from their son, James Milton
Dyer. courier in the 69th Artillery
Brigade, at the front.
"Felt heat from shell that hit
truck" tho message continued. I'VE
are giving the Dutch hell. They
are going fast Shells go by and sing
Home. Sweet Home Dirty and rag
ged, but We should worry. as long as
they are going"
Dyer is a courier, performing duty
on q motor cycle. and. he explained.
does most Of his riding between sun
set and sunrise. He carries scaled
orders throughout ono entire sector.
Goes Well Protected
Il carry my gas mask and tin hat
strapped to my machine. while my
trusty AS hangs from my right hip.
The roads are rough, and troops are
going and coming all night We are
on hill in the trees, and next to US
is a hill that was under fro forty
eight hours-night and day.
the dirt and steel would go high In
the air. and maybe 1t wouldn't sing
as she passed US to hit the other hill;
1t sounded like a sawmfll."
Dyer related an incident in which
two American observation balloons,
attacked by five enemy planes. The
observers quickly jumped from their
baskets and were fired upon. but they
managed to escape unhurt
"I have witnessed lots of air bat
ties" the courier continued, land the
Germans were outclassed all around.
They are sneaky, some Of their planes
having the French and American col
ors on them. Believe me, 1t is my luck
to be right here. while 1t is going on.
Hears Shells Bursting.
'The other night while out on a
motor cycle trip I came to q small
town that was under fire, but did
not know it I heard shells bursting.
but thought it was on the hill over
my head. 1t was about 1880 o'clock
and the moon was very pretty. I was
travelling at about forty-five or fifty
miles an hour, and as rode down the
main street I saw no one but a
French and an American soldier be-
hind a wall. I noticed holes in the
buildings and walls, but thought It
had happened some days ago.
He went on to explain that the
American shouted to him it would be
well for him to leave there II he
wanted to live to talk about the war.
Leaves in Quick Time.
Say, dad" he wrote, shat was
enough. I came in town at forty
ave, but left at sixty. Believe me, /
did move. and just reached the edge
of the town when they opened an
other i've or six rounds. was nearly
back to my little hole in the ground
when the town I was to reach next
was under air bombardment
'The Germans blew the station on
the map and killed about five soldiers:
no women, as there are very few Of
them in this part of the country.
About q week ago I was given orders
to be delivered quickly and the road
over which I was to go was under
shell IRE, and all ! could do was to
sit on the side Of the road within a
hundred yards of where the shells
were striking and wait until II was
over.
'The funny part of it was that there
were fifty engineers with wheel
barrows flling the holes as fast as
they were made. Say. dad. It's funny
feeling to have big shells hit all
around you and not know where the
next one will hit. At ffst I was as
afraid as one would be, but now we
should worry.
fright now" he continued. shells
are bursting near. I don't know how
close, but can hear them"