The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1918-12-19

! In the ground as we could get.
The man thought there were other
OF our lines not far behind us, but we
knew better; so then he said he did
not see how any one could get back
from there to our nearest lines. I
did not see either. Then we all fig
ured we were forgotten and would not
come out Of there alive, and you can
believe me or not, but 1 did not much
care. Anything would be better than
:ust staying there In that awful noise
with nothing to do, and no water.
Our sergeant said he would not ask
any man to attempt to carry the raes.
sage, because he said It was not only
certain death, but absolutely useless.
And he began to show that he was
near shell shock himself.
Then began to shiver again, and I
thought to myself that anything would
be better man sitting In this hole watt
Ing TO go "cafard," so decided to vol
unteer. i did not think there was any
chance to get through, but it seemed
as If Sdst had to do something, no
matter what. / had never felt that
way before, and had never been
anxious to "go west" with q shell for
company, but have felt that way
since then several times, 1 can tell
you.
Ihe man was telling us that some
time before they had seen the Turks
bringing up ammunition from some
storehouses, but they did not come
anywhere near. He said their sergeant
wanted our messenger to tell them
that, too. He would say a few words
very fast, then he would shiver again.
ana his Jaws would clip together and
ne would try to raise his hand. but
could not.
Ihen our sergeant asked the name
OF the other sergeant, aid when the
man told him he said the man was
senior to himse.I and therefore in
command and would have to be obeyed.
lie seemed to cheer up a lot after
ne said this and did not shiver any
more, so / thought 1 would volunteer
then, so l said to him, "Well, mon
VicuX, do you think we are seeing real
smelling now?" And then 1 was going
TO say l would go, but he looked Mt
me in funny way for second and
then said, well, my son, suppose you
go and find out"
thought he was kidding me Mt first.
but then l saw he meant it. thought
two things about it-one was that any,
thing was better than staying there,
and the other was that the old dugout
was pretty fair place after all. But
did not say anything to the SER
gcant or the other men-just went
out OF the dugOut. The sergeant and
another man went with me and boost
ed me over the back wall of the hole.
L lay flat on the ground for minute to
get my bearings, and then started off.
l set my course for where I thought
the communication trenches were, to
the right. and just stood up and ran,
Tor ngured that as the shells were
falling so thick and 1t was open
ground l would not have any better
chance If ! crawled.
/ tripped several times and went
down, and each time thought I was
hit, because when l got it In the thigh
Mt Dixmude 1t felt a good deal as
though had tripped over a rope.
Ana one time when / fSA shell eX-
ploded near me and began to shiver
again, and / could not 20 on for q
long time. All this time 1 did not
think l would get through, but finally,
when I reached what had been the
communication trench I felt I had
done the worst part of 1t, and I began
to wish very hard that I would get
through was not at all crazy about
going west.
The mouth Of the communication
trench had been battered In and the
trenches 1t joined with were all filed
up. There were rifles sticking out
OF them in several places, and
thought probably the men had been
buried alive in them. But 1t was too
late then, If they had been caught, so
l climbed over the blocked entrance to
the communication trench and started
back along it. 1t led up through q sort
OF gully, and I thought 1t was a bad
place to dig communication trench
In, because 1t gave the Turks some
thing like the side Of hill to shoot at.
Every once in a while would have
to climb in and out Of shell hole,
and parts Of them were blocked where
n shell had cavcd In the walls. III one
place saw corpses all torn to pieces,
so l knew the Turks had found the
range and had got to this trench in
great shape. At another place l found
lots Of blood and equipment but no
bodies. and ! figured that reinforce
ments had been caught at this spot
and that they had retired, taking their
casualties with them.
The Turks still had the range, and
they were sending shell into the
trench every once in while, and
was knocked down again, though the
shell was so far away that 1t knocked
me down with force of habit more
than anything else. felt dizzy and
shivered lot, and kept trying to think
OF Mt. ray or anything else but myself.
SO finally / got to the top Of the
littlp hill over which tba oullv rom