Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-05

send word back. We can't all go. be-
| cause We might make too much noise
and warn the German party. SO it's up
to one or us to carry tho news back
TO the trench that tho raiding party
is or its way. with this information
IT Will be quito easy for our boys to
wipe them out. But it's up to the rest
| OF us to stick out here, and IL we go
west we have done our duty in noble
cause. Corporal French. YOU had bet
ter take the news back. because you
arc too valuable a man to sacrifice
In True British Fashion.
French. under his breath answered:
Sir, I've been out since Mons. and
! this Is the first time that I've over been
insulted by an officer. II this patrol
is going to click it. I'm going to click
it too III We come out Of this you can
try me for disobedicnce OF orders, but
here l stick. and I'll be damned If r
60 in. officer or no officer
"Ncwal. in voice husky with
emotion. answered:
French, it's men like you that make
it possible for "our Little Island" to
withstand tho world. You are a true
Briton. and I'm proud OF you
Il was hoping that he would detail
inc to go back. but he didn't. Hen
dcrson was picked for the job. When
! Henderson left Newall shook hands oil
around. l felt queer and lonely
You sec. fellows. IL was this way;
Henderson was to tell the men in the
trench that we had returned. and that
it was all right for them to turn loose
and machine gun fire. without MS click
ing their fire. Lcftenant Newan sure
was a lad. not 'arf he weren't.
THAT next twenty minutes of wait
in was he'll. Then. from out OF the
blackncss. over towards our trench.
rang that old familiar. "AIt. who goes
there" We Rugged the ground. We
knew what was coming. Then vol
ley from our trench. and four type
writers fmachsne guns) turned loose.
Bullets cracked right over our heads
Ono hit the ground about n foot from
me. ricochetcd. and went moaning and
signing over the German lines
"Lcftenant Ncwall sobbed under his
breath:
/" God. were in direct line Of our
own fire. Tho trench -raiding party
must have circled us
Our boys in our trench sure were
doing themselves proud. The bullets
were cracking and biting the ground
all around US.
In between our trench and our marty
curses rang out in German. as the
Boch"s clicked tho fire from the Eng.
fish trench. Star shells were shooting
into the air and dropping in no mans
land 1t was a great. hut terrible,
sigh, which met our eyes Fritz's raid
inE party was sure being wiped out.
Lights Go In md He'll Let's Loo.c.
Zen or fifteen dark forms tho rem
nants OF the German raidinE party.
dashed past us in the direction OF the
HERMAN trench. VIC huEged the ground.
II was our only chance. We knew
~ would only be few seconds before
Fritz turned loose. II ws had legged
it .or our trench we would have been
"iFed out ny our own fire. You see,
cur boys thought We were safely in.
fhen. IN went Fritz's star lishts.
turning night into day. AMI he'll cut
l""Ss. Their bullets were snipuinr
twiSe ~ m the hedge over our heads.
SUDDEN! the fellow IN M. let,
MacEauey oy name. emitted muficd
sr"an. and started kicking ti,s rrouna;
then s:.rnsc. lie had gone west. \
~ let through the napper. l sIr:mse.
liner" we're now five OF NJ lcc:.
Suddenly Lcftenant Newali. in 1
fa'nt choking voice. exclaimcd:
They've got me, French. .ts
Trough the lung and then fainter
You're in command. Sea that
Ills voics died away. Pretty soon he
started moaning loudly. Tho Germans
must have heard these means because
they Immediately turned their fire on
Honey, come here, my lad. orr
Ulcer les clicked it,
j crawled over to him. FIe was sit
ting on the ground with the lcftcnant's
read resting in his lap. ana vas get
ting out his tirst-aid packet told
him to get low or he would click II.
Ie "DsHered:
Since when does a blooming lance
corDtral take r-lcrs from IL blysfy
private? You tell the rest OF the hovs,
II they've not as set gone west. 10 '.r
IT back To our trench at tho double and
get stretcher. and you 60 with them
This lad of ours has got to get medical
attention. and damned quick too il
W" want to stop this bleeding
Just then German star she'll Iande cd
about ten feet from us. and, in It's
white Ehostiy light. could see. French
sitting like n bloomin' statue his hands
covered with blood. trying TO make a
tourniGuet out OF a bandase and his
bayonet
L told the rest 10 get in and get
the stretcher. They needed no second
urging. and soon French was left there
alone sitting on the ground. holding
ms dying officers head In his lap
pretty picture. I call il. Hc sure was
a man, was French-with the bullets
cracking overhead and kicking uo The
dirt around him"
Just lhcn Happy butted in with:
Were you one of the men who went
in for tho strctcher""
ikcy answered: None OF Your
damned business If you blokes want
to hear this story through. don't in
terrupt."
Happy vouchsatcd no answer.
Carried Oncer Through Fire.
ABOUT ten minutes after tho fell
lows ieft for the stretcher, French got
a bullet through the left arm.
Sailor Bill interrupted here:
How do YOU know i, Was ten
minutes"
key blushed and anewcrcd:
French told nc. when he got back
to the trench. You sec, he carried
the officer back through that fire, be-
cause the stretcher bearers took too
long in coming out"
asked lkcy how Corporal French.
being wounded himself. could carry
l-cftenart Ncwall in. because J knew
Lieutenant Newall TO be = ski ooter
and no lightweight. You see, he had
AZ one time been in command of my
platoon at the training depot in Eng
land.