Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-11
NO. 80

they burst and that is to fall fiat on
the ground and take your chance. It's
a poor chance. A party Of eight Of US
were on the road to Ypres one day
when Fritz began dropping a few big
ones, just for the fun Of It One OF
the fragments OF bursting missile
struck the gun stock OF one OF the
members of the party. We didn't run.
There isn't any use running from the
big ones because a piece OF shrap Is
just as likely to hit where you are go
ing as where you came from. I start
ed to dig n trench with my finger
nails and oh. hoy. you'll never realize
what a wonderful shovel or pick or
whatnot you have In your fingers un-
til you get out in No Mans land with
those darned shells a buzzing and a
singing over you.
The fighting over there Is largely
a series OF raids into the other fellows
trenches by small parties. I'll never
forget one night when | started with
one OF these crowds about 1880. Our
troops started barrage-they always
do that when a raid starts. Fritz
wasn't slow in coming back and
for nearly an hour that sea OF iron
flowed. There was nothing for we
fellows of our party to do but lay fiat
on our bellies and pray TO the good
Lord and our respective good josses
to be with us. II seemed as though
the barrage would never lift. You re-
member Hall Of our company? He was
with US lying right next to me. had
nothing but my finger nails to dig with
again that time and Hall had an en-
trenchlng tool. He managed to dig a
deeper hole than l. The put-put Of
machine gun bullets was a steady
song and had I held my tin helmet
six inches above my head could have
gotten a handful for souvenirs.
FINALLY Hall got his right in the
thigh. I'm HIT says he to me and my
reply was. sorry. old man: but ! can't
do any thing for you now cause my
little ball OF yarn will be all rolled up
II so much as move The lad SEEM
ed to realize that and just lay there
and quietly grunted.
well. that hell was still In progress
at 80 the next morning. and about
that hour Hall whispered to me that
he vas bleeding to death and that i'll
couldn't get him back to the lines
pretty quick why his name was Den
mis-.
"I didn't relish the idea OF moving
even then. though the fire had sub
sided somewhat and the machine gun
bullets didn't seem to come so fast.
didn't know what to do. He was my
buddy and hated to see him die.
Yet. didn't want to die.
"In another half hour the fire had
ceased altogether and ! made up my
mind to beat It to the lines for stretch
er bearers. Fortunately just as l
started a medical officer and two
stretcher bearers made their ap-
pearance and carried the boy to safe
ty. He's in the hospital now and the
doctors say It will iDo eight months be- -
fore. he will walk again.
"oh it's a tough life" Sergeant
Brooks went on; "but It's a great game
II you don't weaken. There isn't any
doubt but that the show now belongs
to the Americans and our Allies over
there freely admit that the Germans
would long ago have gained the vic
tory had we not come into 1t.
I'VE Americans get along wei! with
our Allies. I think. though. that we
like the French best. am sure that
I do We have been fighting a great
part of the time alongside the
English. They are some fighters too.
you bet. But the Frenchman-well.
I don't know exactly how to make my
self clear. but 1t seems to me that he
Is most like an American and they
seem to think that the Americans are
the greatest folks on earth.
1--WE come over" Sergeant Brooks
concluded ito help instruct the Twen-
tieth Division in the methods we are
using over there in bringing this thing
to a successful conclusion. / guess
will go hack to the Thirtieth when the
Twentieth goes away, and I'll not be
sorry to rejoin my old mates.
Am I'm going to marry and settle
down in France after it's all over?
He'll, no. Why. I'd rather have a bar
rel in America for a home and a pile
Of leaves for a bed and salmon to eat
all my life, than to own the whole
darn country over there"
Jas. D. Grist.