The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-05-02
I OiH7 M |
tNiniLz ay GlEfl

trench, when we heard a noise inruc-
diateiy In front of our barbed wire.
The sentry next to me challenged.
Halt who comes theref- and brought
bis rife to the aim. His challenge was
answered In German A captain In the
next traverse climbed upon the sand.
bagged parapet TO Investigates brave
but foolhardy deed---Crack" went a
bullet and he tumbled back into the
trench with a hole through his stomach
and died few minutes later. A lance
corporal In the next platoon was SO en-
ragged at the captains death that be
chucked a Mills bomb In the direction
Of the noise with the shouted warning
to us: -Duck your nappers. my lucky
inds." A sharp dynamite report, q fare
In front OF US. and then silence.
We Immediately sent up two star
shells. and In their light could see two
lark forms lying on the ground close
TO our wire A sergeant and four
sfretcher-bearers went out in front and
mn Q~>r<<Qrned.ss czTryinzs trone lfup
bodies Down In the dueout. in the
dickerins light OF three cnndies, we
saw that they were two German on
GERS, one n cnptnin and the other an
@unferoffizier.- q rank one grade higher
than sergeant general, but below the
grade OF lieutenant
The captains face had been almost
completely torn away by the bombs
explosion. The unteronixier was alive,
breathing with dincrlty. In few min
ntes he opened his eyes and bllnked In
the glare OF the cnndies
The pair had evidently been drink
ing heavily. for the alcohol fumes were
dckening and completely peryaded the
3ugout I turned away In disgust.
hating TO see man cross the Great Dr.
vide full Of booze.
One OF our officers eould speak Ger
man and he questioned the dysas man.
In q faint voice. interrupted by fire.
7uent hiccoughs, the unteronixier told
bis story.
There had been Drinking bout
smong the odhcers In ons Of the Ger
man dugouta. the main beverage being
champagne With q drunken leer he
informed us that champagne was plen-
tiful on their side and that II did not
cost them anything either. About seven
that night the conversation had turned
to the -contemptfbie- English. and the
cnptnin had made q wager that he
would hang his cap on the English
barbed wire to show his contempt for
the English sentriea The wager was
accepted At eight O'Clock the captain
and he had erept out into No Mans
land to cnrry out this wnger.
They had gotten about halfway
across when the drink took effect and
tho captain fell asiecp- After about
two hours OF vain attempts the unter-
offizier had ut last succeeded In wax
ing the cnptnin. reminded him Of his
bet. and warned him that he would be
the laughing stock Of the officers mess
II he did not accomplish his object. but
the cnptain wss trembling al over and
lnsisted on returning to the German
uneA In the darkness they iost their
bearings and crawied toward the Eng
tish trenches. They reached the barbed
wire and were suddenly challenged By
our sentry. Being too drunk to realize
that the challenge was 10 Engiish. the
captain refused to crawl back. Finally
the unterofiixier convinced his superior
that they were In front OF the English
wiry. Realizing this too late. the cap
tain drewshis ,repeasep anA wlanrnnn1pE
I4uano .co1o6 n6llD 2 a '0df
trench ms bullet No doubt h1Ilsd Our
captain.
Then the bomb came over and there
he was. dying-And q good job too. We
thought The captain deadf Well. his
mcn wouldn't weep at the newA
without giving ~ any further infor-
nation the upterofaxiee died.
We searched the bodics foe idsntif-
cation disks but they had left every
thing behind before btartins on their
foolhardy errand-
Next Afternoon ~ buried them In
our little cemetery apart from the
graves Of the Tommiea. II you ever
20 Into that cemetery you will ses two
little wooden croeses In the corner at
the cemetery 81 away from TIE resi-
They read:
Captain
German Army
Died -ilol0
Unknown
n / P.
Untcrcfizisf
German Army ,.s
Died - 1919
Unknuwn
4. ! p.
ctsApTER XXI.
About TuvW.
The next evening We were relieved
BY the -th brigade, and once again
HnilruGd IN H<,n1 hlIlSku I1.z..s. ...i..i.. =