The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-05

JFuGIl GIl6 I1uIlS S1Cll FdlS6u lIlO clothes than it did with my body
 How It Happened
 It happened this way;
 Earlier in the week I was trans ferred to the trench mortar battery, which, as you will know, has to fol- low the infantry. Very shortly after a. m., the infantry went over, and in 20 minutes we were told to set out, then it was that I collected the shrapnel.
 No, I can't describe the sensation of climbing the parapet and crossing No aMn's Land; a fellow can't stop to analyze his feelings. When it is all over he wants to forget about it. It takes a bit of forgetting, too.
 We had relieved a Scottish regi- ment which had been in action. We heard a movement. The sound seem ed far off and indistinct, but was gradually getting nearer. This was during a few moments of silence. We were travelling now across the No Mans Land.
 Instantly we were on the alert. Very soon we made out the figure of a man crawling towards us, and we saw that he was a private in the reg1- ment we had relieved. He appeared to be utterly exhausted, and if he were to be saved we had to go out for him.
 My word that was a job.
 The Germans, hearing the sounds, were on the jump at once, and, of course we were discovered.
 We got the lad all right though.
 Four Days in No Mans Land
 He had been wounded In the course of a raid, and had been out in No Mans Land for four days. He had suffered terribly, and in moments of only semi had been ig- norant as to the direction in which the British trenches were. Four days and nights in No Mans Land! Four minutes is long enough for any man. I must tell now of how a Scots man made good' in France.
 He was an old soldier, who in pre- war days was regarded as what IS called a hard case" He gave officers and n. c. o.s a lot of trouble, and in the long run he was discharged. When war broke out he joined up again, and was an excellent soldier. He is now military Medallist. l saw the act for which he was decorated. Single-handed he attacked a machine gun, got rid of the crew, and the gun was ours. There's a lot more in that than there Is in the telling of it. We've knocked out all the fight there ever was in the German soldiers in that section, but their artillery was still formidable and the enemy has always this advantage, that as he re- tires he Is moving back on his own lines, whilst we have to bring up all our stuff with us. However, we'll get them yet, though its a stern struggle for the boys out there.
 And while I am about 1t let me say this much about the kilties.
 KiIties Never Yield
 No, the kilties never yield an inch, and I am quite certain the Germans would rather see the devil get over the parapet than see the Highlanders. A blunt, but high tribute, and it comes from a Scotchman, too, but 1t is true.
 That was a rough "do." We were up against it all the time, but even the Prussian Guards couldn't stop our chaps as we went for them during that scrap.
 "Cold Feet" and How to Keep Warm I don't know exactly what 1t is, but there must be something in the ap- pearance of an approaching horde of kilties that gives the enemy "cold feet" and he simply had to run to keep them warm.
 Certain Fritz doesn't often wait to make the acquaintance of Jock.
 That's true, the beggars will stand up to the English for a bit-but when kilties and bare knees are com ing for them che Germans beat it. And it isn't only as fighting men that the Scotties are liked, they're fine chaps to be with at any time.
 We'll we did come up to what had formerly been Bullecourt we had a lot of messing around to do, for the enemy had machine guns planted ir every hole and corner in that place I should think they had one of these guns for every three soldiers apar from gun crews, and can tell you they did some damage.
 When we cornered one of the guns the Huns manning it were tremen dOuSly eager to make IL pax. Ok went sthe hands and out came Kan erad." It would have been funny hat the business in hand not been sC grim. The Germans would turn or the most ingratiating smile, and b! various means endeavor to sugges that the happiest arrangement would te to take them prisoners. This w Cid fin all cases. I never came acros a German who believed that he. ough to stand by his gun while there wa cartridge left in the belt. There pcthing of the heroic about Fritz The Kaiser mus have an awful wor' " to find excuses for giving his Irol Cross.
 fThat Hun shrapnel that I collect ed when I was serving with tn trench mortar battery made me casualty for some time, and I vii tell you when the time comes, som of the best tattle tales you have eve heard. A base hospital is truly tn reposieory of grim (and sometime not so grim) tales of killing of tn Fritzies, and getting killed by tn Huns.
 It sohnds pretty ugly this "killin