The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-05-10

and flying bits Of masonry and Steel.
Just then the great French guns be
gan to add their boom to the din OF
the enemy artillery. One, two, three
four, five and on up to twenty came
the ripping, tearing detonations. First
Hash, then whine, then q Spongy
roar from somewhere lover there" In
the midst of the fanfare and scurry a
sergeant-and it is permissible to state
That he came from Missouri-stepped
up to the captain, who was directing
his men to places of safety or to
neighboring sections, and said: v
There are so horses in very dan
gerous position. What shall be done
with them?"
ut is too dangerous to risk trip
leave them"
Refuses to Desert Horses.
The sergeant paused a moment. A
look OF disappointment came into his
eyes. 1 learned later that he has al
ways loved horses.
Il can get them out" he said, look
ing the captain straight in the eye.
There was no further conversation.
The sergeant trotted off up the street
into what might well have been the
pit of death. He disappeared around
q slight curve. A few minutes later
ne came into view again behind q gal
looping string of horses which shot off
into field to join a pack of mules
which slowly and with traditional per-
Verslty had been moving nearer the
spot where shells were falling with
greatest frequency.
And over in the batteries, around
which shells had been falling for sew
eral hours, the artillerymen had taken
10 their dugouts, where they were sit
ting about like gnomes with their gas
masks in position. Gas shells had been
dropping all about them, but fortunate
~ the wind was such as to Whit it |
away from them.
With others 1 moved down the road |
few hundred feet and entered a graz
ing field, where I stood with about
~ boys from various parts of the
United States. We could see the Ger
man shells falling not far away and
could see the flash and hear the boom
of the allied guns. .'..
Gazing at the people moving across
the fields. soldier from Chicago-in
every regiment there are men from
practically every state and every big
city back home-said sententiously:
IF the people at home could see this
and then realize that their own IA
theirs, mothers and childrenll get the
same thing if the Germans amt licked
1 guess we'd have an army of twenty
million, huh?"
Shortly there was lull in the fight.
Ing. In the period of quiet which came
there. was release of the tension
which had been quite successfully
Everyone broke out in
comment, much as does a person who
has just come through painful dental
operation. .~t
whats the news from back homer"
me of the privates asked me.
What do you want to hear about?"
asked. ...-.....
HAS Grover Alexander gone in the
lrmy?" .-.. {
"Where'd they bury Bob Fitzsim-
nons?' g.. /
Did Teddy Roosevelt get over that
'peratiOn?"
rs 1t true they've cut down the sal
ries of baseball players?" v
Just News From Home Wanted.
These four questions came quickly
rom four different soldiers and when
hey were answered the boys seemed
atisfied that everything at home is :
II right.
Unimportant subjects were dropped ;
Instantly when shell spattered I'D .
be earth few hundred feet away
ausing everyone to move to a new v
egion. In minute the bombardment T
as fiercer than before. Down in the o
arrow valley Immediately in the path h
the shells flight five Frenchmen s