The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-10

linen came uaSl IN LrOHI OI Inc, lAC
dare of his rifie-and my head seemed
TO burst. A bullet had hit me on the
left side of nay face about half an
inch from my eye, smashing the cheek
bones. put my hand to my face and
fell forward, biting the ground and
kicking ny feet. I thought I was dy-
ing, but, do you know, my past life did
not unfold before me the way 1t does
I'm novels.
1uv-urv0. vas streaming down my
tunic. and the pain was AWFUL. When
I came to said to myself, Emp, old
boy, you belong in Jersey City, and
you'd better get back there as quickly
rs possible"
The bullets were cracking overhead.
IL crawled few feet back TO the Ger
man barbed wire, and In a STOPPING po-
eition, guiding myself by the wire,
went down the line looking for the
lane we had cut through. Before
reaching this lane I came to limp
form which seemed like bag Of oats
hanging over the wire. In the dim
light could see that its hands were
blackened, and knew 1t was the body
of one Of my mates. I put my hand
Oh Ills llCdQs TIC LOP VI WAtNu lloQ OCCl4
blown of by a bomb. NY fingers sank
unto the hole. / pulled my hand back
full OF blood and brains. then I went
crazy with fear and horror and rushed
along the wire until I came TO our
lane. had just turned down this lane
when something inside of me seemed
TO say, Look around" did SO; bull
let caught me on the left shoulder. 1t
did not hurt much, just felt as IL some
one had punched me in the back, and
then my left side went numb. My arm
was dangling like rag. fell forward
I'm q sitting position. But all the fear
had left me and / was consumed with
rage and cursed the German trenches.
With my right hand felt in my tunic
for my hrst-aid or shell dressing. In
feeling over my tunic my hand came
in contact with one of the bombs which
x carried. Gripping II, pulled the pin
out with my teeth and blindly threw 1t
towards the German trench. / must
have been out OF my head, because I
was only ten feet from the trench and
took a chance Of being mangled. II
the bomb had failed TO go into the
trench I would have been blown to
bits by the explosion Of my own bomb.
BY the flare Of the explosion Of the
bomb, which luckily landed in their
trench, saw one big Boche throw up
his arms and fall backwards, while his
rifle few into the air. Another one
wilted and fell forward across the
sandbags-then blackness.
Realizing what foolhardy and risky
thing had done, I was again seized
with a horrible fear. I dragged myself
ito my feet and ran madly down the
lane through the b. ed wire, STUN
bling over cut wires, tearing my uni
form, and decorating my hands and
legs. Just as / was about to reach
mo Mans Land again, that same voice
seemed to say, Turn around" did
$50, when, crack" another bullet
caught me. this time In the left shout
der about one-half inch away from the
other wound. Then 1t was taps for me.
The lights went out.
When came to was crouching In
a hole in No Mans Land. This shell
hole was about three feet deep. so that
1T brought my head few inches below
the level OF the ground. How reached
this hole I will never know. German
l'typewIiters" were traversing back
and forth in No Mans Land. the bull
lets biting the edge Of my shell hole
land throwing dirt all over me.
Overhead shrapnel was bursting.
could hear the fragments slap the
ground. Then went out once more.
When came to everything was silence
and darkness In No Mans Land.
was soaked with blood and big flap
from the wound in my cheek was hang.
ing over my mouth. The hood run.
ming from this flap choked me. Out of
the. corner OF my mouth I would try
and blow it back, but IL would not
move. reached for my shell dressing
I and tried, with one hand, to bandage
my face TO prevent the flow. I had
Ian awful horror OF bleeding TO death
and was getting very faint. You would
have laughed If you had seen my
ludicrous attempts at bandaging with
one hand. The pains in my wounded
shoulder were awful and was getting
sick at the stomach. I gave up the.
bandaging stunt as bad job, and then
tainted.
When cane 70, hell was let loose.
An intense bombardment was on, and
on the whole my position was decided.
1y unpleasant. Then, suddenly, our.
barrags ceased The silence almost.
hurt, but not for long, because Fritz.
turned loose with shrapnel, machine
guns, and rife fire. Then all along our
line came a cheer and our boys came.
over the top in a charge. The first
wave was composed of Jocks" They
were magnificent sight, kits, tapping
in the wind. bare knees showing, and,
their bayonets glistening. In the first.
wave that passed my shell hole one of,