The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-02-28


the chaplain was standing in a timber.
We formed 4 semicircle around him.
Overhead there was 4 black Epeck cir
cling round and round In the sky. This
was u German Fokker. The chaplain
had q book In his left hand--left eye
on the book-right eye on the airplane.
We Tom1nies were lucky, we had no
books, 90 had both eyes ON the air.
plane. -.
After church parade we were
marched back 20 our biIiets. and played
football ali afternoon
CHAPTER ".
Unto the Trench"
The next morning the draft was In
specfed By our general. and we were
asesor-d IN different ~orer>~tes THE
boys in the brigade had nicisnsmed
this general Old Pepper. and he GER
tninly enrned the sobriquet. I was as
signed to b company with another
American named Stewart.
For the next ten days we 'rexted."
repairing roads for the Frenchies. drill
Ing. and, digging bombing trcnches.
One morning We were informed that
we were going up the line, and our
march began.
II took us three days to reach re-
serve btifets-each days march bring
Ing the sound Of the guns nearer and
nearer. At night. way or In the dts
tance we could see their nashex which
lighted mp the sky with q red glare.
Acafnst the horizon we could zee
numerous observation haiioons or -sau-
spgcs" an they are called
On the afternoon Of the third -dsy's
march witnessed my frst aifpiane
be1ng shciled- a thrtIi ran through me
anQ gazcd ip awe Ehe airpiaus pas
maling wide circles. In the air, while
isttle puffs Of white emoke were hurst
INT all around n. These pufts appeared
liise tiny balls Of cotton while after
zach burst could be heard q dull
''piop.- The sergeant OF my platoon
Informed US TINT Il was a German air
plane and wondered how he could tell
from such distance because the plane
seemed like a Iitt,e black speck In the
sky. expressed my doubt as TO
whether II was English. French or Ger.
man. With n look Of contempt he fur
thcr Informed us that the allied anti
aircraft siieiis when exploding emitted
white smoke while the German shells
gave forth black smoke, and. as he ex-
pressed II, 1T must be an Allemand be
cause our pom-poms are Smelling. and
I know our batteries are not on their
baily nappers and are certainly not
strafeing our own planes, and another
.,f< - A~-I< rh
weight about until you've been up the
line and learnt something
Immediately gulf -chuckinx my
weight about" from that time on.
Just before reaching, reserve biIlets
We were marching nloug. laughing. and
singing one Of TommyN trench dlttfes
4 want TO go home. want TO 60 home,
! don't want To so to the trenches no
more
Where aausases and whirs-sanss are ga
lore.
Take mo over the sca, Where the Ale
mand can't get at me.
on. my. I don't want 20 de-
I want to 70 home"
when overhead came . ''swish- through
the air. rapidly followed BY three otl-
ers. Then about two hundred yards to
our left In large field. four columns
Of black earth and smoke rose Into the
air. and the ground trembled from tha
rcport--the explosion OF four German
nSe-nipe's. or "coaiboxes." A SHARP
whistle blast. Immediately followed by
two short oncs, rang out from the head
Of our column. This was to take up
ARTILLERY formation" We divided intc
small squads and went into the fields
on the right ana left Of the road. and
crouched on the ground. No Other
shells followed this saivo. II was oul
first. baptism by sheIl fire. From the
waist MP Iwas all enthusiasm. but from
there down, everything was missing.
Thought should die with fright.
After awhile. we reformed into col.
umns OF fourA md proceeded % cuz
way. strs~r q.
About f,ve. that night We reached ths
ruined village 81 H.. and ent my
frst sight of the awful destruction
caused s. German Kultur.
Marching down the main street ~
came to the heart Of tho v<aiRgN and
took up quarters In shelIprocf cSllars
tshellproof until his BY shelly. Shells
were ecnstantly whistiinS over the VII.
lage and bursting in. our rear. search.
ing for our artillery.
These cellars were cold, damp and
smelly, and overrun with large rats
big black fellows. Most OF the Tom
mics slept with their oycrcoats over
their faces I did not In the middle
Of the night woke up In tarrors Thc
cold. cinsnmy feetsof > rat hnd parsed
over my face. Immediately smoth-
ered myself In ny eysrcqat. but could