The sun., 1918-10-03
CONAN DOYLE SEES
YANKS AND ANZACS


covered the ground we lost then, and
how the day Of retribution was at hand.
We were standing near the eastern edge
Of the excavation, looking over 1t, when
II was first brought to our attention that
II required two to make battle. Until
then we had seen only one. Now two
shells burst In quick succession within
forty yards Of where we were standing
and a spray of earth shot into the air
| 'Whizz bang" remarked our soldier
guide. quite casually.
Personally felt less keenly interested
In their name than in the fact that they
were there at all. We thought we had
done pretty well to get within 1000
came our browning good fortune. An
Australian gunner Captain. a mere lad.
but soldier from his hawklike eyes to
his nimble feet volunteered to rush us
toward some colgn of vantage known to
himself.
Use Tank rs Grand stand.
So once more we clambered over the
barren plain which sloped upward and
on which there was little sign Of life
Suddenly ahead OF us a definite object
| broke the skyline. 1t was a tank upon
which the crew was working with span
|
far ahead and 1t was trying to follow
| them. This, II seemed. was the grand
stand our young gunner friend had
chosen for us.
We climbed upon II, and there at our
feet, less than 500 yards away. was a
| rift which had been torn a few hours be-
fore in the Hindenburg line. On the
dun slope beyond and under our eyes
was even now being fought part Of that
| great fight where at last the children of
light were beating to earth the forces
OF darkness. 1t was there where we
could see It. and yet how little there was
for US to see
In front of us lay a ruined village. II
was Bellicourt, with the. Hindenburg
line running through II. 1t lay quiet
enough, and with a glass or even with
tho unaided eye one could see rusty red
| fields Of wire in front of 1t. But the
wire had awaited nothing. nor had the
trenches which lurked behind II. Far
| beyond, beside the village Of Nauroy.
there was q long white line OF vapor
and smoke spouting up against the dark
sky. That line of smoke marked the
presence Of the Australians.
Found IS American Dead.
In the slopinF fields which at that
point merged into our moor the victorious
Americans who mad done their part were
lcrouching. 1t was an assured victory on
which we gaxed. achieved so rapidly that
we ourselves were standing on ground
that had been won only that day. The
wounded had been brought in, and
didn't see any bodies of the dead. though
some friends who had reached our line
on the left found eighteen American lads
Lying dead by the roadside. On that side
the fight had been very severe. and the
Germans who had hidden in their huge
ldugouts were doing their usual trick OF
emerging after the attack had passed, to
cut of men from the rear. This we
gathered afterward.
| For the moment It was the panorama
before us which engrossed our attention
Suddenly when the German guns woke
up l could but pray that II was not
our group which drew their fire. Toward
the half mended tank shell after shell
fell, all OF them short at first, but COM
ing nearer and nearer. II was time fol
; us to go. we could see that II any
man says that without the call Of duty
he likes being under shell fire he Is not
n man whose word would trust
We made our way back with no in
| decent haste, but certainly without
lettering. always the shells getting
nearer. until we came again to the
excavation. Here we had welcome
| rest, TOT our 5000 gunner 'ooh uS ihtt
his cubby hole OF dugout, which woult
, at least stop ehrapnel. There we shared
his tea and dried beef. the true Aus
tralian soldiers meal.
Enemy Had Recognized.
The German fre was now rattle
heavy and our expert host explained
that meant the enemy had recovered
from the FIRST shock Of the attack ant
had organized his guns and general.
was his merry self once more. From
where we were We could see the heav,
shells bursting far in the rear Their
, was a general atmosphere Of explosion