Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-10-03
CHAPTER x.

CHAPTER x.
The enemy's Smelling to reduce our
position gradually grew stronger, but
without effect. Some houses caught
fire. Enemy cavalry patrols in strong
force appeared and disappeared again.
Everything became quiet. Within ten
minutes matters again became lively,
as large hostile columns approached.
We retired some distance without fir
ing shot. The artillery took a posi-
ton behind village and began she'll
ing the approaching enemy. A cavalry
patrol galloped across an open field,
the horses covered with foam. We
heard the commander of the patrol tell
a cavalry officer that the enemy were
approaching from all sides. We quick
1y left the village. The artillery re-
manned and the cavalry detachments
occupied a position while the cannon
were trained on the enemy. Toward
noon shrapnel shells again began
bursting over our heads, but they ex-
ploded too high in the air to do us any
damage. Yet this served as a serious
reminder to us that the enemy kept
right on our heels, a realization of
which caused our retreat to become q
rout. The numbers who dropped ex-
hausted constantly increased. 1t was
impossible to render them any assist
ance, for there were no more wagons.
Many soldiers used their last atom
of strength to drag themselves to the
side of the road. Others fell where
they were marching to be crushed soon
afterward under the horses hoofs or
the wheels of any vehicle that might
equipment thrown away by the sol
diers. Our detachments had long since
cast aside all unnecessary impede
menta.
In this way we proceeded until we
reached a forest which was filled with
fugitives. Many of these had stretched
some sort of cloth from tree to tree
as protection from the rain. There
they lay, men, women and children
and old men, some in unspeakable mis-
cry. This fugitives' camp was spread
over the forests to the edge of the
road and as we passed we could see
the burrows woven into their faces by
the terrible sufferings they had been
through. They looked at us with weary
and Saddened eyes. The children
begged for bread, but we had none
for ourselves, even though we were
tortured by hunger. The enemy's
Shrapnel continued to accompany us.
Scarcely had we passed through the
forest when shrapnel burst in it. AS a
consequence a camp of fugitives, now
exposed to trench fire, was abandoned
and its numbers sought safety in the
open fields. Many tried to accompany
us until the order came forbidding
them the road, as their advance him
dered troop movements The fugitives.
therefore, were forced into the rain
soaked fields.
Toward evening we reached a vii
lage which had previously been sacked
and here we found some rest. The
mayor and two citizens Of this village
had been seized by the Germans and
taken away under cavalry escort Just
why this had been done we were I'M
able to find out We did know, how
ever, that almost every town was
obliged to give hostages Most of the
cattle were taken along and large
cavalry.
We belonged to the rear guards,
which explained why we were unable
to find anything to eat There was abb
solutely nothing to the village where
we were now quartered. After half
an hour with our hunger still unap-
peased we resumed our march. After
we had marched about three kilome-
tiers we arrived at a spot which had
formerly been a bivouac. advancing
armies had camped here perhaps eight
days before Bread, which had been
plentiful then. lay strewn around on the
ground In spite of its warer-soaked
condition it had been gathered up and
eaten with ravenous appetites- Moth
ing mattered how our Stomachs were
filed if only our hunger might be ap-
peased.
CTo BE coNTINUED9