The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-10-04
CHAPTER xxvI-continued.

cause many joke made in an under
tone, was passed along the winding
column, as to who would be first to
take ride on one of tire stretchers.
This was generally followed by wish
that, If you were to be TIE one, the
wound would be a "cusi.Y Blighty
one"
The stretcher bearers, no doubt,
hoping that, if they did have to carry
anyone to the rear, he would be small
and light. Perhaps they looked at me
when wishing, because l could feel an
uncomfortable, boring sensation be-
tween my shoulder blades. They got
their wish all right.
Going up this trench, about every
sixty yards or so we would pass lone
" sentry, who in whisper would
wish us "the best O. luck, mates" We
would blind at him under our breaths;
that Jonah phrase to us sOanded very
ominous
Without any casualties the minstrel
troop arrived at Suicide ditch, the
front-line trench. Previously, wiring
party of the Royal Engineers had cut
a lane through our barbed wire to en-
able us to get out into No Mans Land.
Crawling through this lane, our
party of twenty took up an extended
order formation about one yard apart.
We had a tap code arranged for our
movements while in No Mans Land,
because for various reasons it is not
safe to carry on heated conversation
a few yards in front of Fritz lines.
The officer was on the right of the
line, while / was on the extreme left.
Two taps from the right would be
passed down the line until l received
them, then l would send back one tap.
The officer, in receiving this one tap.
would know that his order had gone
down the whole line, had been under
stood, and that the party was ready
to obey the tWo-taD signal. Two taps
meant that we were to crawl forward
slowly-and believe me, very slowly
for fiSe yards, and then halt to await
further Instructions. Three taps meant,
when you arrived within striking dis
lance of the German trench, rush it
Aand inflict as many casualties as pos
Die, secure a couple of prisoners, and
pen back to your own lines with the
peed clutch open. -Four taps meant,
)have gotten you into position from
hich it is impossible for me to eXtri-
re you, so you are on your own"
fter getting Tommy into mess on
front hn iS
Nat he is ION his own" This MEANS.
1"Save your skin in any way possible"
Tommy loves to be ION his own" behind
the lines, but not during trench raid.
The star shells from the German
lines were falling in front of us, there
fore we were safe. After about twen-
ty minutes we entered the star shell
zone. A star shell from the German
lines fell about five yards in the rear
and to the right of me; we Rugged the
ground and held our breath until it
burned out. The smoke from the star
Shell Travelled along the ground and
crossed over the middle of our line.
Some Tommy sneezed. The smoke had
gotten UP his nose. We crouched on
the ground, cursing the offender under
our breath, and waited the volley that
generally ensueS when the Germans
have heard noise in No Mans Land.
Nothing happened. We received two
taps and crawled forward slowly for
five yards; no doubt the officer be-
lieved what Old Pepper had said. "Per-
sonally believe that that part of the
German trench is unOccupied." BY be-
ing careful and remaining motionless
when the star shells fell behind us, we
reached the German barbed wire with
out mishap. Then the fun began. l
wCs scared stiff as it is ticklish work
cutting your way through wire when
about thirty feet in front of you there
is line of Boches looking out into No
Mans Land with their rifles lying
across the parapet, straining every
sense to see or hear what is going on
Fritz never knows when bomb with
his name and number on it will come
hurtling through the air aimed in the
direction of Berlin. The man on the
right, one man in the center and my
self on the extreme left were equipped
with wire cutters. These are insulated
with soft rubber not because the Ger
man wires are charged with electricity,
but to prevent the cutters rubbing
against the barbed wire stakes. which
are of iron, and making a noise
which may warn the inmates of the
trench that someone is getting fresh
in their front yard. There is only one
way to cut a barbed wire without noise
and through costly experience Tommy
has become an expert in doing this.
You must grasp the wire about two
inches from the stake in your right
hand and cut between the stake and
your hand.
If you cut wire improperly,
loud twang will ring out on the night
air like the swapping of banjo
string. Perhaps this noise can be
heard only for fifty or seventy-five