Tombstone epitaph., 1918-08-25
Continued from last week
 CHAPTER ".

The scene of the slaughter could now be surveyed at leisure Dead and wounded were strewn all around, and over them clouds of smoke and flames made inc air thick. But we were sl- ready too hardened 10 feel much pity Humanity was thrown to the winds and the cries and begging of the wounded left everybody cold
 Some Catholic sisters lay dead h front of their convent. The only build ing that was spared in Donchery was the srmory Of the Twenty third French dragoons.
 There was not much time in which to do anything. for at seven o'clock the French began to hurl shells into fhe village. We fortified ourselves te- hind . thick garden wall directly in front Of the Mouse. The river bank at this point was fat. hut on the orpo- site side it was steep. Here .hc French infantry had dug itself in and estab- lished three lines. one above the other. The artillery firing was too far. We did not come within its range. SO that We were able to observe the effect of the shelling of our own artillery on the enemy infantry positions before US. The 2lcentlmeter shells raced by above our heads and burst with fear ful noise in the enemy's trenches.
 The French could pot resist this hail of shot very long. They soon aban- doned all the heights on the river bank They abandoned Soudan with out fight and Ii was Jeff intact. which had not been the case with Donchery. Hardly house had suffered.
 When the bugies sounded in Don- pany had lost B men in battle. po- sition was taken behind the drag armory and our company, which now was reduced tc go men. was ordered fo attempt the building of pontoon bridge over the Mouse. After we had been re-enforNed by so men. we nSrched in small detachments in or 10 us. After an hours march we stopped in 6 small forest about 200 meters from the Mouse to rest until darkness set in At twilight a division bridge train was driven up close to our hiding place. This was soon fol- lowed by corps bridge train as a re- serve. After all preparations were made and the main advance work, such es setting up the bridge stays and landing platforms. were ready. the single pontoon wagons drove up. They were speedily but silently unIoaded. We completed four pontoons. that is. % meters of bridge, without the enemy discovering anything.
 Then suddenly the searchliGht of the enemy was Sc: ip action and scanned the liver We dropped to the ground et once. The enemy must have seen us. for the searchlighrs played here and there and kept our bridge position under continuous glare. We were discovered hardly before we knew what had happened. and rain of fire fell in the water fin front of us. We continued 10 lie fiat on the ground as four more shots struck the water. this time q little nearer Go the bridge and one shot hit the bank. At cnce a third rain of shot followed and two struck the bridge. Two men fell fp the water and two lay dead on the bridge. Those In the water swan eshore and escaped ncne fhe worse for their experience eycep; for bath.
 Tn spite of the continued volume of artillery fire. We brought the two dead men to iand. The bridge was now greatly danaged and there was no choice excerr !" r"''ifce the dnmaged pc1iooas ty new ones We began this difficult task as soon as the artillery 6re le' uo Eardly had we begun !t syain when e saIvo struck and greatly damaged the bridge. Fortunately we cad no losses. We were now ordered fo ret,re and after 8 half hour begin snew The enemy's searchlights were DOW dark We brought about ten pon- foons up without interference and then we were suddenly tornharded again. We had attracted the attention of the enemy's patrol.
 Several batteries now opened fire on US al one time and after ten minutes the entire work was only pile of wreckage. Two more men were killed The order now came to retire. Eight men were detailed to attend 10 the dead and wounded and we were taken ou, of this danger zone. After we marched about two kilometers up the viver. we were halted. and discovered that the corps bridge train was In place. We were told that We would eer the bridge ready on land. Sections consisting of two ponfoons each were firmly fastened together. equipped with anchors. everything else made ready and then put in the water. The loca- tsoc for the bridge was indicated to Us and we rode with all our might down to the bridge position The en- emy did nor see through these tactics and cid not interfere. SD that all the parts reached the position in a very short time. where they were fastened together. In less than twenty min utes she bridge was completed and fh< infantry stormed over H.