The Washington herald., 1918-03-11

lonely sentry, who in a whisper would
wish US the best o. luck, mates"
We would blind at him under our
breaths; that Jonah phrase to US
sounded very ominous.
Without any casualties the minstrel
troop arrived in Suicide Ditch, the
front-line trench. Previously, a wir-
ing party OF the Royal Engineers had
cut q lane through our barbed wire to
enable 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 va us reasons it is not
safe to carry o.. Il heated converse
ton a few yards in front of Fritz's
lines. The officer was on the right
of the line, while I was on the ex-
treme left. Two taps from the right
would be passed down the line until
received them, then 1 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 understood, and that the
party was ready to obey the two-tap
signal. Two taps meant that we were
to crawl forward slowly-and believe
me, very slowly-for five yards, and
then halt to await further instructions
Three taps meant, when you arrived
within striking distance Of the Ger
man trench, rush 1t and infiict as many
casualties as possible, secure a couple
Of prisoners. and then back to your
own lines with the speed clutch open
Four taps meant, II have gotten you
into a position from which It is i'm
possible for me to extricate you, so
you are on your town."
After getting Tommy into a mess on
the Western front he is generally told
that he is ION his own" This means,
Save your skin in any way possible. &"
Tommy loves to be "on his own be-
hind the lines, but not during a 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 ~ me: we hug
ged the ground and held our breath
until 1t 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 a noise In No
Mans Land. Nothing happened. We
received two taps and crawled for
ward slowly for five yards; no doubt
the officer believed what Old Pepper
had said, Personally / believe that
that part Of the German trench is un-
occupied" By being careful and re-
naming motiohless when The star
shells fell behind US, we reached the
German barbed wire without mishap.
Then the fun began. / was scared
stiff, as it Is ticklish work cutting your
way through wire when about thirty
feet in front of you there Is a 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 in No Mans
Land; because at night, Fritz never
knows when a bomb with his name
and number OF 1t will come hurtlInE
through the air, aimed in the direc-
ton Of Berlin. The man on the right.
one man in the center, and myself
ON the extreme left were equipped with
wire cutters. These are insulated with
soft rubber, not because the German
wires are charged with electricity, but
to prevent the cutters rubbing again st
the barbed wire stakes, which are of
iron, and making a noice which may
warn the inmates of the trench that
someone is getting fresh in their
front yard. Thereds 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.
II you cut a wire improperly. loud
twang win ring out on the night air
like the swapping OF a banjo string.
Perhaps this noise can be heard only
for fifty or seventy-five yards, but
in Tommy's mind 1t makes loud
noise IN Berlin.
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