Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-07-21
CHAPTER WI.
stopping the Huns .. pIsmuds.

trench that connected one OF our front.
line trenches with crater caused by
the explosion OF q mine. All around
me men OF the third line were coming
up. climbing around, digging. hammer.
Ing. shifting plnnks. moving snndbngs
up and down, bringing up new tImbers.
reels OF barbed wire. ladders. cases OF
ammunition. machine guns, trench
mortars--all the things that make an
army look like general store on legs.
The noise Of the guns was just deaf.
enlng. Our own shells passed not far
above our heads, 80 close were the
enemy trenches. and the explosions
were 10 near and 30 violent that when
you rested your rife butt on something
solid. like rock. you could feel II
shake and hum every time shell
! landed.
/ Our nrst line was Just on the out.
skirts Of the town. In trenches that
had been won and lost by both sides
many times. Our second line was In
the streets and the third line was
almost at the south end OF the town.
The Huns were hard at II. shelling
the battered remains OF Dixmude. and
to the right stretcher bearers were
working In lines 30 close that they
looked like two parades passing each
other. But the bearers from the com
pany near me had not returned from
the emergency dressing station and
the wounded were pIling up. waiting
for them.
A company Of the 2me Legion Etran.
gerc had Just come up to take their
stations In the crater, under the para.
pet Of sandbags. A shell landed among
them just before they entered the cru
ter nnd sent almost whole squad
west, besides wounding several others.
Almost before they occupied the
crater the wires were laid and reached
back to us. and the order came for US
to remain where we were until further
orders.
Then we got the complete orders.
We were 10 make no noise but were all
to be ready In ten minutes. We put
on goggles and resplrators. In ten
minutes the bombers were to leave the
trenches. Three mines were to ex-
plode and then we were to take and
hold certain portion Of the enemy
trenches not far on. We were all
ready to start up the ladders when
they moved Nig's section over to, ours
and he sneaked up to me and whis-
pered behind bis hand, BE q sport,
Doc; make II nfty.ffty and gimme a
chance"
did not have any Idea what he
meant and he had TO get back to his
squad. Then the bombers came up to
the ladders, masked and with loaded
sacks on their left arms. Zone min.
ute now" said the oficers, getting on
their own ladders and drawing their
revolvers-though most Of the oficers
Of the Legion charged with rife and
bayonet like their men.
Thep-Booml Slaml Bang land
the mines went of.
"Allesr and then the parapet was
filled with bayonets and men scram.
bling and crawling and falling and get
ting up again. The smoke drifted back
on ~. and then our own machine guns
began ahead Of US.
Up toward the 'front.' the bombers
were fishing m their bags and throw
ing. Just like boys after rat along
the docks. The black smoke from the
"Jack Johnsons'' rolled over US and
probably there was gas, too, but you
could not tell.
The front lines had taken their
trenches and goue on and you could
see them. when you stood on 4 para.
pet running about like hounds through
the enemy communication trenches.
bombing out dugouts, disarmipg pris-
oners--very scary.looking In their
masks and goggles. The wounded
were coming back slowly Then we
got busy with our work In the dugouts
and communication trenches and fire
bays, with bayonets and bombs, dig
ging the Boches out and sending them
"west." And every once In while a
Fritz on one side would step out and
yell "Knmerad," while, like as not. on
tho other side, his pal would pot you
with a revolver when you started to
pick him up, thinking he was wouaded.
Then we stood aside at the entrance
to a dugout and some Boches came
out In single file shouting "Kamerad"
for al they were worth. One Of them
had his mask and face blown on; yet
hs was trying 10 talk, with the tears
folllng down over the raw flesh. He
died ave minutes later.
One night. while I was lying back In
the tsnch trying not to think Of any
thfhe and 90 to sleep the bombs began
TO get pretty thick around there. and
when could not stand Il any longer
I rushed out into the bny Of the Are
trench and right up against the para
pet, where 1t was safer. Aa
Hundreds of star shells were being
sent up by both sides and the field
aud the trenches were as bright Gs
day. All up and down the trenches
cur men were lodging about, keeping
c..k 80 AZ. ..,... - A. -. 49,