The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-12-19

and take the first enemy trench By
surprise. The first trench was only
about eighty yards away. Our big guns
opened up and at zero we climbed out
and followed the curtain of fire too
closely, it seemed to me.
But the barrage stopped too soon.
as it does sometimes, and there were
plenty of Turks left. We were half
way across when they saw us, and
they began banging away at us very
hard. They pounded at us as we came
on until we were given the order to
retire, almost as we were on them
what was left Of US.
As we turned and started back the
Turks rushed out to counter-attack us,
the first Of them busy with bombs.
Then l tripped over something and
rolled around while and then saw
it was Philippe Pierre. His left leg
was dangling, cloth and flesh and all
shot away and the leg hanging to the
rest of him by shred. Two or three
of our men who were on their way
back to our trenches tripped over me.
as / tried to get up. and then shell
exploded near by and thought had
got it sure, but it was only the rocks
thrown up by the explosion.
Finally was able to stand up. So
slung my rifle over one shoulder
and got Philippe Pierre up on the
other, with hts body from the waist
up hanging over my back. so that
/ could hold his wounded leg on, and
started back. There was only one or
two Of our men left between the
trenches. Our machine guns were at
1t hard and the Turks were firing and
bombing at full speed.
/ had not gone more than two or
three PAGES when I came across
another of our men, wounded in sew
eral places and grooming away at a
great rate. Philippe Pierre was not
saying a word, but the other chap
did enough for the two of them. One
wounded man was all could manage,
with my rifle and pack, over the rough
| ground and the barbed wire had tC
| 60 through. So I told this fellow.
whose name I cannot remember
never did know him very well-that !
would come back for him, and went
on. / almost fell several times, but
managed to get through safely and
rolled over our parapet with Philippe
Pierre. They started the lad back In
a stretcher right away. When saw
him again he gave me little box as
souvenir, but I have lost it.
The Turks had not got very far with
| their counter-attack, because we were
able to get our barrage going In time
4 to check them. But they were still out
in front Of their trenches when
started back after the other garby
was not exactly afraid as crawlet
along searching for the other man
but I was very thirsty and nervous
for fear our barrage would begiI
again or the machine guns cut loose
After what seemed long time cam,
upon a wounded man, but he was no
the one was after. thought abou
"a bird in the hand" ETC., and was jus
starting to pick this chap up whel
a shell burst almost on us ant
knocked me two or three feet away
, It Is a wonder it did not kill boil
Of us, but neither Of US was hurt.
thought the fire would get heavie
, then, SO dragged the other chap int
, one Of two holes made by the shell
Some pieces Of the shell had stucl
} into the dirt in the hole and they wer
|, still hot. Also, there was sort o
gas there that hung around for sew
> eral minutes, but it was not very baG
= The man began talking to me, an
, he said 1t was an honor to lie on tn
field of battle with a leg shot of an
dead men piled all about you, an
! some not dead but grooming. He toll
me I would soon be able to hear th
2 grooming, though I had not said
, minded it, or anything about 1t. The
l he said again what an honor 1t wal
!. and asked If I had q drink for hin
r / had not had any water all day, an
0 I told him so, but he kept on askin
). for it all the same. Some of the Turf
|. ish b0mhers must have sneaked u
$ pretty close to our lines, for when
( looked out Of the hole toward on
r lines. and a shell burst near then
s I could see Turk coming toward u
d We played dead then, but / had m
i. t...yonet ready for him In case he ha
4 seen us and decided to come up to ii
n hole. Evidently he had not, for whe
4 side and went around.
d The other garby was cheerful whe
e he was not asking for water, but "
could see he was going fast So we 81