Gunnison news-champion., 1918-05-17
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less that We sang patriotic songs or
made any unnecessary noise.
During the intervals OF fshing star
shells We carried on with our wire cut
ting until at last we succeeded In get
ting through the German barbed wire.
Al this point We were only ten feet
from the German trenches. II We were
discovered. We were like rats In q trap
Our way was cut on unless we rar
along the wire to the narrow lane We
had CtA through. With opr hearts 10
our mouths We waited for the three
tap signal 20 rush the German trench.
Three taps had gotten about halfway
down the line when suddenly about ten
TO twenty German star shells were
fired all along the trench and landed
In the bsrbed wire in rear OF Us. turn
Ing nigh, into day and silhouetrlng US
against the wall Of light made by the
flares. In the glaring light We were
scene.
All along the German trench, al
about Nhree-foOt intervals, stood big
Prusslan guardsman with his rife at
the aim. and then We found out why
We had not been challenged when the
man sneezed and the bnrhed wire had
been Improperly cut. About three feet
in front Of the trench they had con-
struCtei single fence OF harbed wire
and we knew our chances were one
thousand to one Of returning alive.
We could not rush their trench on nc-
count OF this second defense. Then
In front of me the challenge. "Halt,"
given In English rang out. and one Of
the finest things have ever heard on
the western front took place.
From the middle OF our line some
Tommy answered the challenge with,
Jaw, 20 TO HI" 1t must have been
the man who bad sneezal or who had
improperly cut the barbed wire; he
wanted to show Fritz that he could
die game. Then came the volley. Ma
chine guns were turned loose and sew
eral bombs were thrown In our rear.
The Boche In front Of me was looking
down his sight. This fellow might
have. under ordinary circumstances.
been handsome. but when viewed him
from the front OF his rifle he had the
goblins OF childhood Imagination rele-
gated to the shade.
Then came a flash In front Of me, the
flare Of his rlfie-and my head seemed
to burst. bullet had hit me on the
left side of my face about half an
inch from my eye. smashing the cheek
bones. put my hand to my face and
fell forward. biting the ground and
kicking my feet. l thought | was dy-
Ing. but. do you know. my past life did
not unfold before me the way 1t does
In novels.
The blood was streaming down my
tunic. and the pain was awful. When
came to l said to myself. Emp. old
boy. you belong In Jersey City. and
you'd better get back there as quickly
as possible"
The bullets were cracking overhead.
crawled Il few feet back to the Ger.
man barbed wire, and in STOPPING po-
sition, guiding myself by the wire, !
went down the line looking for the
lane We had cut through. Before
reaching this lane I came to limp
form which seemed like bag OF oats
hanging over the wire. In the dim
light I could see that Its hands were
blackened. and knew It was the body
of one E my mates. l put my hand
on his head. the top of which had been
blown of by bomb. NV fingers sank
into the hole. pulled my hand back
full OF blood and brains. then / went
crazy with fear and horror and rushed
along the wire until l came to our
lane. / had Just turned down this lane
when something inside Of me seemed
to say, "Look around" did so; bull
let caught me on the left shoulder. II
did not hurt much, Just felt rs II some
one had punched me in the back. and
then my left side went numb. My arm
was dangling like rag. fell forward
in n sitting position. But all the fear
had left me and l was consumed with
rage and cursed the German trenches.
With my right hand felt In my tunic
for my first-aid or shell dressing. In
feeling over my tunic my hand came
in contact with one of the bombs which
carried. Gripping it. pulled the pin
out with my. teeth and blindly threw II
towards the German trench. 1 must
have been out of my head. because ]
was only ten feet from the trench and
took n chance of being mangled. II
the bomb had failed to go into the
trench would have been blown to
bits by the explosion Of my own bomb
BY the flare of the explosion of the
bomb. which luckily landed In their
trench, saw one big Boche throw up
his arms and fall backwards. while his
rife flew into the air. Another one
wilted and fell forward across the