Daily Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1918-191?, 1918-04-02

and light. Perhaps they looked at me
when wishing. because could feel M
uncomfortable. boring sensation be
tween my shoulder blades. They got
their wish all right
Going up this trench. about every
sixty yards or 70 we would pass lone
" 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
omjnous.
without any casualties the minstrel
troop arrived az Suicide ditch. the
front.iine trench. Previously. a wiring
party OF the Royal Engineers had cut
a lane through our barbed wire 20 en-
able 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 q tap code arranged for our
movements while In No Mans Land.
because for various reasons n II not
safe 20 cnrry on heated conversation
few yards In front Of Fritz lines.
The officer was on the right OF the
line, while I was on tho extreme left.
Two taps from the right would be
passed down the line until I received
them. then I 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 under
stood. 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 avail;
further Instructions Three taps meant.
when you arrived within striking dis
lance Of the German trench. rush II
and Infllct as many casualties as pos
slble. secure n couple OF prisoners, and
then back TO your own lines with the
speed clutch open. -Four taps meant.
II have gotten you into position from
which Il Is impossible for me to extri-
cate you. so you IRE on your own"
After getting Tommy into a mess on
the western front he Is generally told
that he Is "on his own" This means.
"Save your skin In any way possible"
Tommy loves 10 be ION his own" behind
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 TWEEN
~ minutes we entered the star shell
zone. A star shell from the German
lines fell about Eve yards In the rear
and 20 the right Of me; we Rugged tho
ground and held our breath until II
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
I 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
tnps and crnwled forward slowly for
FIVE yards: no doubt the officer be
lleved what Old Pepper had said. "Per-
sonally ] believe that that part OF the
German trench Is unoccupled." by be
when the star shells fell behind us, we
reached the German barbcd wire with
out mlshap. Then the fun began !
was scared stlff as Il Is tlcklish work
| cutting your way through wire when
/ about thirty feet In front Of you there
Is line Of Boches looking out into No
Mans Land with their rifles lying
across the parnpct. stralnlhg every
sense 10 see or hear what Il going on
/ IN No Mans Land; because at night,
| Fritz never knows when bomb with
/ his nnme and number on II viii come
hurting through the air aimed in the
direction Of Berlin. The man ON the
right. one man In the center and my
self on the extreme left were equipped
with wire cutters. These are insulated
with soft rubber not because the Ger
man wires are charged with electricity.
but TO prevent the cutters rubbing
/ against the barbed wire stakes. which
are OF iron. and making n noise
| which may warn the inmates OF the
trench that someone Is getting fresh
| In their front yard. There Is 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. a
loud twang viii ring out on the night
air like the swapping Of banjo
string. Perhaps this noise can be
heard only for fifty or seventy-flye
yards. but In Tommy's mind II makes
IA loud noise In Berlin.
| We had cut lane about halfway
through the wire when. down the cen
ter of our line, twang went an Inn
roperly cut wire. We crouched down.
cursing under our breath. trembling all
over, our knees l0cernted from the