American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-08-09

meant that we were 10 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 dis
lance of the German trench, rush II
and infict as many casualties as pos
sible, secure a couple of prisoners, and
then back to your WI lines with the
speed clutch open. Four taps meant,
u have gotten you into a position from
which it is impossible for me to extri-
cate you, so you are 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 to be ION his own" behind
the lines, but not during q trench raid.
The star shells from the German
lines were falling In front of us. there
fore we were safe. After about TWEEN
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 Of me; we Rugged 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
nanaroI1- nnCfTag nhnn tho HnrnQn0
have heard a noise In No Mans Land.
Nothing happened. We received two
taps and crawled forward slowly for
five yards; no doubt the officer be
lieved what Old Pepper had said, "Per.
sonally I believe that that part Of the
German trench is unoccupied." BY be-
Ing careful and remaining motionless
when the star shells fell behind us, we
reached the German barbed wire with
out 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 Nc
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 witt
his name and number on 1t will come
hurtling through the air aimed in the
direction Of Berlin. The man on tn
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
mar wires are charged with electricity
but to prevent the cutters rubbing
against the barbed wire stakes, whicl
are of iron, and making a nois
which may warn the inmates of tn
trench that someone rs getting fresl
in their front yard. There is only on
: way to cut a barbed wire without nOis
and through costly experience Tomm
has become an expert in doing this
You must grasp the wire about tw
inches from the stake In your RICH
t hand and cut between the stake an
your hand.
If you cut a wire improperly,
loud twang will ring out OIL the nigh
air like the swapping of a banj
t string. Perhaps this noise can b
heard only for fifty or %seventy-fv
I yards, but in Tommy's mind it make
a loud noise in Berlin.
+ We had cut a lane about halfwa
through the wire when, down the Gel
r ter Of our line, twang! went an In
properly cut wire. We crouched dow