The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1918-10-24
CHAPTER vli-contInusd.

surely wished was the gunner
'ficer. I would have enjoyed it more
II I could have got back at Fritz
somehow. But was not the gunner
officer and told him 80. I had to
shout at him quite a while before he
would believe me. Then he wanted
me to find the gunner officer. but l
did not know where to find him. II
could have got to our guns guess I
would have had another medal for
working overtime, but missed the
chance there.
About this time another bomb came
over and clouted out the best friend
l had In my company. Before the
war he had been one of the finest sing
ers in the Paris opera houses. When
he was with US he used to say that
the only difference between him and
Caruso was $500 q night.
A poilu and dragged him into
dugeut, but 1t was too late. One side
Of his face was blown OF the whole
right side Of him was stripped OF
and four fingers of the right hand
were gone.
stuck my head out Of the dugout
and there was the captain discussing
the matter with himself, cursing the
Germans from here to Helgoland and
putting In q word for the bombs every
once in while. All up and down the
trenches you could hear our men
cursing the Germans in all kinds Of
languages. Believe me. I did my bit
4 hnA >oA~ al.
good old United States cuss words,
TOO. It certainly did not make me feel
any better. but 1t gave me something
to do. I think that was why all Of
us cursed 30 much then. though We
were pretty handy with language at
any time. But when you are under
heavy IRE like that and cannot give
It back a. good ~ you get, you 90
crazy unless you have something to do.
Cussing IL the best thing we could
think Of. al .. .
Up the trench the third bay was
simply smashed in and the Germans
were placing bomb after bomb right
IN 1t and In ours. The captain yelled
out that he was going up to the next
hay to examine It, but no more had
ne not there than he had his head
taken clean OF his shoulders.
At daybreak our trenches were all
pounded In and most Of our dugouts
were filled up. Then Fritz opened up
with his artillery IRE right ON rs. We
thought they were going to charge and
We figured their barrage would lift
and we could zee them come over.
We received orders to stand to with
fixed bayouets. Then the man at the
periscope shouted, 'They comet"
A battery directly behind us went
into action first and then they all
Joined II and inside Of i've minutes
about eight hundred guns were raising
Cain with Frits. The ROches were
caught square In No Mans Land and
our Rides and machine guns simply
moved them down. Many Of them
came half way across. then dropped
their guns and ran for our trenches
to give Themselves up. They could not
have got back to their own trenches
II was shame to waste a shell on
these poor fish. II they had been civ.
vies the law would prevent you from
hitting them-you know the kind.
They could hardly drag themselves
elong.
That IL the way they look when you
nave got them. But when they have
got y0u-kicks. cuffs. bayonet jabs-
there In nothing they will not do to
add to your misery. They seem u
think that II boosts their own courage.
An artillery IRE like ours WAS great
fun for the gunners, but II WINS not
much fun for Fritz or for us In the
trenches. We got under cover almost
M much M Fritz and held tl,unl for
the gunncrs to get through In hurry.
Then the fire died down ind II was
10 quiet II made you jump.
We thought our pnrupct was busted
up " good dcni. but when we looked
through the periscOpe VIZ saw what
hsd happened 10 Fritz trenches and.
believe me. they were practically
ruined.
Out In No Mans Land II looked like
,Woolworth's iive.nnd.ten: everywhere