The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-10-18

0Ao do0 ou Doeoa Too ~ -
SUI leather tFapp1ap Fuboo0 - oeeA
especially upon o1r Ma Il was . -
hef at 3 p. =. 70 halt ct N ahandooeo
farD and rsst - tAs grass. We
might have lain down about tsa min
utss when sudasnly ws hsard airing
We Jumped up like lightning and hur
ried to our guns. The airing which
was about three kilonstsrs away grew
more lively. At eoee ~ were - TIE
march again.
Frosa the expressiens On the faees
Of the soldiess we could Rad the minda
Of the men. Something took poeoee
tion Of them which they had nsvsr ~.
perienced before. A. for myself ]
became vesy restlssa Fright and curl
ostty lashed ny bsain- DverythiAs
whiried around n ny head and ny
heart was beating wildly. But strove
to eoaceal my flight from my com.
radss. am sure that tFied enersed.
cally. I doa't know that succeeded
better thaa my companioas.
Although I knew We would b In
the nght In an hour. I tried 10 Per
suade myself that ouf interference
would not be necessary. I chung tight
" to everything which might strength
en- this hope.
The bicycles lying h the road indi-
Gated that the bicycle divisioo was In
the fight at this point How strong
tho enemy was We did not know ~ We
raced toward the firing line. Hvsry-
body erouched down ~ low - posa-
BILE while jumping to the right and
left. Before and behind ~ the bullets
were flying continuously. yet We
reached the firing line without losses.
We were greeted joyously BY our hard
pressed comrades. The bicycle reSl.
msnt had not suffered any losses sx-
cspt for . few slightly wounded mea
who were still able to take part In the
fight.
We wers lying nat On the ground
and firing In the direction ordered for
had not seem our easmies. That WAS
apparsntly not interesting snoush 70
some Of our soldiers. They wanted
to know how the people were looking
whom they had TO shoot at. They got
up to kneeling position. Two men Of
ny company had to pay for their curl
osity with their lives almost instantly.
The drst victim of our party went
down without . sounA The second
threw his arms high In tAs air and fell
ON his back. Both were dead In
stantly.
It 10 impossible for ne to describe
the feeling that overcame me In the
hrst real vollsy a. We advanced and
came directly within the range ef the
Ara. no longer felt any fright, oaly
an impulse to get Into action ~ quick
" ~ possible. Yet at the sight Of the
frst corpse . terrible fear ssised ne.
For minutes was completely stunned.
lost all self-control and was absoluts.
" unable to think or do anything.
pressed my face and hands close
to the ground. wanted TO clutch my
gun and shoot blindly. Presently I
calmed down. I suddenly became con-
tented with myself and conditions
about me and whom soon afterWard
the command was sounded along ths
whole line. Spring outi" forward
marchi" I charged - did everyone
else like one possessed. The order to
halt followed. Like wet bags We
pumped to the ground. Firing had be-
gun anew.
Our firing now became moro lively
momentarily and increased to q fear
full loudness. II we had occasion to
say anything to our comrades we had
to shout 10 loudly In their ears that 1t
hurt our throats.
Under the effect Of our flrs the ens-
my grew restless. the IRE weakened
and his line wavered. A. only 500
meters separated u from them we
could observe exactly what happened
there. We saw about half the enemy
retirs In the following manner: Every
other man quit the line. Leaving his al
ternate In his place. Those remaining
held ON until the retiring party halted.
We used this moment to inflict the
most severe losses o. the retreating
enemy. Al far - We could scan the
horizon to the right and left we saw
the Germans advancing In several Sec
tors. Also for our dstachments the
order came to advanes - the enemy
retreated.
The TASK Of ciinging to the heels
Of the retiring enemy 20 tenaciously
that NO dime would be allowed to make
. new stand fell to m. We followed
the Bslgfans, scarcely stopping to
breathe on the way, In order to pre-
vent their fortifying themselves in q
Village situated Just ahead. We knew
that . bloody house-to-house fight lay
before a.. yet the Belgians never at.
tempted to establish themselves, but
managed to escape with astonishing
cleverneoo.
In the meantime we received re-en.
forcements. Our company was now
pretty well scattered and fought with
hDkASAA nas,lk ~. L.