The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-05-09

thASS houES, expecting 10 De DlOWn 10
bits any second. we finally moved for
ward. lust as we left the copse. from
behind US, up over ridge. came II
stream of galloping horses.
ITS the cavalry" someone shouted.
but soon l made out limbers and field
guns.
They galloped past us, going like
mad. took up a position to our right,
swung into position. unllmbered, and
in two minutes were blazing away. 1t
was thrilling sight.
Torn by Shells.
In going forward we went around
the end of the larger wood In front of
us. over ground that was torn to bits
by the heavy shell fire that had just
preceded. over another edge. across n
valley. and under the crest of a hill.
And here we found the tanks going
over the top of the hill to take up
their position. At this point we were
still about n mile from the front line
AT this place opened up an aid post
under the crest Of the hill to take care
of what wounded came In while we
were getting into position. / looked
cuSh dSiOco tlC Nuhcy VIC hud yuSt
traversed.
Shrapnei was bursting In the air.
shells were whizzing overhead, and our
guns behind me were belching forth
the fire. The noise was deafening.
railroad ran through the valley
and an engine pulling couple of fiat
cars was going by. A couple of SOL
diers We're sitting on the rear truck
swinging their feet. A shell burst on
the track and only missed the last car
about fifteen yards. Neither man was
hit and the train went Nlthely on.
BY this time 1t was getting along
toward evening, the sur was sinking
in the west. and finally went down n
great ball of fire. At the time. 1 re-
member, l noticed its color. 1t was
blood red and had n sinister look. Was
1t my Imagination, or might 1t have
been premonition7 At any rate, !
shall never forget the color of the sun
as 1t set that night ut the end Of the
first day of probably one Of the great
est battles in history. 1t certainly
didn't look good to me.
The drumming of the guns contin-
uC0s bNiiiShl aCSPChCo iAio
night, the signalers stopped their wig
wagging and took up their flash sig
nails. fog dropped down on us and
put the lights out Of business. and
when we left to go forward under the
cover of darkness they were busy put
ting out their telephone lines-signal-
ers and runners don't have an easy
time.
Shell Dump Goes UP.
Behind us q shell landed in an am
munition dump and 1t went up with n
roar then the rifle ammunition started
going on like great bunch OF fire.
crackers, and great tongues of flame
lit up the sky. N
1t is reported that the Germans had
broken through our line and we were
to counter-attack in the morning. We
got into positions without a single
casualty. 1 opened an aid post In an
until morning. You may think it fun
ny, that one could sleep under such
conditions. but had been up since
5 80. had tramped about six or seven
miles. had had rather trying day
and was dog tired.
So settled down on the rough plank
floor and was soon asleep. l must
have been asleep a couple Of hours
when a runner came from headQuar-
ters and told uS we. were to move of
Immediately. looked at my watch and
1t was / 80 a. m. on the second day.
We went back to the railroad. fol-
lowed 1t around to a position some six
miles to the north Of US, landing there
down on the floor of some abandoned
huts to wait further orders. Our or
ders came along about o'clock. We
marched up across the open prairie,
the sun shining. and 1t was really hot.
Just like some of the warm days We
get the last Of March at home. In
going forward 1t was necessary
for US to march seventy-five yards in
front of three batteries of field guns.
There are six guns to battery. They
shoot an eighteen-pound shell and
while we were there each gun was
shooting twice to the minute. You
can imagine the racket when l tell
you that the discharge of one gun can
be heard about four miles. In addi-
ton the BOche was trying to knock
out this battery and he was dropping
his six inch shells a little too close for
comfort.
Nearly In 4 Trap.
Then l made lovely mistake. l
was to establish an aid post near bat
TALON headquarters and went blithely
on when 1 met a company commander
and asked him where to go.
Back there about a quarter Of a
mile." he replied. This is the front
center company. If you keep on in
the direction you are going you are
going up over that ridge and Fritz will
be waiting for you with a machine
pun