The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-05-17

Dy passing r1ue DuiletS. Frequently
to my right and left. little spurts OF
dirt would rise into the mir and q rico.
Chef bullet would whine on Its way.
II Tommy should see one Of these
little spurts In front Of him. he would
| tell the nurse about It later. The
/! crossing OF No Mans Land remains a
blank to me.
Men on my right and left would
stumble and fall. Some would try to
get up. while others remained huddled
and motionless. Then smashed-up
barbed wire came into view and
seemed carried on a tide to the rear.
Suddenly. In front of me doomed q
bashed-in trench about four feet wide.
Overlooking forms like mud turtles
were scrambling up its wall. One Of
these forms seemed to slip and then
rolled TO the bottom Of the trench.
leaped across this intervening space.
The man to my left seemed 20 pause in
midair. then pitched head down into
the German trench. I laughed out loud
In my deiirfum. Upon aliGhting on the
other side Of the trench came TO with
a sudden JOLT. Right In front Of me
doomed . giant form with q rife which
looked about ten feet long. on the end
of which seemed seven bayonets. These
Mashed In the air in front of me- Then
through my mind flashed the admoni-
ton OF our bayonet instructor back In
Blighty. He had said, whenever you
get In a charge and run your bayonet
up to the hilt into a German the Fritz
Will fall. Perhaps your rifle will be
wrenched from your grasp. Do not
waste time. II the bayonet is fouled
In his equipment. by putting your foot
on MS stomach and Juggling Mt the rife
TO extricate the bayonet. Simply
press the trigger and the bullet will
free It," In my present situation this
was the logic, but for the life OF me
could not remember how he had told
me to get my bayonet into the Ger
man. To me this was the paramount
issue. I closed my eyes and Iunged
forward. My rifle was torn from my
hands. 1 must have gotten the Ger
man because he had disappeared.
About twenty feet to my left front
was huge Prussian nearly six feet
four inches in height, a fine specimen
OF physical manhood. The bayonet
from his rifle was missing, but he
clutched the barrel in both hands and
was swinging the butt around his head.
could almost hear the swish of the
butt passing through the air. Three
little Tommies were engaged with him.
They looked like pigmies alongside OF
the Prussian. The Tommy on the left |
was gradually circling TO the rear OF !
t.
see them duck the swinging butt and |
try to jab him at the same time The |
Tommy nearest me received the butt |
Of the Germans rifle I'm smashing |
blow below the right temple. 1t
his head like an eggshell He |
pitched forward on his side and a con- |
Tulsive shudder ran through his body |
Meanwhile the other Tommy had |
gained the rear Of the Prussian. Sud |
fenly about four inches of bayonet /
)rotruded from the throat of the Prus-
sian soldier. who staggered forward
md fell. / will never forget the look
If blank establishment that came over
lis face.
Then something hit me I'm the left
shoulder and my left side went numb.
t felt as II n hot poker was being
lriven through me. / felt no palm
ust sort of nervous shock. A bay
met had pierced me from the rear. l
ell backward on the ground. but was
lot unconscious. because / could see
Inn objects moving around me. Then
flash of light in front OF my eyes and
Something had hit
ne on the head. / have never found
ut what 1T was.
l dreamed / was being tossed about
n an open boat on heaving sea and
pened my eyes. The moon was shin
ne. / was on stretcher being car
led down one of our communication
At the advanced frst-aid
ost my wounds were dressed. and
hen was put into an ambulance and
ent to one of the base hospitals. The
rounds in my shoulder and head were
OF serious and In six weeks / had re-
'ined my company for service I'm the
-Ont line.