The Mena weekly star., 1918-07-25
lCcntinued from lasL week.l

The presence of the R. A. M. c. men did not seem to disturb the raiders, be- cause many joke made in ali under tone. was passed along the winding column, as to who would be first to fake A ride on one of the stretehers This was generally followed by wish that, if you were to be the one, the wound would be a "cushy Blighty one"
 The stretcher bearers. no doubt, hoping that. if they did have to carry anyone to the rear, he would be small and light. Perhaps they looked at me when wishing, because could feel an uncomfortable, boring sensation be- tween my shoulder blades. They got their wish all right.
 Going up this trench, about every sixty yards or so we would pass lone ly sentry, who in a whisper would wish us ''the best O luck. mates" We would blind at him under our breaths: that Jonah phrase to us sounded very Omin0us.
 Without my casualties the minstrel troop arrived at Suicide ditch. the front-line trench. Previously, wiring party of the Royal Engineers had cut a lane through our barbed wire to en- able us to get out Into No Mans Land.
 Crawling through this lane, our party of twenty took rp an extended order formation about one yard apart uyo had a fan of.da s.,.ane,od f,, .,,,. movements while in No Mans Land, because for various reasons 1t is not safe to carry on a heated conversation a few yards in front of Fritz lines The officer was on the right of the line while I was on the extreme left Two taps from the right would be passed down the line until received them, then would send back ore tap. The officer, In receiving this one tap. would know that his o1zier had gone down the whole line. had been under stood. and that the party was ready Do obey the two-tap signal. Two taps meant that we were to crawl forward aowly--and believe me. very slowly for five yards and then halt to await further instructions. Three taps meant. when you arrived within striking dis tance of the German trench, rush it and infiict as many casualties as pos Mbie. secure couple of prisoners. and then back to your own lines with the speed clutch open. Four taps meant, T have gotten you into position from which it Is impossible for me to extri- cate you. 30 you are on your own"
 After getting Tommy into a mess on the western front he Is generally told that he is lon his own" This means. Save your skin In any way possible" Tommy loves to be Ion his own" behind the lines. but not during trench raid.
 The star shells from the German
 nes were falling In front of us, there sore We were safe. After about twen-
 minutes we entered the star shell Eme. A star shell from the German snes fell about five yards in the rear hnd to the right of me; we hugged the Hoand and held our breath until it nrned out. The saoke from the star szeA travelled along the ground and Sossed over the middle of our line. ssnae Tommy sneezed. The smoke had snkten up his nose We crouched on me ground, curslng the offender under ear breath. and waited the volley that generally ensues when the Germans aave heard noise In No Mans Land. Nothing happened We received two taps and crawled fee-sard slowly fer MVN A<xssA heved what Old Pepper had said, ~Fer- sonaily believe that that part of the vernan trench fig unoecupied.r By be- ng careful and remaining mofiouiess when the star shells fell behlnd us. we reached the German sbarbed wire with out mishap. Then the fun began | was scared stin as it is ticklish work cutting your way through wire when aeeat thirty feet In front of xom there line of Boches looking out Into No Aian's Land with their rifles lying across the parapet. straInlng every sense to see or hear what Is going on m No Man's Land because at night. Fritz never knows when a bomb with ms name and number on 1t will come hnrtiing through the air aimed in the direction of Berlin. The man on the susht, one man in the center and my ser on the extreme left were equipped with wire cutters. These are insulated with soft rubber not because the Ger nan wires are charged with electricity, 'but to prevent the cutters rubbing against the barbed wire stakes, which a're of iron. and making d noise 'Nmch may warn the inmates of the trench that someone is getting fresh 'h their front yard. There is only one way to cut barbed wire without noise ma through costly experience Tommy nas become an expert in doing this. iou must grasp the wire about two h'ehes from the stake In your right hahn and cut between the stake and ftlir hand.
 Al you cut wire improperly. a souu twang will ring out on the night
 i ike the snapping of u banjo string. Perhaps this noise can he nearu only for fifty or seventy-five sa1ds. but in Tommy's mind 1t makes u loud noise in Berlin.
 we had cut 8 lane about halfway nlougn the wire when. down the cen yer of our line, twang went an irn- Pioperiy cut wire. We crouched down. Nufstng under our hrpafh f,a,ahl;,.sv oll