The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-04-23

dugout with Sergeant Manson. heard
| the reports and knew that the bar
/ rage was on. We hustled out and
found thick fog. The barrage curtain
was coming thick. and we could hear
the gas bombs bursting all around.
Needed Their Masks.
Those shells hiss like big snakes
/ as they go through the air, and
thought to myself that some OF the
fellows must be getting 1t. The wind
was in our favor, but some of the
fellows in the machine gun platoons
had to fight with their gas masks on.
Il began to feel my nostrils tickle
and knew that the gas was coming,
and that it was time to take precau-
tions.
WAS I afraid? To tell the truth I
was too busy to think about fear.
There were two timid youngsters near
me, and I had to set the pace to put
them at ease. After they saw me
pumping a machine gun they forgot
themselves and fought like old timers.
The men working one gun were
laid out, and l took the gun. They
were lying in the mud with only their
heads and stomachs showing heard
one OF the fellows. called Red, sing
out: The woods Is full of Boches.' I
could see them coming from every dr.
rection through the fog and amidst
the trees.
YeIIowheaded stIff.
There was one big yeIlow-headed
stiff followed by seven others. Just
then a shell burst and my gun was
buried. II stunned me, but I could
see the big German laughing as the
Huns behind him began to take it as
a joke, too. I pulled out my pistol and
fired. / saw the big one keel over
and the blood squirt from his forehead.
so l knew I had got him. Then an
other shell burst near by wounding
four OF as.
The Germans used wire and nails
for shrapneL / know, because ! used
TO work in an ammunition factory.
we four winged guys crawled
through the trenches where we found
another corporal aud nine men.
The Germans tumbled in on us. The
other corporal killed five in quick sue
cesston with his pistol. [ never saw
such shooting. and / thought l was
pretty fair at il. He has me trimmed.
1t thrilled me TO see how cool he was.
he told me TO forget my wound and
fired until the pistol clips gave out,
and then borrowed one from a wound
ed comrade.
After using all Of those he took up
A rifle and began firing. Soon we
hogan IN l.
and the corporal told us we had better
report to the dressing station.
"Nipped With ShrapneI.-
Red, Shorty. and fellow we called !
the Big Swede had all been nipped |
with shrapnel. We crawIed through
a trench over the bodies OF dead Ger
mans. Shorty had a hole in his back, |
Red had his shoulder broken. and we
other fellows had game legs.
THE shells and machine gun bull
let's were whistling all around US as
we crawIed through the barrage. It /
me of an inferno. There /
vas too much racket to think. We
reached the dressing station four
hours after we had been ordered to
'bNi T. AhFlF = tOO weak 10 pull the
trigger OF a toy-pistoI.
Il would sooner be back with the
gang then lying in this bed, but I
will be on the job again in a few
weeks
The Germans were onto their old
Ticks again. As they came at US
through the woods one Fritz yelled
We saw the wide he'll
nets and knew they were Huns and
began pumping in the steel. Our fell
ows were on the job and certainly
,umped In the cold steel, although the
Germans had US nearly surrounded
One private, who had manned a ma
.hins gun at. dead Mans Curve"
aid:
II tried to keep the roads clear and
make il safe for our couriers. but I
Inally got mine and here ] am. lust
et me get one more whack at them
or killing two fellows OF our squad
nd ] will be willing to be planted IN
he hillside where the little white
rosses grow"