The Nevada County picayune., 1918-05-09

us and on either side, but none landed among us, and after waiting there for three hours, expecting to be blown to bits any second, we finally moved for ward. Just as we left the copse, from behind us, up over q ridge, came stream of galloplng horses.
 Its the cavalry" someone shouted, 1 but soon l made out limbers and field guns.
 They galoped past us, going like mad, took up a position to our right, swung into position, unlimbered, and in two minutes were blazing away. It 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 1 by the heavy shell fire that had just preceded, over another edge. across 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 Il 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. l looked back across the valley we had just trayersed.
 Shrapnel 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 flat cars was going by. couple of sol diers were 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 blithely on.
 By this time 1t was getting along toward evening. the sun was sinking in the west. and finally went down great ball of fire. At the time. l re- member. l noticed It's color. It was blood red and had a sinister look. Was 1t my imagination. or might 1t have been a prer1onition? At any rate. J shall never forget the color of the sun as 1t set that night at the end of the first day of probably one of the great est battles in history. It certainly didn't look good to me.
 The drumming of the guns contin- ued. twilight gradually deepened into night, the signalers stopped their wig | Wagging and took up their flash sig nals, a 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- CTS ans runners don't have an easy time.
 Shell Dump Goes Up.
 Behind us shell landed in an ann intuition dump and 1t went up with roar; then the rifle ammunition started going off like n great bunch of fire crackers. and great tongues of flame lit up the sky.
 It Is reported that the Germans had broken through our line and we were to counter-attack In the morning. We got into positions without n single casualty. l opened an aid post in an old dugout and settled down to sleep until morning. You may think it fun ny that one could sleep under such l conditions. but l had been up since 5 80, had tramped about six or seven miles. had had q rather trying day and was dog tired.
 So l settled down on the rough plank l floor and was soon asleep. must 1 have been asleep n couple of hours when q runner came from headquar- terS and told us We were to move off immediately I looked at my watch and it was go a m on the second day.
 We went back to the railroad, fol- lowed it around to q position some six miles to the nerth of us, landing there about 1 in the morning and Topped down on the floor of some abandoned huts to wait flrther orders. our or derS came along about 9 o'clock. We 1 marched up across the open prairie, the sun shining and # was really hot. . Just like some of the warm days We get the last of March at home. In going forward it waS necessary for us to march seventy-tive raNis in. front of three batteries of field guns. There are six guns tn a battery. They shoot au eighteeH pound shell and while we were there each gun was shooting twice ta. the minute. Hpu can imagine the ,gackel when l tell 1 you that tiie discharge Of one gun can be heard about four fniIes. In addi- ton the Boche WAS trying to knock out this battery and he was dropping his six inch shells .l4ttle too close for, comfort
 1 Nearly ines Trap.
 "Then I made 'ds lovely mistake. was to establish ah aid post near bqta ta'ien headquarters and went hIith9ly on when net q company commapJ2r and asked him where to go.
 Back there about quarter of 4 mile" he replied. This Is the front center company. If you keep on in