The Nevada County picayune., 1918-07-25
The neat was oppressive. The sweat

especially upon our hips. IL was a re- lief at D. m. to halt at an abandoned farm and rest on the grass. We might have lain down about ten min. utes when suddenly We heard firing We jumped up like lightning and hur- ried to our guns The firing which was about three kilometers away grew more lively. At once we were on the march again.
 From the expressions on the faces of the soldiers we could read the minds of the men. Something took possess sion of them which they hnd never ex- perienced before. As for myself became very restless. Fright and curi- 0sity lashed my brain. Everything whrled around in my head and my heart was beating wildly. But I strove to conceal my fright from my com. rades. am sure that I tried energeti- cally. l don't know that I succpeded better than my companions.
 Although l knew we would be in the fight in m hour, l tried to per suade myself that our interference
  ly to everything which might strength. en this hope.
 The bicycles lying in the road indi- cated that the bicycle division was in the fight at this point, How strong the enemy was we did not know as we raced toward the firing line. Every body crouched down as low as poSs- hle while jumping to the right and left. Before and behind us the bullets were flying continuously, yet we reached the firing line without losses. We were greeted ioyOusly by our hard pressed comrades. The bicycle regi ment had not suffered any losses ex cept for few slightly wounded men who were still able to take part in the fight.
 We were lying fiat on the ground and firing In the direction ordered for all we were worth. even though we had not seen our enemies. That was apparently not interesting enough to some of our soldiers They wanted to know how the people were looking whom they had to shoot at. They got up to a kneeling position. Two men of my company had to pay for their curi- osity with their lives almost instantly. The first victim of our party went down without q sound. The second threw his arms high in the air and fell on his back. Both were dead in- stantly.
 It is impossible for me to describe the feeling that Oyercame me in the first real yolley as we advanced and came directly within the range of the fire. l no longer felt any fright only an impulse to get into action as quick ly as possible. Yet at the sight of the first corpse terrible fear seized me For minutes I was completely stunned, lost all self-control and was absolute Iy unable to think or do anything
 l pressed my face and hands close to the ground l wanted to clutch my gun and shoot bindlY Presently I calmed down. suddenly became con tented with myself and conditions about me and when sson afterward the command was sounded along the whole line, Spring out = Forward march" l charged as did everyone else like one possessed. The order to halt followed Like wet bags we bumped 10 the ground. Firing had be- gun anew.
 Our firing now became more lively momentarily and increased to q fear ful loudncSS. If We had occasion to .. to shout so loudly in their ears that it hurt our thronts
 Under the effect of our fire the enc my grew restless. the fire weakened and his line wavered As only 500 meters separated us from them we could observe exactly what happened there. We saw about half the enemy retire in the following manner: Every other man quit the line, leaving his al- ternate in his place. Those remaining held on until the retiring party halted. We used this moment 10 inflict the most severe losses on the retreating enemy. As far as we could scan the horizon to the right and left we saw the Germans advancing in several sec tors Also for our detachments the order came to advance as the enemy retreated.
 The task of clinging to the heels of the retiring enemy so tenaciously that no time would be allowed to make q new stand fell to us We followed the BclgianS scarcely stopping to breathe on the way, in order 10 pre- vent their fortifying themselves in village situated just ahead We knew that bloody house-to-house fight lay before uS, vel the Relgians never at tempted fo establish themselves, hut managed to escape with astonishing elev, rneSS.
 In the meantime We received re-en- forccnlentS. Our company was now pretty well scattered and fought with whatever unit was nearby The body