Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-05-30

>SssA wy was cut OH unless we ran
along the wire to the narrow lane we
had cut through. With our hearts in
our mouths we waited for the three.
TAP nlgnal to rush the German trench.
Three taps had gotten about halfway
down the line when suddenly about ten
to twenty German star shells were
dred all along the trench and landed
y the barbed wire In rear-of us, turn.
{ Ing night into day and silhouetting us
against the wall Of light made by the
flares. IN the gfafilg light we were
confronted by the following unrl 1sant
scene.
All along the German trench, at
about three-foot intervals, stood big
Rrussian guardsman with his rifle at
! the aim. and then we found out why
We had not been challenged when the
man sneezed and the barbed wire had
been improperly cut. About three feet
ID front Of the trench they had con-
structed single fence Of barbed wire
and we knew our chances were one
thousand to one Of returning alive.
We could not rush their trench on ac-
count Of this second defense. Then
IN front Of me the challenge, "Halt,"
uven In English rang out, and one Of
the finest things I have ever heard on
Tho western front took place.
From the middle Of our line some
Tommy answered the challenge with,
sAw,- 60 to hi" It must have been
the man who had sneezed or who had
Improperly cut the barbed wire; he
wanted to show Fritz that he could
die game. Then came the volley. Ma
chine guns were turned loose and sew
eral bombs were thrown in our rear.
The Boche In front Of me was looking
down his sight. This fellow might
have, under ordinary circumstances,
been handsome, but when I viewed him
from the front Of his rifle he had the
1oblins Of childhood Imagination rele-
xated to the shade.
Then came flash In front of me, the
hare Of his rifle and my head seemed
10 burst. A bullet had hit me on the
LEFT side Of my face about half an
Inch from my eye, smashing the cheek
bones. I put my hand to my face and
fell forward, biting the ground and
licking my feet. I thought I was dy-
Ing, but. do you know, my past life did
not unfold before me the way 1t does
N novels.
The blood was streaming down my
tunic, and the pain was awful. When
{ came to said to myself, Emp, old
boy, yon belong In Jersey, City, and
you'd better get back there as quickly
- possible"
The bullets were cracking overhead.
I crawled few feet back to the Ger
man barbed wire, and In STOPPING po-
,SitiQn,. guiding myself by the wire, /
went down the line looking for the
lane we had cut through. Before
reaching this lane came to limp
form which seemed like q bag Of oats
hanging over the wire. In the dim
light could see that its hands were
blackened, and knew 1t was the body
of one OF my mates. I put my hand
on his head, the top Of which had been
blown on BY q bomb. Ny fingers sank
into the hole. pulled my hand back
full Of blood and brains, then went
crazy with fear and horror and rushed
along the wire until I came to our
lane. ! had Just turned down this lane
when something inside Of me seemed
to ray, Look around" did so bull
LET caught me on the left shoulder. 1t
did not hurt much, just felt as If some
one had punched me In the back, and
then my left side went numb. My arm
vat dangling like arag. I fell forward
In aseftting position. But all the fear
had left me and was consumed with
rage and cursed the German trenches.
With my right hand 1 felt in my tunic
Tor my first-aid or shell dressing. In
feeling over my tunic my hand came
In contact with one of the bombs which
1 carried. Gripping 1t, pulled the pin
out with my teeth and blindly threw It
towards the German trench. must
have been out Of my head, because
was only ten feet from the trench and
took chance Of being mangled. II
the bomb had failed to go into the
trench I would have been blown to
bits by the explosion Of my own bomb.
By the flare. Of the explosion of the
bomb. which luckily landed in their
trench. I saw one big Boche throw up
his arms and fall backwards, while his
rifle flew into the air. Another one
wilted and fell forward across the
handbags then blackness.
Realizing what a foolhardy and risky
thing I had done, was again seized
with horrible fear. dragged myself
to my feet and ran madly down the
lane through the barbed wire, Stun
bling over cut wires, tearing my uni
form, and decorating my hands and
legs. Just as / was about to reach
No Mans Land again, that same voice
seemed to say, Turn around" / did
70, when, "crack," another bullet
caught me, this time in the left shout
der about One-haf inch away from the
Dther wound. Then 1t was taps for me.
The lights went out.
When ! came to was crouching in,
! hole In No Mans Land. This shell
hole was about three feet deep, so that
It brought my head. q few inches below /
The level Of the ground. How reached
Ibis hole ! will never know. German
stypeWtterS', were traversing back
md forth IA No Mans Land, the bull
lsts biting the. edge Of my shell hole
~ x3,,sx,,g. : I, al - II ..,,.,..