Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-19

daytime. The dugouts were built right
| into tho trenches. 1t was just as II
you made a holo in the brcastworks
and dropped box In II and piled dirt
over the stop. OF course. that 1sH'r
the way It's done. The dugout IL built
up OF timbers and snoring just the
way mine tunnel Is. But the top
of the dugout is usually OF boards.
Then another set Of boards is laid
| over tho roof. but n space is left be-
tween the roof AMI the second layer
of boards. the dirt being piled up on
the second set of boards. This leaves
a narrow slot open which ia your
shooting station. You can see tho Ger.
| man trenches fine. but they can't SEQ
you. unless they arc looking at your
| section OF the trench Just when you
shoot and sec the flash OF the rife
Tho first time we went into tho
trenches NC stayed ten days We were
all crazy to get shot. but It raincd
! most OF the time and the Germans kent
pretty low. But we got a few shots
| at some of the wagons we saw on tho
other side and tried out some shots
at places where the officers had doped
II out that tho German sinners were
laying.
oh our second trip in We got more
chances. for the weather was better
ana We could get the range better.
Ihen we'd had n chance to talk things
over when we went back to our billie,
ior "a rest and some OF the officers
give us some good dope.
i got good place to shoot from
on inc second trip as I had tho fret
.imc UP About the first day VIC w.re
Ill 'he Germans put some tin cana
un ana We sure did pepper them cans.
'"o", OF course. we we're always
'thiha Tor the periscopes. But lis
-''''hs 80 that 1t is hard 10 knock thc,n
10" H. because the Germans keen NOV
80 ~" ana you got To dope OUT
way inc stick is going to move
anu get it OF the wing. II takes .o,, q
even from good rests like we
""u 10 get moving little box Ike
PcrlSc"pe or the wing
The best time of day COR ..o u.,
| early in the morning. II seemed ILL.,
| as il the Germans w.rep,, ca -,
'aeh. Anyway. the light seemed bc, f.
'es. a'ier the mis- YEAS burned ON,
ana VIC sur" used to Gu, IN som. r,oL
! TICKS after breakfast. II doesn't d., for
! man To be always shooting IN
| hrSt 'h'nE ne hnow.;. his shooting M,
/ WI be spotted. Ne got so We ,.c.,
| |" y" on: looking from ono pcephole
t""' uh'h We saw something that look
81 suspicious or something tina. w.,
| moving III ono OF the traverse trench,
! we'd jump over to our fiinc station.
/ and Try QUO on It.
Try mis- scheme We dEar't sinnd
much chanc" Of getting hit. because
"" never did any shooting from tho
/ mace whore Ne die our spo,tIns o,.,
We srent most ~ the time trying 70
/ 'nG S"oa msrk to shoe, at.
! i don't know wha, II WIS ina ~, n,
M gun bust. Maybe some water 20,
! IN II some way. ] never did and anv.
body who could explain i. very c,.or
Hut tho old gun decided to burst, Ar,
! my LETT hand got most OF IL. They
cay IL wont ever he OF any use tn IN.
, ana from the looks of IL guess I,
won't IL happened on December "a
( jUs' two days before Christmas.
sure had rotten Christr,ay,
Eut I'm no, worrying much. Nv
( luck wasn't 20 bad some of our hupc,
got killed, you know ono man /, a
company right near mine 90, a h,,,e,
clean through his head. And he was
Fittins In the trench at the time. II
MAS "a stray bullet. Eucgs. Prob,bl,
was shot from n trench over 10 on.
SID" and hit something and bounded
straight along one OF cur trenches