The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1918-09-19
CHAPTER xxvl-continued.

dlQ not seem 10 disturb tne TuluerS, De-
cause many a joke made in an under
tone. was passed along winding
column, as to who wOulu oe first to
take a ride on one of the stretchers.
This was generally followed by a wish
that. if you were to be the one, the
wound would be a "cushy Blighty
one"
The stretcher bearers. no doubt,
hoping that. If they did have to carry
anyone to the rear, he would be small
and light. Perhaps they looked at me
when wishing, because l could feel an
uncomfortable, boring sensation be-
tween my shoulder blades. They got
their wish all right.
Going up this trench, about every
sixty yards or so we would pass a lone
~ sentry. who in a whisper would
wish US 1.-The best o. luck, mates" We
would bind at him under our breaths;
that JONAH phrase to US sounded very
OminouS.
.Withoc: any casualties the minstrel
troop arrived ut Suicide ditch, the
front-!int trench. Previously, a wiring
party Of the Royal Engineers had cut
a lane through our barbed wire to en-
able us to get out into No Mans Land.
Crawling through this lane, our
party of twenty took up an extended
order formation about one yard apart.
We had a tap code arranged for our
movements while in No Mans Land,
because for various reasons it is not
safe to carry on a heated conversation
q few yards in front of Fritz lines.
The officer was on the right of the
Two taps from the right would be
passed down the line until l received
them. her l would send back one tap.
THE officer, in receiving this one tap.
would know that his order had gone
down the whole line, had been under
stood, and that the party Ia ready
to obey the twO-taD signal. Two taps
meant that we were to crawl forward
slowiy-and believe me, very slowly
for five yards, and then halt to await
FURTHER instructions. Three taps meant,
when YOU arrived within striking dis
tance of the German trench, rush it
n inilict as many casualties as pos
sible. secure a couple of prisoners, and
then back TO your own lines with the
speed clutch open. Four taps meant,
II have gotten you into a position from
which it is impossible for me to extri-
cate you, so you are on your own.'
After getting Tommy into a mess on
the western front he is generally told
that. he is "on his own" This means,
Tommy loves to be ION his own" behind
the lines, but not during a trench raid.
The star shells from the German
lines were falling in front of US, there
fore we were safe. After about TWEEN
1y minutes we entered the star shell
zone. a star shell from the German
lines fell about five yards in the rear
and to the right of me; we Rugged the
ground and held our breath until it
burned out The smoke from the star
shell Travelled along the ground and
crossed owe the middle Of our line.
Some Tommy sueezed. The smoke had
gotten up his nose. We crouched on
the ground, cursing the offender under
our breath, and waited the volley that
generally ensues when the Germans
have heard a noise in No Mans Land.
Nothing happened. We received Two
taps and crawlcd forward slowly fol-
five yards: no doubt the officer be
lieved what Old Pepper had said. per
sonally l believe that that part of the
(Nory,on tponrl, ic ,,rcruy,in}' ~ DIV b1
ing careful and remaining m%otionless
when the star shells fell behind us, we
reached the German barbed wire with
out ilislaap. Then the fun began.
was scared stiff as it is ticklish worl
cutting your way through wire whe1
about thirty feet in front of you there
is q line of BOches looking out into NJ
Mans Land with their rifles lyin.
across the parapet, straining ever,
sense to see or hear what is going OF
IN No Mans Land; because at night
Fritz never knows when a bomb Will
his name and number on it will com
Aurtling through the air aimed in tn
direction Of Berlin. The man on tn
nglit. one mar in the center and my
self on the extreme left were equippe
with wire cutters. These are %insulate
with soft rubber not because the Gel
man wires are charged with electricity
but to prevent the cutters rubin
against the barbed wire stakes, whic
are of iron, and making a nois
which may warn the inmates of tn
trench that someone is getting fres
IN their front yard. There is only Oh
way to cut a barbcd wire without nois
and through costly experience Tomm
has become an expert in doing thi
You must grasp the wire about tw
inches from the stake in your rigl
hand and cut between the stake al
your hand.
If you cut a wire improperly,
loud twang will ring out on the mig
air like the swapping of a ban
string. Perhaps this noise can
heard only for fifty Or seventy-fi'
yards, but in Tommy's mind it max
q loud noise In Berlin.
We had cut a lane about halfw.