Tombstone epitaph., 1918-09-15


 directly into the trap set for us by the French. Before the first ammunition and orher relief supplies reach us we will all he killed"
 Up to this time we had trusted blindly in the invincible strategy Of our great general staff Now it was brought home to us on all sides that the French were fighting at home. close fo their greatest source of supply. and had excellent railroad connections at their disposal. Further than that ,he French maintained terrible artillery fire from guns of far greater caliber than we believed they owned. This led us to the conclusion that they were oc- cupyinc positions which had been pre- pared for n long time. fef We believed that The picture painted by rhe ariii- lerNnan had been too black. We were soon to know better.
 As we approached the enemy's trenches. we were met with a heavy machine gun fire. and in doablequick step hurried to the temporary protec- tion of hastily thrown up dugouts. A hard rain had set in. The field around us was covered with dead and wound ed Even our trench was filled with wounded. which made its occupation by the defenders difficult. Many of the wounded men were paralyzed from lying on the slimy ground. AIT were without bandaces. They begged for bread and water. hut we had none for ourselves. They pleaded piieOusly. just for scrap of hread> Many of them had lain in this inferno for two days. without having eaten anything what, ever
 We were scarcely established when inc French attacked CT masse. The oc- cupants of these trenches. whom we had re-enforced had already repulsed several of these attacks. They urged us to shoot and fired wildly themselves into the ranks of the advancing masses. We responded to the exhortations of the infantry officers: Fire. fire hard CT. harder.'
 We fired until the barrels of our guns became red-hot. The enemy turned The victims of our fire al- ready lying in heaps in No Mans Land between our lines and the enemy's were increased by hundreds. The at tack was repulsed.
 It is dark. and it rains and rains. All about US in the darkness are heard the wounded weeping. moaning, i'm ploring. Their cries are augmented by other wounded closer by. All called for bandages. but we had none left. We tore strips from cur muddy shirts and with them covered the gaping wounds. Men are dying constantly. There are no doctors. no bandages. nothing. The wounded must be assisted. but first the French must be repulsed
 The rain falls harder constantly and we are all wet to the skin. We shoot biindly into the night The fiuc;uating fire of musketry becomes strong, then weaker. then strong again.
 We pioneers are scattered among the infantry. My neighbor touches me.
 say" he calls.
 What do you want:" l ask. "Who are youY'
 Come here" he hiSSei
 It is eerie. alone in this devils night.
 Why are you here? Will you mur- der me like those over there. Soon they will return from over there and the fun will be on again. Do you hear the others weep?"
 And he laughed.
 Suddenly he started again: "I al ways shoot at them until they stop weeping That Is fun"
 And again he laughed, maniacally. and louder than before.
 realized finally that this man had lost his reason. man passed bring ing ammunition and I asked him to fetch the commander at once. The of- ficer arrived. accompanied by an infan- try lieutenant. I met them and report ed that my neighbor had been firing on the wounded. talking nonsense. and undoubtedly was insane. The lieuten- ant stepped between us.
 Gan you see anything!" he asked.
 See. No. But hear them moan ng and weeping. As soon as hit one he is quiet for he sleeps"
 The lieutenant nodded to me. He tried to take the gun from the man. but the latter seized it quickly and sprang back 10 cover. From there he fired while standing among the wound ed, until moment later. he himself fell. riddled by many bullets.
 The drama had only a few specta- tors. It was hardly over before 1t was forgotten. Anything but sentiment.
 The blind firing continued The cries of the wounded became constant ly louder.
 Why? These wounded lying be- tween the two fighting lines are ex- posed to the firing of both parties. No one can help them for It would be in- sanity to venture into No Mans Land.
 Ever louder and with more heart rending pleadings. the wounded called for the stretchers. for help, for water. At the most a curse or an oath Is the only response.
 Our trench was filled with several inches of water and underneath that. mud. In this morass lay dead and