The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-06-06
| 0iS7 cY /
|AaIrmR af fnfYl

s:I ,as q s.ss..::.Sc::. :. ::sc eight. d. b..
our -'strafeing." Atwell and / were sit
ting in the front-line trench smoking
fags and making out our reports of the
previous nights tour of the trenches,
which we had TO turn in to headquar-
tiers the following day, when an order
was passed down the trench that Old
Pepper requested twenty volunteers To
20 over on trench raid that night To
try and get few German prisoners foI
Information purposes. ! Immediately
volunteered for this job. and shook
Danus WIN Atweli. ana went 70 tn-
rear to give my name TO the officers in
charge of the raiding party.
/ was accepted, worse luck.
At 9:i5 that night we reported TO the
brigade headquarters dugout TO receive
Instructions from Old Pepper.
After reaching t,sis du-out we lined
up in n semicircle around him, and he
addressed US as follows:
IAN / want you boys To do Is TO go
over to the German lines tonight. sur
prise them secure n couple Of prison
ers. and return Immediately. Our ar
tillery has bombarded that section OF
the line for two days and personally I
believe that that part of the German
trench is unoccupied. so just get cou-
pie of prisoners and return as quickly
as possible
The sergeant on my right. In an un-
dertone. whispered to me:
''Say. Yank. how are we going 10 get
a couple of prisoners II the old fool
thinks personally that that part of the
trench is unoccupied. sounds kind OF
fishy, doesn't IT mate."
had a funny sinking sensation in
my stomach. and my tin hat felt as II
IT weighed about ton and my enihusi-
asm was melting away. Old Pepper
must have heard the sergeant speak
because he turned In his direction and
In laundering voice asked:
.'what did YOU sayf,'
The sergeant with scarlet fooK on
his face and his knees trembling
smartly saluted and answered:
Nothing. SIR"
Old Pepper said:
well. don't say It so loudly the next
time"
Then Old Pepper continued:
'In this section OF the German
trenches there are two or three ma
chine guns which our artillery. In the
last two or three days. has been un-
able TO tape. These guns command the
sector where two OF our communion
tion trenches join the front line. and
ms the brigade Is 10 20 over the top to-
morrow morning l want TO capture two
or three men from these guns crews.
aud from them may be able TO obtain
valuable Information ns to the exact
location OF the guns. and our artillery
viii therefore be able to demolish them
before the attack. and thus prevent
our losing a lot OF men while using
these communication trenches to bring
up re-enforcemcnts."
These were the Instructions he gave
US:
Take of your Identification disks.
strip your uniforms of all numerals.
insignia. etc, leave your papers with
your captains. because don't want the
Boches TO know what regiments are
against them as this would be valuable
Information to them In our attack to-
morrow and i don't want any of you
TO be taken alive. What want IL two
prisoners and IL get them have n
way which will make them dlvulge
all necessary Information us to their
guns. You have your choice OF two
weapons-you may carry your per
suaders' or your knuckle knives, and
each man will arm himself with four
Mills bombs. these TO be used only In
case of emergency"
A persuader Is Tommy's nickname
for n club carried by the bombers. II
is nbout two feet long. thin at one end
and very thick at the other. The thick
end Is studded with sharp steel spikes.
while through the center OF the club
there Is a nine-incb lead bar. to give
It weight and balance. When you get
a prisoner all you have TO do is just
stick this club up In front OF him, and
believe me, the prisoners patriotism
for Deutschland ueber Allies" fades
away aud he very willingly obeys the
orders of his captor. II. however, the
prisoner gets hirh-toned and refuses to
follow you. simply persuade" him by
first removing his tin hat. and then
well. the use OF the lead weight In the
persuader Is demonstrated. and Tom.
my looks for another prisoner.
The knuclsle knife is n dagger affair.
the blade of which is about eight
inches long with heavy steel guard
over the grip. This guard Is studded
with steel projections. At night In II
trench. which IL only about three 10
four feet wide. II makes a very handy
WeaDon One punch In the fus.r yen-