The Washington herald., 1918-03-04
"OWR THE TOP"
BY ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Copyrighted Arthur Empey.
Copyrighted by Arthur Guy Empey

chine guns spoke. our shrapnel was
bursting over their heads. They went
down in heaps. but new ones took the
place Of the fallen. Nothing could
stop that mad rush. The Germans
reached our barbed wire. which had
previously been demolished by their
shells. then it was bomb against bomb,
and the devil for all.
Suddenly, my head seemed to burst
from a loud crack" in my ear. Then
my head began to swim, throat got
dry, and heavy pressure on the lungs
warned me that my helmet was leak
ing. Turning my gun over to No.
.. l changed helmets.
The trench started to wind like d
snake. and sandbags appeared TO be
floating in the air. The noise was
horrible; l sank onto the fire step.
needles seemed to be pricking my
flesh, then blackness.
l was awakened by one OF my mates
removing my smoke helmet. How de-
licious that cool, fresh air felt In my
lungs.
strong wind had arisen and dis
persed the gas.
They told me that l had been out
for three hours, they thought | was
dead.
The attack had been repuIsed after
a hard fight. Twice the Germans had
gained a foothold in our trench, but
had been driven out by counter at
taCks. The trench was filled with
their dead and ours. Through a peri,
scope, l counted eighteen dead Ger
mans in our wire; they were a ghastly
sight in their horrible-looking respira-
tors.
l examined my first smoke helmet
bullet had gone through it on the
left side, just grazing my ear, the
gas had penetrated through the hole
made in the cloth.
Out OF our crew of six, we lost two
killed and two wounded.
That night we buried all of the dead,
excepting those in No Mans Land. In
death there Is not much distinction,
friend and foe are treated alike.
After the wind had dispersed the
gas. the r. A. N. c. got busy with
their chemical sprayers. spraying out
the dugouts and low parts of the
trenches to dissipate any fumes of the
German gas which may have been
lurking in same.
Two days after the gas attack / was
sent to division headquarters, in an
swer to an order requesting that cap
tains of units should detail a man
whom they thought capable of pass
ing an examination for the Divisional
Intelligence Department
Before leaving for this assignment
l went along the front-line treuch say
ing goodbye to my mates and lord
ing it over them, telling them that
had clicked a cushy job behind the
lines, and how sorry felt that they
had to stay in the front line and
argue out the war with Fritz. They
were envious but still good natured
and as left the trench to 20 to the
rear they shouted after me:
Good luck. Yank, old boy. don't
forget to send up a few fags 10 your
old mates"
promised 10 do this and left.
reported at headquarters with six
teen others and passed the REQUIRED
examination. Out of the sixteen appIi-
cants four were selected.
l was highly elated because I WAS
as l thought, in for a cushy job back
at the base.
The next morning the four reported
TO division headquarters for instruc-
tons. Two OF the men were sent to
large towns in the rear OF the lines
with an easy job. When 1t came our
turn, the officer told US We were good
men and had passed a very creditable
examination.
MY tin hat began to get too small
Tor me. and I noted that the other
man, Atwell, by name, was sticking
his chest out more than usual.
The officer continued: "I think can
use you two men to great advantage
in the front line. Here are your
orders and instructions. also the pass
which gives you full authority as spe-
cial NJ. p. detailed on intelligence
work. Report at the front line ac-
cording to your instructions. 1t is risky
work and wish you both the best OF
luck"
My heart dropped to zero and At
wells face was study. We saIuted
and left.
That wishing US the best Of luck
sounded very, ominous in our ears; II
he had said II wish you both a swift
and painless death II would have
been more to the point.