Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-23
Like Liuing Beings in
Land of Ghosts, That's
Mghtm .NoMan 'sLand
mother Interes sting Nara
the From the Pen of
Private Who Sau
SerUice.
NJ PRIVATE JOHN G. McErwEEN.

international News Bureau.I
/ Was about 10 tell the Stor% OF u
! Highlander chum OF mine who WAS lost
in the battle field for four days, but
this incident just came TO my mind.
and have often thought of ii since
that day. SO | better get ii out OF my
system this time before it interrupts
my regular narrative once more.
The incident occurred an hour or
two before tho dawn, whcn we were
timed 10 make charge.
"nervy" Kind of night il had hcen
al through, for we felt somehow as il
We were the only living beings in u
land OF ghosts, as mo mans land" al
ways looks like in the darkness.
Bitter cold it was too, so between
our thoughts Of the coming onslaught
the cerie surroundings ard the queer
night sounds which rise from camps
preparing for battle. VIC were in y
pretty anxious state of expectancy.
Tho whole thing happened with dra-
matte quickness.
We were all at our respective duties
when we suddenly became aware that
right amongst us was 4 German.
He looked like a ghost, but lac was
Talk about surprises
believe you could have knocked tho
lot OF us over with :; wave OF The
hand. Just for moment, though. for
the spcctral-likc visitor had whispcred
a hoarSc 'kamcrad." and his fists.
nothing Shos;ly about them. wcrr ir
tho Air like lightning. And in that
attitude he remained until invcstisa-
tons were made.
1t was no good raising "a hullabaion
about 4 chap like that, so. navinE mad,
sure that he was out on no trcachcr-
Gus dcviltrics-for YOU never know
your Iiun-hc was allowed to rattle
out his atory, which he did in excel.
lent English. lie had worked II Eng
land. he said before the war
lie was fed up; had made up his;
mind to desert At the very first on
portunity: tho opportunity had come
that night; he had crawled across to
our lines; and there he was. AMI what
Guess.
Cigars:
Apparently. ne thought they would
open tho way to his cap.ors' hcorts.
Which they did. They were the hncst
brand.
We'll. now. that story seemed all
right and the chap seemed sincere
enough. Ills presence amongst tho
boys created II" end ot q sensation,
YOU may 90 sure. and as he appeared
to be downright honest, about his de-
seEtion-hc would not have risked that
crawl OF his otherwise-hc was soon
whirled away to the proper quarters,
and there, no doubt he proved very
useful.
About that know nothing.
All ] know is that I will never for
get his sudden appearance right in
our trench and the awful start We all
got when he came to us. ghost!ikc
in tho darkness before the dawn.
lie must have had some nerve, that
chap, or perhaps he was driven TO his
bold adventure by sheer despair. one
could gather as much, at any rate.
from tho condition and confessions of
the prisoners. his companions. we sub
sequently captured. They were pitt
ful lot. trembling from head to foot,
and I'm not sure but. had it been pos
sible, they would have taken the same
risk as their chum did tho night be-
fore, had it been possible for such a
biz body OF them TO do so. But one
man could do what a crowd couldn't,
so suppose that explains 1t. At any
Continued on Eleventh PaGcD