Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-21

fire. Ono of our chaps thought he
would try his luck with Il bomb. lie
let tho tank" have ii fair and square
and now there is at least ono Ger
man tank less in tho line.
When VIC were cleaning up VIC found
four men belonging to q Lancashire
battalion fast asleep in a dugout in
the German position. II appears they
had been taken prisoner when one OF
our attacks on that particular limo
failed some time ago. They had been
left where VIC found them by their cap
tors. and in the excitement Of tho
fighting had hccn forgotten. They had
managed to live on what they had
with them. but were bit tho wors.
for their experiences. They wcro
greatly pleased to sec US. and mighty.
glad to get back TO their own lines.
In an adjoining duEout VIC found nifty
dead Germans. and right through the
duEouts wcro full OF dead
After that experience wc had four
or five days of dullncss. finally.
hunted n Yorkshire officer and told him
that il was about time | returned TO
my own regiment.
"Iishlandcrs. huh. They are only
200 yards to the LETT no said. kind
of sarcastic. 1t appears that he did
not like tho idea of my looking for
my own company. had something
in my mind I wanted 20 let out. but
that blol<e was an ofliccr and i; is
bad form to let officer knox what
YOU think OF HMM tho trenches
anyway.
returned 10 my company. and how
lucky I was. The company had been
bothcrinG the life out Of the colonel
to give them permit" 10 go on a raid
that night. ! was just in time to take
part in the lottery drawing as to wha.
group of iis were the lucky ones to ro
on surprise visit 10 tho r'ritzics'
( trench at dark. And confess /, vas
through unfair means that ! deprived
another chap from being tn, lucky
person. One OF our officers noticed this
trick OF minc, but turned his head and
said nothing. BY the way. tho officer
could not find a clause in his Textbooks
whereby he could punish nc for that
peculiar orcnse
We'll. anyway, the momcntous hour
came. and out we crcpt into the black
ness.
Fritz must have been asleep that
night, or at least such were our
tho spot where we were TO enter his
3
sound OF any sort came our way. The
night was quite still. ami all the
cericr because of that.
Gradually VIC got to the habitation
or our friend the enemy.
How Rude of Him.
In tricc we had entered it.
And. what do you think? Fritz was
no: at home.
That was surprise with q ven
seanse.
But it was short-lived. very short
lived.
Only second or two. I suppose.
had passed. although il somehow.
seemed much longer, when the sound
OF some ono moving about was heard
IT'S the sentry" whispered ono of
our lads
And then, through the stiffness. came
the Erumble of cultural voices. The
sentry right enough. and passing the
time of night, probably. TO his com.
panions.
1t was Impossible to tell how many
Huns there were convcrsinE, but as
time was precious. VIC determined TO
approach and get 70 business.
Suddenly, a few yards off, VIC dis
ccrned the group. They were discuss
ing something, and were ohlivious Of
our presence.
| Crash! bomb. beautifully aimed
by ono OF our boys, landed fair and
square amongst the party, and I can
tell YOU there was some quick scat
terinE of those who were left. 1t had
7 to be racing around in double -quick
I time after that.
The Very Rude Guests
! The Hun rats--thosc that were left,
| mean-had vanished completely, 50
up and along the trench we went until
we came to dugout on our left
Was it occupied or not? We had
to make sure.
Also VIC had to make some prisoners.
for that was our principal mission.
! A cautious peep into the doorway
revealed nothing. The place was in
utter darkness.
Neither light or sound. Funny.
wasn't it?
Well VIC had to probe the mystery.
| So without making even the custo-
mary announcemcnt-pcr bomb-that
/ we intended TO call, We crcpt down the
stairway, sot INFO the cavern. which
was very deep, looked cautiously
around. and found what?
-Four Fritzics fast asleep.
! Poor devils.
/ They must have been dcad-beat not
TO have heard the crash of our bomb.
| TO say nothing Of our cropping around
| in the dark.
! At any rate. there they lay.
| And when they opened their eyes. all
they could do was to sit up and stare,
rub their eyes and stare again.
! Resist!
Not a bit OF it.
| wont say they were glad to see us
! They weren't. but they certainly
I hurried with their dressing at tho word
OF command. Soon we had them on
the way TO our lines. for we had got
all we wanted for that night.
| TcIl-Tale Confessions
! ! must tell you something about that
! German quartet.
Once they were in their toys and
/ thoroughly awake, they became quite
/ Ia ikativc-that is. when VIC were well
away from the enemy trenches and all
danger OF surprises or rccapture was
over. There was young chan
amongst them who told us nc had bccn