Connecticut western news., 1918-07-04


 and we knew our chances were one thousand to one of returning alive. We could not rush their trench on ac- count of this second defense. Then In front of me the challenge, Halt" given in English rang out, and one of the finest things have ever heard on the western front took place.
 From the middle of our line some Tommy answered the challenge with, "Aw, go to h-l." It must have been The man who had sneezed or who had improperly cut the barbed wire; he wanted to show Fritz that he could lie game. Then cGne the volley. Ma chine guns were turned loose and sev- eral bombs were thrown in our rear. The Roche in front of mo was looking down his sight. This fellow might nave, under ordinary circumstances, been handsome, but when I viewed him from the front of his rifle he had the yoblins of childhood imagination rele- gated to the shade.
 Then came flash in front of me, the aare of his rifle-and my head seemed .o burst. A bullet had hit me on the eft side of my face about half an nch from my eye, smashing the cheek ,ones. I put my hand to my face and 'eIl forward. biting the ground and dcking my feet. thought l was dy- ng, but, do you know, my past hfe did aot unfold before me the way tt does n novels. .+. |
 The blood was streaming down my unic. and~the. pain was awful. When came to I said to mysslf. %Emp. oad soy, you belong In Jerssy -Cty. and you'd better get back there as quickly as possibls.- @f# $gG3 5s.F'' s#t"
 The bullets were cracking overhead [ crawied a few feet back to the Ger man barbed wire, and in m stooping po- sition, guiding myself by' the wire. rl vent down the line looking for tho ane we had cut tnrousn. Before reaching this lane I came st to a limp form which seemed like s bag of oats hanging over the wire. In the dina fight could see that its hands were olackened, and knew it was the body f one of my mates. n, put my hand on his head. the top cfswnfch had been blown 'br by slbofnb. kMy anxers sank nto the hole. pulled my hand Back l shz1l 'of blood sndTbrxinxs th&n \ wsnt MAxyfwith fear and hotrox and xhsA@d aIeng fhss w4rss untia | came ta eaw mu~r Knn6 tusk tnrs~d dovn tAas lama ! ~han ssonnsthfnx fn~kAs 6f n~ ss~Ensdt sos say, Hook Around.- T ldfd ses bus- ! ~ caught me on the Ieftssheuldsr. n id not hurt much. tust felt ss if some- l ' sne had pupcAed me in the back. and 1 hen my, left side went numb. My arm vas dangling like rag. I fell forward 1, h, q. sitting position. But all the fear had left me and was consumed with rage and fcursed the German trenches. With my right hand I felt In my tunic for my fSrst-aid or shell dressing. Tn feeling over my tunic my hand came In. contact with one of the bombs which carried. Gripping 1t, pulled the pin ! put with my teeth and blindly threw it i towards the German trench. must have been out Of my head. because Ii was only ten feet from the trench and took chance of being mangled. If, the bomb had faiIed to go into the trench ! would have been blown to bits by the explosion of my own bomb. By the flare Of the explosion of the bomb, which luckily landed in their trench, saw one big Boche throw up his firms and fan backwards, while his life. few into the air. Another one wtltede and fen forward across the sandbaes-then biackness. 'ss ''
 Realizing what a foolhardy and risky thing had done, was again seized with horrible fear. I dragged myself to, my feet and ran fnadly down the lane through the barbed wire, stum- bling over cut wires, tearing my uni- form, and lacerating my hands and legs. Just as was about to reach No Mans Land again, that same voice seemed to say, ''Turn around" did SO, when, crack" another bullet caught me, this time in the left shoul- fer about one-half inch away from the other wound Then 1t was taps for me. The lights went out. Rr " Hr-
 When came to was crouching in a hole in No Mans Land. This shell hole was about three feet deep, so that u uIouRhl iuy hchu leW iuChes DSloW the level Of the ground. How reached this hole I will never know. German "typewriters" were traversing back and focth in No Mans Land, the bull, lets biting the edge of my shell hole and throwing dirt all over me. '.
 Overhead shrapnei was bursting. I could hear the fragments slap the ground. Then went out once more.i When I came to everything was silence and darkness in No Mans Land. wns soaked with blood and big flap from the wound in my cheek was hang ing over my mouth. The blood run hing from this flap choked me. Out of the corner of my mouth I would try and blow if back, but it would not move. reached for my shell dressing md tried with one hand fo blndu pa