Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-12-13

and began to shake all over, but we
could not get him to say anything or
move. So we knew he had shell shock.
And another man watched him for a
while, and then he began to shake,
too. The sergeant said that if we
stayed there much longer we would
not be fit to repel an attack, so he
ordered us into the two dugouts we
had made In the hole, and only himself
and another man stayed outside on
watch.
The men In the dugout kept asking
each other when the bOmbardment
would end, and why we were not rein
forced, and what was happening. and
whether the Turks would attack us. 1t
was easy to see why we were not rein
forced-no body of men could have
got to us from the reserve trenches.
The communication trenches were
quite a distance from us and were
battered up at that. Some of the men
said we had been forgotten and that
the rest of our troops had either re-
tired or advanced and that we and
the men in the trench who had tried
to signal us were the only detachments
left there.
Pretty soon another man and
relieved the two men who were out
side on watch, and as he went down
into the dugout the sergeant shouted
to us that he thought the Turks were
afraid to attack. He also ordered one
OF us to keep live eye toward our
rear in case any of our troops should
! try to signal us. When looked
through little gully at the top OF
the hole, toward the other trench, all
could see was barbed wire and
smoke and two or three corpses.
began to shiver a little, aud I was
afraid / would get shell shock, too.
| Sol began to think about Murray and
how he looked when they took him
off the wall. But that did not stop the
shivering. SO thought about my grand
mother and how she looked the last
time l saw her. / was thinking about
her, guess, and not keeping a very
good lookout, when man rolled over
the edge and almost fell on me. He
was from the other trenches. carried
him into the dugout and then went out
again and stood my watch until the
relief came. We were doing half-hour
shifts.
| When / got into the dugout again
the man was coming to. He was just
about as near shell shock as ! had
been-by this time was shivering
only once in a while, when did not
watch myself. He said four men had
been sliced up trying to get to us be
fore he came; that they had lost
I'll men out Of their 80, including the
sergeant-major in command and two
corporals; that they were almost out
of ammunition; that the trenches on
both sides Of them had been blown in
and that they were likely to go to
/ pieces at any moment. He said they
all thought the Turks would attack
| behind their barrage, for he said the
curtain of fire did not extend more
than hundred yards in front Of their
trench. What they wanted us to dc
was to relay a man back with the
news and either get the word to ad-
vance or retire or await reinforce
ments. they did not care which only
to be ordered to do something. There
was not a commissioned officer left
! with either of the detachments, you
see, and you might say we were uI
in the air-only we were really as fan
in the ground as we could get,
The man thought there were Other
Of our lines not far behind us. but we
knew better; so then he said he die
not see how any one could get back
from there to our nearest lines.
did not see either. Then we all flg
ured we were forgotten and would mo-
come out Of there alive, and you car
believe me or not, but die not much
care. Anything would be better thar
just staying there in that awful noise
with nothing to do, and no water.
Our sergeant said he would not ash
any man to attempt to carry the mes
sage, because he said it was not only
certain death, but absolutely useless
And he began to show that he was
near shell shock himself.
Then 1 began to shiver again, and
thought to myself that anything would
4 be better than sitting in this hole wait
1 ing to go ''cafard," SO decided to vol
unteer. did not think there was an,
chance to get through. but 1t seemed
as If I just had to do something, NJ
matter what. / had never felt thai
way before, and had never beer
anxious to Ego west" with a shell fol
company, but I have felt that way
since then several times, can tel
you.A
The man was telling us that some
time before they had seen the Turk:
bringing up ammunition from some
storehouses, but they did not come
anywhere near. He said their sergean
wanted our messenger to tell then
that, too. He would say few word:
very fast, then he would shiver again
and his jaws would clip together ant
he would try to raise his hand. bu
could not.
Then our sergeant asked the name
of the other sergeant, and when TIT
man told him he said the man wal
senior to himself and therefore il
command and would have to be obeyed
He seemed to cheer up lot aftel
he said this and did not shiver an,
more, so i thought i would voluntee
III 10 ~ All