The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-05-03

knew | was running, but could feel no
motion below tire waist. Pitches on
the ground seemed to float to the rear
as IL ! were on a trcadmili and seen
cry was rushing past me. The Ger
mans had put a barrage Of shrapnel
across No Mans Land, and you could
hear the pieces slap the ground about
You.
After had passed our barbed wire
and gotten into No Mans Land a
Tommy about fifteen feet TO my right
front turned around and looking In my
direction. put HIS hand 10 his mouth
and yelled something which could not
make out on account OF the noise from
the bursting shells. Then he coughed,
stumbled. pitched forward and lay still.
Ills body seemed 10 float TO the rear
Of me. could hear sharp cracks in
the mir about me. These were caused
by passing rife bullets Frequently.
TO my right and left. little spurts OF
dirt would rise into the air and Rico
Chef bullet would whine on Its way.
II a Tommy should see one of these
little spurts IN front Of him, he would
tell the nurse about II later. The
crossing OF No Mans Land remains a
blank to me.
Men on my right and left would
stumble and fail Some would try TO
get up, while others remained huddled
and motionless. Then smashed-up
barbed wire came into view and
seemed carried on a tide to the rear.
Suddenly, In front OF me doomed
bashed-in trench about four feet wide.
Queer-looking forms like mud turtles
were scrambling up Its wall, One OF
these forms seemed to slip and then
rolled to the bottom Of the trench.
leaped across this intervening space.
The man TO my left seemed to pause in
mldalr. then pitched head down into
the German trench. laughed out loud
Ia my dcllrium. Upon alighting on the
other side Of the trench came TO with
sudden JOLT. Right in front OF me
doomed giant form with rifle which
looked about ten feet long, on the end
of which seemed seven bayonets. These
flashed In the air In front OF me. Then
through my mind flashed the admonl-
ton Of our bayonet instructor back In
Blighty. He had said, whenever you
get In a charge and run your bayonet
up to the hllt into u German the Fritz
win fall. Perhaps your rifle viii be
wreHehei FROM your grasp 10 not
waste time. II the bayonet Is fouIed
IN his equipment, by putting your foot
on his stomach and Juggling at the rife
10 extriente the bayonet Simply
press the trigger and the bullet win
free It." In my present situation this
was the logic. but for the life Of me
I could not remember how he had told
me to get my baynnet Into the Ger
man. To me this was the paramount
issue. | closed my eyes and lunged
forward, My rifle was torn from my
hands. must have gotten the Ger
man because he had disappeared.
About twenty feet to my left front
was huge Prusslan nearly six feet
four inches Ia height, q fine specimen
OF physical manhood. The bAyonet
from his rifle was missing. but he
clutchcd the barrel In both hands and
was swinging the butt around his head
could almost hear the swish OF the
butt passing through the air. Three
little Tommles were engaged with him
They looked like pigmles alongside Of
the prusslan. The Tommy on the lief
was gradually clrcling to the rear oI
his opponent. II was a funny sight Il
see them duck the swinging butt ant
try Go jab him at the same time, Th'
Tommy nearest me received the but
" the Germans rifle In smashing
blow below the right temple I
| smashed his head like an eegshell. II,
pitched forward On his side and con
vulsiye shuddcr ran through his body
Meanwhile the other Tommy hat
gained the renr Of the Prusslan. Sud
: denly about four inches Of bayone
protruded from the throat of the Prus
/ sian soldier who staggered forwnr
and fell. win never forget the lOol
nf blank establishment that came owe
. his face.
Then something hit me in the lof
: shoulder and my LEFT side went numb
I 1t felt rs " hot poker was bein
Q driven through me- | felt no pain
Just a sort OF nervous shock. A bay
! onet had pierced me from the reC-.
fell backward on the ground. but wa
!, mot unconscious, because could 80
$ dim objects moving around me. The
e fash % Hight in front of my eyes an
Z Inconsistencies. Something had hi
2 me on the head. l have never foun
Z out what Il was.
l dreamed WIS being tossed ahoU
! m an open boat on hcavlng sea an
: opened my eyes. The moon was shlr
ing. | was on a stretcher being cal
ried down one 81 our communicate
! trenches Al the advanced first.Hi
y t1past my wounds were dressed. an
= then was put into an ambulance an
= sent 10 COe % the base hospitals. Tn
i wounds In my shoulder and head wer
" not serious ard in six weeks had r,
q