Gunnison news-champion., 1918-04-19

g. anvr1g J11oe1 mn ~ fHying
- ises - nFsl wns asuaensd %
ssctinn I. 81 No. & an1 II nfsf finr
~ tnok pulitIea y ~ fFoas-llns
6encA.
During she day ~ 81 veuld Be
discounted q the IRE step rea6y fos
lnsfant uDe- We shared . d1eouf With
he Lewis g1nnesA A. ~stnnd to- we
would mOuut oar gun - tie paFapet
and - On watch be~ide Il until sstnnd
down. b tie morning. Thea Tie gun
veeld be disnounted snd again placed
u reedIness - H. 1re step.
We did eight days b ne ffout-llne
trench without anything unasunl hap
pening outssde ef the ordinary trench
routine. On he night that Ne were tn
carry out" . hdlnblng raid against the
German Iines ms pulled olf. This raid
Ing party consisted of sixty company
men. sixteen bombers. and four Lewis
machine guns with their csewA
The raid took-tae Boches by surprise
and was . complete success. the party
bringing back twenty-one prisoners.
The Germans must have been awful
y sore. because they turned loose .
barrage Of shraraei. with few .'llin.
niles" and "whiu hangs" intermixed.
The shells were dropping Into our front
line like hallstonek
To set even. We could have left the
prisoners In the fre trench. in chargt
Of the men on guard and let them click
Fritz's strafelnx but Tommy does not
treat prisoners that way.
Five Of them were brought Into my
dugout and turned over to me % TINT
they would be safe from the German
fire.
In the candielieht. they looked very
much shaken, nerves gone and chalky
faces, with the exception Of one. q
grent big fellow. He looked very much
at ease. liked him from the start.
l got out the rum Jar and gave each
nip and passed around some fags,
the old reliable Woodbines. The other
prisoners looked their gratitude. but
the big fellow said In English. THANK
you. sir, the rum Is excellent and I ap-
preclate 1t, also Jour kindness" t.
He told me his mime was Carl
Schmidt, Of the Sixty-sixth BavarIan
Light infantry; that he had lived six
years In New York (kncw the city bet
ter than I dId). had been to Coney
island and many Of our bnll games. He
was regular fan. couldn't make him
believe that Hans Wagner wasn't the
best ball player In the world.
From New York he hnd gone to Lon
don. where he worked as a wniter in
the Hotel Russell. Just before the war
he went home to Germany to see his
parents, the war came and he was con-
scripted.
He told me he was very sorry to
hear that London was In ruins from
the Zeppelin rnIds. could not con-
vince him otherwise, for hadn't he seen
moving pictures In one Of the German
cities Of st. Paul's cathedral in ruins.
l changed the subject because he
was so stubborn In his belief. 1t wns
my intention to try and pump him for
Information as to the methods of the
German snipers. who had been caus-
Ing M trouble Id the last few days.
! broached the subject and be shut
up like clam. After . few minutes
he very innocently ssids
German snipers get paid rewards
for killing the English"
! eagerly asked. .what are theyr'
He answered:
FOR killing or wounding m English
private. the snlper gets one mark. For
killing or wounding an English olilcer
be gets dve marks, but II he kills Red
Cap or English general. the sniper gets
twecty-onc days tied to the wheel Of .
timber - punishment for his careless
neos.~
Thea hs paused. waiting for mo to
bite. suppose.
4 bit III right and asked him why ths
snipsr was punished for killing an
Engiish general With . smile he re-
Piled:
~Well. ycu -, II all the Engiish gen.
erals were killed, there would b. no
80 LEFT to maks costly mlstakss."
! hut him up. be was getting too
fresh for prisoner. After . while hs
winked at ne and / winked back, then
he escort esns to take the prisooefs
TO The rear. shook hands and wished
hin '.Ths bet of luck asd . safe joar-
nsy 70 Biighty.~
! liked that prisoner. hs was . flns
fellow, had an Iron Cross. too. I ad-
vfaa6 him In kaan n mt ~ aaaht NJ
some Tommy would be sending It home
to his girl In Blishty - . souvenir.
One dark and rainy night while on
guard We were looking over the top
from the nre step Of our front-line
trench. when We heard . noise imme-
diately In front Of our barbed wire.
Tho sentry next to me challenged,
~Halt, who comes theref" and brought
his rife to the aim. His challenge WAS
answered in German. A captain In the
next traverse climbed upon the sand
banged parapet to inyogtfgate-a brave