The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-05-09

In rest billets, digging roads, drllllng,
and other fatigues, and then back into
the front-line trench.
Nothing happened that night, but the
next afternoon | found out that q
bomber is general utility man In Sec
ton.
About five o'clock In the afternoon
our lieutenant came down the trench
and stopping In front of bunch of us
on the fire step, with broad grin on
his face, asked
"Who is going to volunteer for listen
Ing post tonight? l need two men,
1t is needless to say no one volun-
teered, because 1t Is anything but Il
cushy job. | began to feel uncomfort-
able as | knew 1t was getting around
for my turn Sure enough, with another
grin. he said:
"Empey you and Wheeler are due,
SO come down into my dugout for In
structons at six o'clock"
Just as he left and was going around
traverse, Fritz turned loose with a
i machine gun and the bullets ripped the
sandbags right over his head. 1t gave
me great pleasure to see him duck
against the parapet. He was getting a
taste of what We would get later out
In front.
Then, of course, 1t began to rain. l
knew 1t was the forerunner of Il mis-
cradle night for us. Every time | had
to go out In front, it just naturally
ralned. Old Jupiter Pluvius must have
had 1t In for me.
l.t six we reported for instructions.
They were simple and easy. All we
had to do was to crawl out into No
Mans Land, lie on our bellies with our
ears to the ground and listen for the
tap, tap of the German engineers or
sappers who might be tunneling under
No Mans Land to establish q mine
head beneath our trench.
OF course, in our orders we were told
not to be captured by German patrols
or accommodating parties. Lots of
breath Is wasted on the western front
giving silly cautions.
! AS soon ms 1t was dark, Wheeler and
/ craWled to our post which was about
halfway between the lines. 1t was
raining bucketfuls, the ground was n
sea of sticky mud and chung to US like
glue.
| We took turns in listening with our
ears to the ground. | would listen for
/ twenty minutes yxlile Wheeler would
be on the qui yiye for German patrols.
We each wore "A wristwatch and be-
| leve me, neither one of us did over
| twenty minutes. The rain soaked us
to the skin and our ears were full of
mud.
Every few minutes bullet would
! crack overhead or n machine gun would
traverse back and forth.
Then all firing suddenly ceased.
whispered to Wheeler, keep your eye
skinned, mate; most likely Fritz has
n patrol out-that's why the Boches
have stopped firing"
We were each armed with rifle and
bayonet and three Mills bombs TO be
used for defense only.
| had my ear to the ground. All of
sudden l heard faint, dull thuds.
In low but excited voice l whispered
to Wheeler, II think they are mining
listen"
He put his ear to the ground and
in an unsteady voice spoke into my
ear:
"Yank, that's n patrol and it's head
ing our way. For Gods sake keep
still"
l was as still as mouse and was
scared stiff.
Hardly breathing and with eyes try
Ing to pierce the inky backness, we
waited. | would have given n thou
sand pounds to have been safely in
my dugout.
Then we plainly heard footsteps and
our hearts stood still.
A dark form suddenly doomed up In
front of me; 1t looked as big as the
Woolworth building l could hear
the blood rushing through my veins
and 1t sounded rs loud as Niagara
falls.
Forms seemed to emerge from the
darkness. There were seven of them
In all. tried to wish them away. |
never wished harder In my life. They
muttered few words in German and
melted into the blackness. l didn't
stop wishing either.
All Of sudden we heard a stumble,