St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-07-27


was scarcely enough water for drink
ing purposes, to say nothing Of water
for washing their clothes.
Our hair and boards were long and
when we were given some hours Of
res the lice would not let US sleep.
While we We're in the trenches the bull
let's did not do much damage but daily
men were killed by indirect fire. The
thousands which Whizzed through the
air every minute few over our heads.
They struck trees or branches and
glanced off. striking the men in the
trenches. Failing to pierce their OBJ
ject directly they tore terrible gaping
wounds as they entered the mems
bodies sideways. Whenever we heard
charges concerning dum-dum bullets,
we thought of these cross-shots, al
though we never doubted the existence
of the dum-dums.
Whether or o dum-dum bullets
We're made in the munitions factories
/ cannot say. / suspect they were. How
ever, / did see many dumrdum bullets
made by the soldiers themselves. The
points were filed off from German mus
ket shells so that the nickel covering
was perforated. barring the lead filling.
The bullet fattened when it struck
it's object. II. for instance, it entered
a mans arm. the explosive charge in it
would so shatter the arm as to blow 1t
entirely off aud leave it hanging by the
skin.
German soldiers were frequently
seen supplying themselves with dunn
dun bullets in the trenches, preparing
to inflfct terrible wounds.
On January 5, 1915, the Germans at
tackled on their entire front Of the Ar
dreG prisoners were taken. The hand
to-hand fight continued until six O'clock
In the evening.
4 fellow pioneer and myself found
ourselves in q bit of trench held by
eight Frenchmen. 1t was impossible to
retire SO we accepted the unequal fight.
Fortunately we were well supplied
with hand grenades.
We cut the fuses short so that they
would explode as quickly as possible.
]. threw n among the eight soldiers.
Before, the emen could get out of the
way of the first. fhe second one fol-
lowed, which exploded In their midst.
We took advantage of the confusion
thus created to hurl five more. Our
enemies were now reduced to four men.
We opened fire with our muskets, clos
ing in on the four. Their bullets
uhizzed around our heads. One mar
ri shot in the mouth. That left three.
They turned and tried to flee.
In such moments as these n is in q
great rage and forgets danger entirely.
We were very close to our enemies
now, right on their heels when the last
ma stumbled and fell.
i sprang on top of him. He defend
ed himself with his fists. My coInrade
went after the other two. Bleeding at
the mouth, this man fought on. After
] had knocked several of his teeth out
he raised his hands and surrendered.
released him from my grip and
looked him oyer carefully. He vas
about thIrty-fye years old. He showed
me his wedding ring and talked to me
/ knew what he wanted. he wanted his
life.
He gave me his canteen that l might
drink some wine and Wept. Perhaps
he thought of his wife and children.
pressed his hand and he showed me
his bleeding teeth. I called him q fool
and told him he was lucky to have got
ten away with the loss of only a few
molars. I was glad I had not killed
him. / took him back myself, in order
to protect him against being misused
AS I delivered him oter to where the
prisoners were being assembled, he
pressed my hand and smiled.