The Nevada County picayune., 1918-09-26
CHAPTER VIIi-Continued.

The color sergeant, a noncommis- stoned officer. realized that his military career was at an end. We all felt for him. During the months preceding this incident he had always associated him. self with the privates.
 We never learned whether he was brought before court-martial. Pun ishment for self-mutilation was daily event and many severe sentences were pronounced and then made known to all the others to serve as deterring example. The color sergeants place was conferred upon another. after which the captain disappeared once more in the direction of vitry.
 We marched away and halted at a point northwest of the village. Here we met other pioneers who had been gathered together from various bat talions and our unit was once more brought up to s5 men. The officers told us that we would not enter the battle today. Our only duty for the lime being was to keep the bridges over the Marne in good condition for the German troops fighting on the other side, so that they could be used in case the battle went against us.
 We then marched to our destination, which was at the point where the Saulx flows into the Marne.
 We reached our destination about six o'clock in the morning. The dead lay around in heaps everywhere. We were camping on wooded height and could overlook the country for many kilometers in all directions. We saw shrnpnel bursting by the thou sands. Little could be seen of the men who were fighting despite the fact that many divisions were locked in a death struggle.
 Presently we saw the fighting line. The Germans were about two kilome- ters behind the Marne. which flowed by directly in front of us. German cavalry in great numbers was en- camped along the banks of the river. Two temporary bridges in a very dilap- dated condition constructed of what ever materials were at hand were To- cated near us. Preparations had been made to blow them up with thousands of pounds of dynamite. The electric fuses had been strung to the point where we were located and 1t was up to us to manipulate the switches. Con- uected with the battle line by tele- phone, we were in position to destroy the bridges at a moments notice.
 The fighting became more lively. We saw the French rush to attack and retire again. The fire of musketry in- creased and the attacks became more frequent. This continued for more than two hours.
 We saw the French continuing to bring up re-enforcements constantly despite the German artillery fire.
 After an extended pause the French made another attack. employing sev- eral different kinds of formations. Each time the waves of offensive troops were forced back. At three o'clock in the afternoon, under a blow which contained the full power of France. our troops were forced to re- tire, first slowly, then in wild flight. The exhausted Germans could not be rallied in the face of this blow. With wild confusion all tried at the same time to reach the bridges beyond which lay safety.
 At this instant the cavalry which had taken cover a ong the river bank galloped to the bridge position. In moment the bridge was covered with human bodies, all racing for the op- posite bank. We could see this tenn porary structure trembling under this enormous burden.
 Our officer saw the situation and he nervously pressed the telephone re- ceiver to his left ear. His right hand was on the switch. Breathlessly he stared at the fleeing masses. "If only the telephone connections had not been broken" he mutterej to himself. He knew as we'll as all the rest of us thnt he was to act on the instant that the