The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-01-24

SITuCllOnS.
Lieutenant NewaH's voice, in a very
low whisper, came to US:
"'BOys, the men in Our trenches
have received orders not to fire on ac-
count Of u accommodating patrol be-
ing out in front. A strong German
raiding party has just circled our left,
and is making for our trench. It's up
to us to send word back. We can't
all go, because we might make too
much noise and warn the German par
ty, SO it's up to one of us to carry the
news back to the trench that the raid
ing party is on it's way. With this
information it will be quite easy for
u boys to wipe them out. But it's
up to the rest of us to stick out here,
and If we 60 west we have done our
duty in q noble cause. Corporal
French, you had better take the news
back, because you are too valuable a
man to sacrifice
French, under his breath, an
swered:
"'Sir, I've been out since Mons, and
this is the first time that I've ever
been insulted by an officer. If this
patrol is going to click ii, Pm going to
click it too. If we come out of this
you can try me for disobedience of or
ders, but here 1 stick. and I'll be
damned if / go in, officer or 40 Off
cer.'
"Newall, in a voice husky with emo
ton, answered:
"'French, it's men like you that
make 1t possible for "our Little Island"
to withstand the world. You are a
true Briton. and I'm proud Of you
81 was hoping that he would detail
me to go back, but he didn't. Hender-
son was picked for the job. When
Henderson left Newall shook hands
all around. I felt queer and lonely.
"YOu see, fellows, it was this way:
Henderson was to tell the men In the
trench that we had returned and that
1t was all right for them to turn loose
on the raiding party with their rife
and machine gunfire. without us click
ing their fire. Leftenant Newall sure
was a lad, not 'arf he weren't.
'That next twenty minutes Of wait
ing was hell. Then, from out Of the
blackness, over toward u trench,
rang that old familiar ''Alt, who goes
thereT We Rugged the ground. We
knew what was coming. Then, a vol
ley from our trench, and four type
writer's (machine guns) turned loose.
Bullets cracked right over our heads.
One hit the ground about a foot from
me, ricocheted, and went moaning and
signing over the German lines.
Lieutenant Newall sobbed under his
breath:
"'God, we're In direct line Of our
own fire. The trench-raiding party
must have circled u.s.
sour boys in our trench sure were
doing themselves proud. The bullets
were cracking and biting the ground
all around rs.
"In between our trench and our
party, curses rang out In German as
English trench. Star shells were
shooting into the air and dropping In
No Mans land. 1t was a great but
terrible sight which met u eyes.
Fritz's raiding party was Jul being
wiped out.
"Ten or fifteen dark forms, the rem
nants Of the German raiding party,
dashed past us in the direction Of the
German trench. We Rugged the
ground. 1t was our only chance. We
knew that it would only be a few
seconds before Fritz turned loose. If
we had legged it for our trench we
would have been wiped out by Jul
own fire. You see, our boys thought
we were safely in.
"Then, up went Fritz's star lights,
turning night into day, and hell cut
loose. Their bullets were shipping
twigs from the hedge over our heads.
Suddenly the fellow on my left,
MacCauley by name, emitted a muf-
fed groan, and started kicking the
ground; then silence. He had gone
west. A bullet through the napper. I
suppose. There were now five Of us
left.
Suddenly Leftenant Newan, in a
faint, choking voice, exclaimed:
They've got me, French; it's
through the lung and then fainter
you're In command. See that
His voice died away. Pretty soon he
started moaning loudly. The Germans
must have heard these means, because
they Immediately turned their fire ON
Us French called to me:
"Honney, come here. my lad. a
officer has clicked it.
II crawled over to him. he was
sitting on the ground with the leften-
ants head resting in his lap. and was
getting out his first-aid packet. !
told him to get low or he would click
1t. He answered:
"Since when does q bloomin' lance
corporal take orders from a bloody pri-
vate? You tell the rest Of the boys. If
they've not as yet gone west. to leg 1t
back to our trench at the double and