The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-12

ing madly, Sullivan like mad thing,
at his heels, believing like bull and
lunging with his bayonet. The smoke
of rifles and exploding bombs filled
the building; it was~one pell-mell of
helmets, figures in gray and khaki,
flashes of fire and glints of STEEL Men
groaned madly as they fell and were
trampled on. as they lay on the floor
of the church. 1t was fight logged
and desperate, fight to the finish.
Men. who had lost their bayonets
were strangling one another, fighting
with their fingers and fists. Wounded
men on the floor pummeled one an
others faces. Everybody held the
church and nobody held it. On the
left over the broken seats the Ameri-
cans made their way toward the door,
on the right, under the wall to which
the pictures of "The Stations of the
Cross" we're nailed. The Germans
were holding their own and making a
little progress toward the altar.
Suddenly. affairs took turn for
the better as a fresh party Of Ameri-
cans came in by the main entrance of
the church.
The young officer who led the first
attack was still there, offering himself
to every blow of the combat. Bathed
in perspiration, his eyes lit up, his
mouth foaming, his uniform unbut-
toned, bleeding, muddy, magnificent,
he was the veritable spirit of war.
con then!" he yelled. "Get them
out of. herew
Under the leadership of the young
officer the .doughboys multiplied
themselves and each man was worth
ten. The Germans on the right gave
way, turned, and filed. Their mates
followed them, and the doorway be-
came a shambles. Here the beaten
men were met by their own reen-
forcements just coming in +" take
part in the fight and they could not
get out. They were shovo' : hack
ward against the bayonets of the Am
orleans.
The enemy came in again, and
again he was showed out, leaving the
wounded behind on a floor slippery
with blood. A third time they at
tackled, driving the holders of the
church back as far as the altar-steps
on which the mutilated statue of St
Joseph was lying. y The struggle was
very bitter for a full quarter of ar
hour, but at the end of that time
Top-Sergeant Casey discovered a
machine-gun hidden in a corner OF
the chapel, its muzzle thrust through
little opening in the wall, and COM
manding the American trenches to
the right. It was when Casey was
| showed back by a determined thrust
of the Germans that he stumbled
across the gun, which was covered
over with a piece of sacking. Casey
fell on this, and in his efforts to re-
gain his feet he pulled the sacking
away and discovered the gun which
it hid.
"Come, boysl" he yelled. "Out with
them now; it will be the last time"
He led the attack, exhorting the
] soldiers to follow him, and they fol
4 lowed him, chasing the Germans
clean out into the open. Then the
gun was taken in from its enplace-
ment, an ammunition belt was rooted
out from some corner, and with the
Maxim fixed in the doorway the Ger
mans did not dare to attack again.
In the evening when darkness hae
fallen the Americans withdrew, tax
ing their wounded away with them
4 They reached their own trench, anC
Sullivan, Burke, and Stiffy made fol
their own dugout. The youngsters
dead beat, sat down on the floor ane
sighed deeply. STA
J "It was streak of pure help sale
Burke. aranrz 49, a.a--,