The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-02-04

mornin' | reckon it was our guns
started a barrage fire-layin 'em
down regular like fence posts An
somehow. don't know whether it was
because they had the wrong range Or
because we was out where we hadn't
ought to of been, the shells begun to
break behind us stead Of in front. An
it was creepin' barrage, too much
creepin' to be healthy That kind
shoots while in one place an then
moves up, you know. Course We
couldn't stay where we was. We just
had to go somewhere, an go quick.
Shells Dustin behind us an Hinden-
burg line in front. There wont any
way round it; we had to bust that
line, an we done it. believe me.
"My Captain raised himself up from
where he was layin' an after sort OF
lookin' round he jumped up an yell
ed: Come on, you fellows! Rise an
shine,' Man, we rose, an as for
shinin', youl just ask old Kaiser Bill
if we didn't shine. Course we ex-
pected to catch the devil an all from
the German machine guns soon's We
stood I'D so they could see, but not a
single one cracked down on US. We
didn't know then that old Fritz was
yorkin' 'cordin' to the usual rules an
was sittin' back in his dugout waltin'
for our bombardment to stop fore he
would come out an play. I'm tellln'
YOU. 'twould of been just like sure
enough picnic goin' across that morn
in if our barrage hadn't lifted right
then an landed plumb in the middle
of us. We was creepin' up cautious
like till that thing landed, then we
lust naturally took wings an flew.
I'll bet we advanced on them Huns
faster than any outfit ever done before.
Mighty near the first shot out of the
box got our Captain. He never know
ed what hit him, an I reckon it's good
he didn't, for twas one of our own
guns killed him. was just warmin'
up to what you might call good run
MIN speed when something knocked
the bottom out of the world long side
of me, an the next / knowed / was
plumb buried alive. Did dig out?
I'm here, amt I? Bout this time the
artillery in the rear must of found out
what blazin' mess they was maxim
for they let up on us. Then we diyed
into that German trench.
"Was there any Germans there an
was there much fightin'? Well, there
was an there wasn't. Them Heinies
come swarmin' up out of their dug
outs, but they didn't do no fightin',
less it was fightin' to see which one
could get his hands up the quickest.
What was the use of em fightin'? We
was there.
"Me an Jim Harter an two other
fellows crawled into one of the dug
outs to see what We could find. Man,
it was swell place! All timbsred
up like house, it was. There was a
German officer inside an when he
didn't put up his hands right away
Jim dubbed his gun an made for him.
You ought to a-seen him put 'em up
then. He could talk English some, an
he says, You're Americans, amt you?'
we sure are,' I yells. Then Jim cuss-
ed: You ---, you said your line
couldn't be broke. She's broke now.
Fritz drawed himself up an sort of
looked a hole through Jim. It's been
tried lot of time,' he says, but it
aim never been done Jim never could
take no back talk. You d square
head he bellows, don't you try to
start no argument with. me. That
lines busted same as you are An
Wop.-he nails Fritz one on the jaw.
Private Ball helped himself to an
other cigarette-his third-and look
ing MS approval of my taste in the
matter of smokes, proceeded:
els that the kind of fghtin' you're
talkin' bout? Now, down the line