The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-03-20
CHAPTER v,l-cen.Inu.d.


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1 surely wished was the gunner
,hacer. wotld have enjoyed It more
II I could Nave got back at Fritz
somehow. But was not the gunner
oMesr and I told him 20. I had to
shout at him quite q while before he
would believe mo. Then he wanted
me to find dc gunner ofhcer. but 1
did not know where to and him. II I
could have 81 to our guns guess
would have had another medal for
working overtime, but I missed the
chance there.
About this time another bomb came
over and clouted out the best friend
had in my company. Before the
war he had been one Of the finest sing
ers in the Paris opera houses. When
he was with % he used to say that
the only difference between him and
Caruso was $500 q plight.
A poilu and I dragged him into q
dugout, but Il was too late. One side
Of his face wAs blown of; the whole
right side Of him was stripped on
and four fingers Of the right hand
were gone.
I stuck my bead out Of the dugout
and there was the captain discussing
the matter with himself. cursing the
Germans froo hero to Helgoland and
putting In Q Wocd for the bombs every
once In . while. All up and down the
trenches yoa could hear our men
cursing the Germans In all kinds Of
languages. Believe me, did my bit
and I could bear somebody else using
good old United States cuss words,
too. Il certaisly did not make me feel
any bstter. bot 1t gave me something
to DO. I think that was why all Of
us cursed 20 mlch then, though we
were pretty handy with language at
any time. Int when you are under
heavy Afe IIRo that and cannot give
It back n sod a. you get. you 60
crazy unless 1ou have something to do.
Cussing II tie best thing We could
think of.
Up the trench the third bay was
samply anaa1Aed In and the Germans
wsrs placing bomb after bomb right
In Il and in Z mrs. Tho captain yelled
out that he 4as going up to the next
hay to exan1he II. but no moro had
- got thsrd. than he had his head
taken clean q bis shoulders.
AZ daybredk our trencAes were al
peuaAed In I'd most Of our dusouts
wsss Alled a. Then Fritz opened mp
With his artfllssy ire right on N. We
tAousht tAey were going to charge and
We figured heir barrage would lift
and w ceul1 50 them come over.
We receiv61 orders to stand to with
Axsd hayonSh. Then ths man at the
psriseops shsatsd. '-They comet"
A battssy directly behind us went
Int actisn frst and thea they all
3oined h aqd inside Of I'VE minutes
about eagAt tundred guns were raising
Cain with Fritz. The Boches were
lcausht SQUARE In No Mans Land and
our rites and machine guns simply
mowed them down. Many Of them
came half way across, then dropped
their guns end ran for our trenches
to give Themselves up. They could not
have got back to their own trenches.
It was shame to waste . shell On
these poor 1sh. II they had been CIV
viss the laN would prevent you from
hitting thh1A-you know the Kind.
They could hardly drag themselves
along.
That 10 the way they look when you
have got them. But when they have
got you-klcks, cuffs. bayonet 3abs-
there IN nothing they will not do to
add to your misery. They seem to
think that It boosts their own courage.
An artillery nre like ours was great
fun for ths sunners, but It was net
much fun for Fritz or for ~ In the
trenches. We got under cover almost
AS much ~ Fritz and held thumbs for
1the sunners to get through In . hurry.
Then the nFe died down and II was
10 quiet It made you jump.
We thought cur parapet was busted
20 q good deal. but when We looked
Through tAs psriscope W saw what
had happened to Tritx' trenches and.
beaieve me. they were practically
ruined. .-
Out In Ne Manh Land 1t looked Ike
~ssswsrsAr esssaetsa; svsrswhsrs