Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-03-27

full Of blood and brains. then I went
crazy with fear and horror and rushed
| along the wire until I came TO our
lane. had just turned down this lane
when something inside of me seemed
TO say, Look around" did so f; q bul-
did not hurt much. just felt as II some
| one had punched me In the back, and
then my left side went numb. My arm
was dangling like rag. fell forward
In sitting position. But all the fear
had left me and I was consumed with
With my right hand | felt In my tunic
for my first-aid or shell dressing. In
| feeling over my tunic my hand came
! In contact with one OF the bombs which
| carried. Gripping 1t. pulled the pin
out with my teeth and blindly threw II
towards the German trench. must
have been out OF my head. because
as only ten feet from the trench and
! took a chance of being mangled. IL
the bomb had failed to go into the
| trench | would have been blown to
| bits by the explosion of my own bomb.
BY the fare of the explosion Of the
bomb. which luckily landed In their
trench, saw. one big Boche throw up
| his arms and fall backwards. while his
rifle flew into the air. Another one
wilted and fell forward across the
sandbags-then blackness.
| Realizing what a foolhardy and risky
| thing | Ind done. was again seized
with horrible fear dragged myself
| 10 my feet and ran madly down the
| lane through the barbed wire. stun
| bling over cut wires, tearing my uni.
form, and decorating my hands and
| legs Just as l was about TO reach
No Mans Land again, that same voice
seemed to say, "Turn around" I did
| so, when, crack" another bullet
caught me, this time in the left shout
der about one-balf inch away from the
other wound. Then 1t was taps for me.
The lights went out.
When came to l was crouchlng In
n hole in No Mans Land. This shell
hole was about three feet deep. so that
| It brought my head few inches below
the level of the ground. How reached
! this hole will never know. German
"typewrlters" were traversing back
! and forth in No Mans Land, the bull
let's biting the edge OF my shell hole
/ and throwing dirt all over me.
Overhead shrapnel was bursting.
/ could hear the fragments slap the
| ground Then ! went out once more.
When came to everything was silence
/ and darkness In No Mans Land. I
/ was soaked with blood and big flap
/ from the wound in my cheek was hang
4 Ing over my mouth. The blood rum
ming from this flap choked me. Out OF
/ the corner of my mouth | would try
and blow It back, but II would not
/ move. l reached for my shell dressing
I and tried with one hand, to bandage
my face to prevent the flow. had
an awful horror Of bleeding to death
and was getting very faint You would
have laughed If you had seen my
ludicrous attempts at bandaging with
one hand. The pains In my wounded
! shoulder were awful aud | was getting
sick at the stomach l gave UP the
bandaging stunt as bad job. and then
1 tainted.
I When | came to, hell was let loose,
/ An Intense bombardment was on, and
/ on the whole my position was decided
/ ly unpleasant Then. suddenly, our
barrage ceased, The silence almost
hurt but not for long, because Fritz
turned loose with shrapnel, machise
/ guns, aud rifle fire. Then all along our
line came a cheer and our boys came
over the top in a charge The first
wave was composed of locks" They
were magnificent sight, kits, flapping
! In the wind. bare knees showing, and
| their bayonets gIiSteniug In the first
wave that passed my shell hole one OF
! the Jocks" an immense fellow. about
six feet two inches in height jumped
/ right over me. On the right and left
OF me several soldiers In c0lored kits
we're huddled on the ground, then over
came the second wave. also Jocks"
one young Scottie, when he came
abreast OF my shell hole. lesped into
the air. his rife shooting out OF his
hands, landing about six feet In front
of him, bayonet FIRST, and stuck in the
ground. the butt trembling This inn
pressed me greatly
ITO BE CONTINUFDl