The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1919-01-03

anu many pSlAbo WIN Bi"SC bNtWVSh
them.
"One night we would send over a
trench-raidlng party and the next night
over would come Fritz.
'"rhere was certain part Of our
trench nicknamed Death alley, and the
company which held 1t was sure to
click 1t hard in casualties. In five
nights in clicked for three recon
noitering patrols.
"John French-he was lance cor
poral then--was in charge of our sec
ton. This was before went to ma
chine gunners' school and transferred
to this outfit. This French certainly
was an artist when it came to scout
ing in No Mans land. He knew every
inch Of the ground out In front, and
was like a cat-he could see in the
dark.
ION the night that he won his d. G.
NJ. he had been out IN front with pa
troll for two hours, and had just re-
turned to the fire trench. A sentry
down on the right Of Death alley re-
| ported a suspicious noise out in front,
and our captain gave orders for an
other patrol to go out and investi-
gate.
Corporal Hawkins was next on the
list for the job, but, blIme me, he sure
had the wind up, and was shaking and
trembling like a dish of Jelly.
"a new leftenant, Newall by name,
had just come out from Blighty, and a
pretty fine officer, too. Now, don't you
chaps think because this chap was
killed that say he was a good Off
Ger, because, dead or alive, you would
have to go a bloomin' long way to get
another man like Newall. But this
young leftenant was all eagerness to
get out in front. You see, it was his
first time over the top. He noticed
that Hawkins was shaky, and so did
French. French went up to the Off
Ger and said:
"'Sir, Corporal Hawkins has been
feeling queer for the last couple of
days, and would deem it favor if
could go in his place
"Now, don't think that Hawkins was
a coward, because he was not, for the
best of us are liable to get the Shakes
at times. You know, Hawkins was
killed at La Bassee a couple of months
ago-kil1ed while going over the top.
"There were seven in this patrol
Leftenant Newall, Corporal French, my
self and four more from B company.
"About sixty yards from Fritz's
trench an old ditch--must have beer
the bed of a creek, but at that time
was dry-ran parallel with the Ger
man barbed wire. Lining the edge OF
this ditch was scrubby sort of hedge
which made a fine hiding place fol
a patrol. Why Fritz had not sent ou
working party and done away will
this screen was mystery to us.
''French leading, followed by Leften
ant Newall, myself third, and the res
trailing behind. we crawled through ;
sap under our barbed wire leading on
to listening post in No Mans land
We each had three bombs. Newal
carried a revolver-one of thos
Yankee Colts-and his cane. Blime me
7 I believe that officer slept with tina
Z cane. He never went without 1t. TIL
l rest of us were armed with bombs an
rifles, bayonets fixed. We had pre-
e viously blackened our bayonets so the
would not shine in the glare of sta
: shell.
"Reaching the listening post Frenc
2 told us to wait about five minutes un
l til he returned from a little scoutin
trip of his own. When he left, we
: with every nerve tense, listened for hi
{ coming back. We could almost hea
t each others hearts pumping, but not
{ sound around the listening post. Sue
:, ly voice, about six feet on my RICH
P whispered, All right the way is clear
t follow me and carry on
my blood froze in my veins.
I was uncanny the way French al
preached US without being heard.
lt "Then, with backs bending low, OF
t of the listening post we went, in tn
direction of the ditch in front of tn
II German barbed wire. We reached til
d scrubby hedge and lay down, about 81
p feet apart, to listen. French and til
e officer were on the right of our lin
n About twenty minutes had elapse
when suddenly, directly in front of Il
g, German wire we could see dark, sha
= ali