The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1919-03-21
CHAPTER vll-contlnued.

CHAPTER vll-Contlnued.
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surely wished I was the gunner
,nlcer. would have enjoyed It more
II I could have got back at Fritz
somehow. But was not the gunner
onlcer and 1 told him SO. had to
shout at him quite while before he
would believe me. Then he wanted
me to find the gunner officer. but I
did not know where to find him. II !
could have got to our guns I guess I
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
l 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 US he used to say that
the only difference between him and
Caruso was $500 a night.
A poilu and I dragged him into a
dugout. but 1t was too late. One side
Of his face was blown of; the whole
right aide Of him was stripped of
and four fingers Of the right hand
were gone.
stuck my head out Of the dugout
and there was the captain discussing
the matter with himself, cursing the
Germans from here to Heleoland and
putting In q word for the bombs every
once In . while. All up and down the
trenches you could hear our men
cursing the Germans In all kinds of
languages. Believe me, ! did my bit
and ! could hear somebody else using
good old United States cuss words.
too. II certainly did not make me feel
any better. but It gave me something
to do. think that was why all Of
US cursed SO much then. though We
were pretty handy with language at
any time. But when you are under
heavy fire like that and cannot give
it back as good as you get. you 50
crazy unless you have something to do
Cussing Is the best thing we could
thipk Of.
Up the trench the third bay was
simply smashed In and the Germans
were placing bomb after bomb right
IN II and In ours. The captain yelled
out that he was going up to the nex'
bay to examine II. but NO more hnt
he got there than he had his heat
taken clean OF his shoulders.
At daybreak our trenches were al
pounded In and most Of our dugouti
were filled up. Then Fritz opened VI
with his artillery fire right on US. W,
thought they were going to charge ant
We figured their barrage would If
and We could zee them come over.
We received orders To stand to witt
fixed bayonets. Then he man at tn,
periseope shouted, They comet"
A battery directly behind us wen
into action nrst and thea they al
Joined In and inside Of i've minute
about eight hundred guns were raisinI
Cain with Fritz. The Boches wer
caught square In No Mans Land an,
our rifes and machine guns simpl,
moved them down. Many Of then
came ham way across. then droppe,
their guns end ran for our trenchs
TO Give themselves ~. They could no
have got back 70 their own trenches
II was . shame 10 waste Q shell O
these poor Ash. II they had been civ
viss the law would prevsot 700 fror
hitting them-you know the kind
They could hardly drag thcmseivs
along.
That II the way they look when 20
nave kot them. Bat vhsn they hav
GOT you-kicks. cufRs. bayonst abs
there 10 nothing thsy will not do 3
add 70 your misery. Thsy ssem I
think that Il boosts their own cousas'
A. artillery Ore like ours was Eres
fun fss ~ gsnners. but Il was No
much. fun for Tsits or for % In IN
breaches. We got under cover slnos
~ much a rrlts and held thuipbs ia
the Kunnsgs b sst through In q hurr,
Then the Gre died down and Il W.
20 QuIet Il na6s 200 jump.
We thought or panpct was buste
up . good deal. but when We locke
through the pssiscope We saw wis
had happened to rritx' trenches ant
believe me. they were praetieail
ruined.
Out In No Mans Land Il looked Tx
tKoclvoySh's aS~and.ten. svervvvfsv