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Tne officer, in my opinion, at the noise of the wire should have given the four-tap signal, which meant, "On your own, get back to your trenches as quickly as possible," but again he must ""have relied on the spiel that Old Pepper had given us in the dugout, "Personally I believe that that part of the German trench is unoccupied." Any-* way, we got careless, but not so careImo +Vio4- tt-a cnnff nafrlnfln cnncrc np 4COC Ilial TV U ouu^ puiiivuv V* made any unnecessary noise. During the intervals of falling star shells we carried on with our wire cutting until at last we succeeded in getting through the German barbed wire. At this point we were only ten feet from the German trenches. If we were discovered, we were like rats in a trapi jOur way was cut off unless we ror along the wire to the narrow lane we had cut through. With our hearts is our mouths we waited for the three, tap signal to rush the German trench. Three taps had gotten about halfway down the line when suddenly about ten to twenty German star shells were fired all along the trench and landed In the barbed wire In rear of us, turn! Ing night into day and silhouetting us i against the wall of light made by the ! flares. In the glaring light we were j confronted by the following unpleasant : scene. / | All along the German trench, at j about three-foot intervals, stood a big Prussian guardsman with his rifle at the aim, and then we found out why we had not been challenged when the man sneezed and the barbed wire had l>een improperly cut. About three feet In front of the trench they had con-! 'structed a single fence of barbed wire and we knew our chances were one j thousand to one of returning alive. We could not rush their trench on ac count of this second defense. Then in front of me the challenge, "Halt," given in English rang out, and one of the finest things I have ever heard on the western front took place. From the middle of our line some Tommy answered the challenge -with, "Aw, go to h?L" It must have been the man who had sneezed or who had improperly cut the barbed wire; he' wanted to show Fritz that he could . die game. Then came the volley. Ma-, chine guns were turned loose and several bombs were thrown in our rear. ;The Boche in front of me was looking down his sight. This fellow might j have, under ordinary circumstances, been handsome, but when I viewed him from?the front of his rifle he had. the goblins of childhood imagination rele- ( gated to the shade. Then came a flash in front of me, the flare of his rifle?and my head seemed to burst A bullet had hit me on the Heft side of my face about half an Inch from my eye, smashing the cheek ! bones. I put my hand to my face and tell forward, biting the ground and kicking my feet I thought I was dying, but, do you know, my past life did not unfold before me the way it does .n novels. The blood was streaming down my tonic, and the pain was awful. When T ca^e to I said to myself, "Emp, old boy, yon belong in Jersey City, and you'd better get back there as quickly as possible." The bullets were cracking overhead, i I crawled a few feet back to the German barbed wire, and in a stooping position, guiding myself by the wire, I went down the line looking for the lane we had cut through. Before reaching this lane I came to a limp form which seemed like a bag of oats hanging over the wire. In the dim light I could see that its hands were blackened, and knew it was the body of one of my mates. I put my hand on his head, the top of which had been blown off by a bomb. My fingers sank Into the hole. I pulled my hand back full of blood and brains, then I went crazy with fear and horror and rushed along the wire until I came to our lane. I had Just turned down this la?* when something inside of me seemed to say, "Look around." I did so; a bulcaught me on the left shoulder. It; ttld not hurt much, just felt as if someTmnnVind mo 4r? tho plr flnd vuc juau puuvu^u uiv iu iuv vuvu, then my left side went numb. My arm was dangling like a rag. I fell forward in a sitting position. Bnt all the fear bad left me and I was consumed with rage and cursed the German trenches. With my right hand I felt in my tunic for my first-aid or shell dressing. In jfeeling over my tunic my hand came j !!n contact with one of the bombs which jl carried. Gripping it, I pulled the pin out With my teeth and blindly threw it. towards the German trench. I must have been out of my head, because I jwas only ten feet from the trench and ;took a chance of being mangled. If *he bomb had failed to go into the .trench I would have been blown to !bfts by the explosion of my own bomb. By the flare of the explosion of the homb, which luckily landed in their trench, I saw one big Boche throw up his arms and fall backwards. While his 9 \ B MII mrncm SOLMER 10 WENT * * MfflYUHY GUffflER.OTNG IN fRAflCE ?1917 DY ARTHUR (UY EflPEY rule new into the air. Anotner one w-ilted and fell forward across the : sandbags?then blackness. Realizing what a foolhardy and risky thing I had done, I was again seized with a horrible fear. I dragged myself to mv feet and ran madly down the lane through the barbed wire, stumbling over cut wires, tearing my unli form, and lacerating my hands and { legs. Just as I was about to reach i No Man's Land again, that same voice seemed to say, "Turn around." I did I so, when, "crack," another bullet caught me, this time in the left shoulder about one-half inch away from the ! other wound. Then It was taps for me. The lights went out. When I came to I was crouching in ; a hole in No Man's Land. This shell | hole was about three feet deep, so that it brought my head a few inches below ' the level of the ground. How I reached this hole I will never know. German I "typewriters" were traversing back and forth in No Man's Land, the bullets biting the edge of my shell hole j and throwing dirt all over me. Overhead shrapnel was bursting, i I could hear the fragments slap the ground. Then I went out once more. xWhen I came to everything was silence and darkness in No Man's Land. I was soaked with blood and a big flap from the wound in my cheek was hanging over my mouth. The blood runj'ning from this flap choked me. Out of j the corner of my mouth I would, try . and blow it back, but it would not ! i mot^e. I reached for my shell dressing hand tried, with one hand, to bandage i my face to prevent the flow. I had tan awful horror of bleeding to death and was getting very faint. Yon would have laughed if you had seen my ludicrous attempts at bandaging with one hand. The pains in my^ wounded choulder were awful and I was getting Sick at the stomach. I gave up the bandaging stunt as a bad Job, and then faitoted. When I came to, hell was let loose. An Intense bombardment was on, and on the whole my position was decidedly unpleasant. Then, suddenly, our barrage ceased. The silence almost hurt, but not for long, because Fritz turned loose with shrapnel, machine guns, and 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 "Jocks." They were a magnificent sight, kilts, flapping In the wind, bare knees showing, and their bayonets glistening. 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 colored kilts were huddled on the ground, then ove^ came the second wave, also "Jocks." One young Scottle, when he came abreast of my shell hole, leaped into the air, his rifle shooting out of his hands, landing about six feet in front of him, bayonet first, and stuck in the ground, the butt trembling. This impressed me greatly. Right now I can see the butt of that gun trembling. The Scottie made a complete turn in tne air, nit tne ground, rolling over twice, each time j clawing at the earth, and then remained still, about four feet from me, in a sort of sitting position. I called to him, "Are you hurt badly, Jock?" but no answer. He was dead. A dark red smudge was coming through his tunic right under the heart. The blood ran down his bare knees, making a horrible sight. On his right side he carried his water bottle. I was crazy for a drink and tried to reach this, but for the life of me could not negotiate that four feet Then I became unconscious. When I woke up I was in an advanced first-aid post. I asked the doctor^if we had taken the trench. "We took the trench and the wood obyond, all right," he said, "and you fellows did your bit t-but, my lad, that was thirtysix hours ago. You were lying in No Man's Land in that bally hole for a day ^ and a half. It's a wonder you are alive." He also told me that out of the twenty that were in the raiding party, seventeen were killed. The officer died of wounds in crawling back to our trench nnd T was severely wounded, but one fellow returned without a Scratch, without any prisoners. No doubt this chap was the one who had sneezed and improperly cut the barbed wire. In the qgicial communique our trench raid was described as follows: "All quiet on the western front, excepting in the neighborhood of Gommecourt wood, where one of our raiding parties penetrated into the German' lines." It is needless to say that we had no use for our persuaders or come-alongs, as we brought back no prisoners, and until I die Old Pepper's words, "Personally I don't believe that that part of the German trench is occupied," will always come to me when I hear some fellow Irvine to eet away with a fishy I statement. 1 will ju<ige it accordingly. CHAPTER XXVII. Blighty. From this first-aid post, after inoculating me with antitetanus serum to prevent lockjaw, I was put into an ambulance and sent to a temporary hospital behind the lines. To reach this hospital we had to go along a road about five miles in length. This road was under shell fire, for now and then a flare would light up the sky?a tremendous explosioA?and then the road seemed to tremble. We did not mind, though no doubt some of us wished In "Blighty." that a shell would hit us and end our misery. Personally, I was not particular. It was nothing but bump, jolt, rattle, and bang. Several times the driver would turn around and give us a "Cheero, mates, we'll soon be there?" fin& fellows, those ambulance drivers, a lot of them,1 go West, too. We gradually drew out of the fire zone and pulled up in front of an iin mprjsp dn<?oiit. Stretcher-bearers car ried me down a number of steps and placed me on a white table in a brightly lighted room. A sergeant of*the Royal Army Med- j ical corps removed my bandages and j cut cfl' my tunic. Then the doctor, with his sleeves rolled up, took charge. He winked at me and I winked back, i and then he asked, "JJow do you.feel, smashed up a bit?" I answered: Tm all right, but F<?; give a quid for a drink of Bass." He nodded to the sergeant, who dis- j appeared, an* I'll be darned if he ; didn't return witl. a glass of ale. I could only open my mohth about a ! quarter of an inch, but I got away with every drop of that ale. It tasted just like Blighty, and that is heaven to Tommy. The doctor said something to an orderly, the only word I could catch was "chloroform," then they put some kind of an arrangement over my nose and mouth and it was me for dreamland. When I opened my eyes I was lying on a stretcher, in a low wooden building. Everywhere I looked I saw rows of Tommies on stretchers, some dead to the world, and the rest with fags in their mouths. The main topic of their conversation was Blighty. Nearly all had a grin on their faces, except those who didn't have enough face left to grin with. J grinned with my right eye, the other was bandaged. Stretcher-bearers came in and began to carry the Tommies outside. You could hear the chug of the engines in the waiting ambulances. I was put into an ambulance with three others and away we went for an eighteen-mile ride. I was on a bottom stretcher. The lad right across from me was smashed ilp fm. (then l I up something horrible. Right above me was a man frcm the Royal Irish rifles, while across from niiii was a scotcnman. ! We had gone about three miles when I heard the death-rattle in the throat of the man opposite. He had gone to rest across the Great Divide. I think at the time I envied him. The man of the Royal 4rish rifles had had his left foot blown off, the jolting of the ambulance over the rough road had loosened up the bandages on his foot, and had started it bleeding again. This blood ran down the side of the stretcher and started dripping. I was lying on my back, too weak to move, and the dripping of this blood got me in my unbandaged right eye. I closed my eye and pretty soon could not open the .1; the blood had congealed and closed it, as if it were glued down. An English girl dressed in khaki was driving the ambulance, while beside her on the seat was a corporal of the T? A \f O Thoir L'ont nn o ninninff A* aU? v?) JLAiV Jf I up U 1 UUUAU^ conversation about Blighty whU-h almost wrecked my nerves; pretty soon from the stretcher above me, the! Irishman became aware of the fact that the bandage from his foot had become loose; it must have pained him horribly, because he yelled in a loud voice: "If you don't stop this bloody death wagon and fix this d-;? bandage on my foot, I will get out and walk." The girl on the seat turned around and in a sympathetic voice asked, "Poor fellow, are you very badly wounded?" The Irishman, at this question, let out a howl of indignation a ad answered, "Am I very badly wounded, j what bloody cheek; no, I'm not wounded, I've only been kicked by a canary bird." The ambulance immediately stopped, i and the corporal came to the rear and fixed him up, and also washed out my right eye. I was too weak tc thank! him, but it was a great relief. Then I must have become unconscious, because when I regained my senses, the > ambulance was at a standstill, and my stretcher was being removed from it. It was night, lanterns were dashing nere ana mere, ana 1 coma see streicner-bearers hurrying to and fro. Then I was carried into a hospital t rain. j The inside of this train looked like heaven to me, just pure white, and we met our first Red Cross nurses; we thought they were angels. And they were. Nice little soft bunks and clean, white sheets. A Red Cross nurse ?at beside me; during the whole ride which lasted three hours. She was holding myj wrist; I thought I had made a hit, and tried to tell her how I got wounded, but she would put her finger to her lips and say, "Yes. I kn?w, but you mustn't talk now, try to go to sleep, it'll do you j good, doctor's orders." Later on I learned that she was taking my pulse every few minutes, as I was very weak from the loss of blood and they expected me to snuff it, but I didn't. From the train we went into ambulances for a short Tide to the hospital ship Panama. Another palace and more angels. I don't remember the trip across the channel. I opened my eyes; I was being car-, ried on a stretcher through lanes of people, some cheering, some waving flags, and others crying. The flags were Union Jacks, I was in Southampton. Blig^y at last. My stretcher was strewn with flow/ers, cigarettes, and chocolates. Tearsvstarted to run down my cheek frcra my good eye. I like a booby was crying. Can you beat it?? Then into another hospital train, a five-hour ride to Paignton, another am* bulance ride, and then I was carrieo into Munsey ward of tbe iimerican Women's War hospital and put into a real bed. , This real bed was too much for my unstrung nerves and I fainte<L When J came to, a pretty Bed Cross nurse was bending over me, bathing . i (Continued on page 3, column 1.) j mr A\ 9? ^Ul'-. f i ~~~ ?~ 1 n?imbjhhhm? how arg"^ I /W/flE. YStSSSfcv I riomt 0/ I Wur as ^tti^^ifrKrneAi ijcicM/r$ % If you want to buy a home it is best ! | to first have enough money piled up | in the bank to buy it. Then you can s J buy it, and it will really belong to you. jj i You Must Have money in the bank ?\ to support any enterprise you may | undertake. i We will keep your money safe for | you. | BANK WITH US. I We pay four per cent, interest, com- a 1 pounded quarterly on savings deposits I I Farmers & Merchants Bank | | BHRHA.RDT, S. C. I I MY BUSINESS HAS GROWN j A & Y So Large That It Has ForcedJMe To Buy ? A Large International Motor Truck To i X |> Make deliveries of Goods Through- <|> Y out the Large Territory Y % Which I Cover. ' X i x <* I have' done at ler.st three times ^ the business this year that I expected A J to do and the business ranged from J Y the humblest cabin to the finest v Y homes of cur country. For this let A J me thank you, one and all, for getting J Y my prices and considering my terms Y before buying elsewhere. A My stock is now large and com- A Y plete, consisting of everything from t A a $1.00 alarm clock to a $400 piano, N A < I and it is I t re to sell and not to look X Y at, so continue to come along friends T ^ A and we'll do business. If you have A ^Z enough furniture, buggies and musi- A Y cal instruments the ncome and I'll sell ]Y A you some WAR SAVINGS STAMPS x A' X and we'll help put the Kaiser out of X j commission. * t x ? ? v A A a ?r. K. liKAHAM? T f The Furniture Mar. TChrhardt, S. C. Cash or Credit. X ' Ask for > , PliorriJInla fPlt UlltalU IIUIII w w "In a bottle?through a straw" |I|/JiP The cooling, refreshing, satisfying drink. Chero-Cola is pure and wholesome, with no bad I Ift UltVX VAX^v/v. IggiMWBjg Soid only in sealed, sanitary | hottles?at ail soda fountains ^ and refreshment stands. V K