Show Dy 1 Copyright 1918 I i CHAPTER XI OVER OVER THE TH-E TOP I V v Continued from I v Yesterday 9 O ON N my second trip t the tr trenches our officer was making his rounds of yf t inspection anti and wc we r mud the lIcer- lIcer ful news that at at- 4 i 1 the morning we were to go goo over U the top and n take the German front line trench My y heart henrt turned to lead ben Tien the officer carried on with his instructions To the best of or m my on me I 1 recall I them as follows 8 At 11 party part I will go o out in front an cut lanes through h our barbed wire r t the e P pass pass- passI SI I ago of ot troops In the At 2 o'clock our artillery will up with I an intense bombardment will last until 4 Upon the lifting if f the barra barrage barrage bar bar- I ra rage e the first of or the three thle waves willo will go o over o Then he left Some me of ot the tho Tommies first getting from the ser sergeant cant went vent into th machine- machine gunners' gunners dugout and letters homo home saying that In the mo thoy they were going over O tho the top that if Ir the tho letters reached their destination it would mean that the had been killed These letters were turned vcr cr to the captain with instructions to mail mall same In the event of or the writers writer's b bing killed Some of or the men made out their wills In their pa pay book under the catlon caption will VIll willand and last testament Then the racking nerve wait alt commenced com corn er E Every now and then I would glance glane at the dial of or m my wrist t watch and antI was surprised to see hon ho fast tast the minutes passed b by About five rl minutes to 2 I 1 got nervous nOr waiting waiting or Lor br our guns to open up I not take Lake m my ee eyes from m my watch wath I crouched against the parapet and strained m my muscles In Ina Ina Inn a n like death-like grip gril upon m my rifle As the tho hands on m my mv watch showed 2 o'clock a blinding red lar flare lighted up the tho sk sky In our rear then thunder intermixed with viti a sharp whistling sound In the theair theair theair air over our heads The shells sheik from our guns were speeding on their way to toward toward toward to- to ward the thc German lines With one ac accord accord accord ac- ac cord the men sprang up on the tho fire step tep I and looked over the top In the direction of ot the German trenches A line of or bursting bursting bursting burst burst- I ing shells lighted up No So Mans Man's Land Ln The din was waa terrific and the tha ground trembled d. d Then hl high h above our heads we could hear a sighing moan Our big boys behind the line had opened up and 93 and and 1 lr sheila commenced dropping Into Into- the German iman lines IInes The flash of or the guns g behind the tho lines the scream of or the shells through the air and tho the flare tIare of or them bursting was a spectacle that put Pains Pain's greatest display die dis play pia Into the shade rhe The constant pup pup o of German machine guns uns and an occasional rattle of or rifle firing gave me methe methe methe the Impression of or a huge audience applauding applauding ap ap- ap- ap the work of the tho batteries Our eighteen elg were vero destroying destroy destroy- ing illg the German barbed wire while the heavier stuff wa was demolishing their trenches trencheR and bashing in clu dugouts outs or funk Then Fritz got bus busy Their shells went wont screaming overhead overhead over Over- head aimed in the direction of or the therIa rIa flares res from our batteries Trench mortars mortars mortars mor mor- tars started dropping Minutes Minnies in our front line We c clicked several casual l ties Then the they suddenly c ceased ed Our artillery had taped t or silenced them During the bombardment you OU could almost read a newspaper in our trench Sometimes In III the flare nare of ot a shell burst a mans man's bod body would bo silhouetted against the thc of or the tr trench and It appeared like Jlko a huge monster You could hard hardly hear yourself think When hen an nn order was to be passed down dOn the trench you had to yell It using your UI hands as a funnel Into the ear car of the theman theman theman man sitting next to you on the fire step In about twenty minutes a generous gen gen- erous rum issue was doled out After drinking the rum which lasted tasted like varnish and sent a shudder through your our frame you ou wondered why the they made mallo you ou wait walt until the lifting of the barrage before going over At ten minutes minutes min mm- utes to 4 4 word was aR pa passed sed down Ten minutes to go o i Ten ren fen minutes to live JIve We c were shivering all over My th le legs s felt relt as If It the they were asleep Then word was waR pa paused down don First wave wa get on and near the tho scaling ladders These were small wooden ladders ladder which we had placed against the I para pam parapet ua- ua pet to enable u UH to go 10 over the tho top tOI on the lifting of or the barrage Ladders of or Death we called them and ancl veritably tho they thoy were Before a charge Tommy is the politest poUt poUt- est cst of or mon men There Is never newer any an push pushing In or crowding to be first up the these e lad lad- ders We Ye crouched around the base of the ladders waiting for or the word to go over oer I wa was nick Icle and ancl faint and was puffing away avay at m in n unlighted fag tag Then rhen came lame the word Three minutes to go upon tho tile lifting of the barrage and on the blast of or the tho whistles Over O the tIle Top TOI with th the e Best fleet and arid and Give them lieU Hell The famous phrase of or tho the western west vest em ern front The Jonah phrase of the western front To Tommy Tomm- It means it itOU you ou are 1 lucky lJ 1 enough to come COlU back you will bo be minus an arm or a n leg Tommy hates to b be wished the best of luck so when peace is declared If IC it ever evor Is and you OU meet a Tommy Tomm on oil the street Ju t wish him the best of oC luck and duck duk the tile brick that follows 1 I glanced again at my wrist rist watch We all wore them and you OU could hardly call us sissies for doln doing so 10 It was a minute to 4 I could see Bee the tho hand lian move mo to the tho 12 12 then a lead dead silence It hurt Everyone looked up to see sec what had happened but not for fOI long Sharp whistle blasts ran rang out along the trench and with nIti a n heer the men scrambled up the lie ladders The he bullets were cracking overhead and occasionally occasionally occasion occasion- ull ally a machine gun un would rip antI and tear the top of or the tile and ba bag parapet How Slow I got gol ol up that thai ladder I 1 will never know rho Tho first ten feet teel out In front froit was as aIOn agony Then we e through the lanes In our barbed wire I knew I 1 was running but could feel no motion below below be be- low the waist Patches on the tile ground seemed to float to the l' l riar ar ap at If IC I Ion were on a treadmill and scenery J Was j s rushing past me The Tho Germans had hall put a barrage barrage barrage bar bar- rage of ot shrapnel across No Mans Man's Land and you ou rould hear heal the pieces eM slap tho tile ground about you ou After ACter I hall had passed our barbed wire and gotten Into No o Mans Mails I Land a Tommy Tom Tom- my nn about fifteen feet to m my right front turned around and looking in iii my direction lion tion put his hand to hiM liln mouth and anti I yelled d something which I could not make out on account of the tile noise from the tile bursting shells Then he lie coughed stumbled pitched ron forward and lay still His Ills bod body seemed to float to the rear of or me ITIC I could hear sharp cracks In theair tho the air about me These were caused b by bypassing bypassing passing rifle bullets Fre Frequently l to m my right and left leCt little spurts p or ot dirt would rise Into tho air and ancl a ricochet bullet would whine on Its Hili wa way I If a aTom Tom Tommy should see one of or these little spurts In hI front of or him ho he would tell the nurse about It later The crossing of or No Mans Man's Land remains a blank to me Inc Men on on m my right and left leCt would stumble stumble stumble ble and fall Call all Some would tr try to get Ket up while others remained huddled and mo mo- Then up smashed-up barbed wire came cume into view and seemed carried carrleton on ona ona ona a tide to tho the rear ren-r. Sudden Suddenly in front of me loomed a bashed In trench about four tour feet reet wide side Queer looking forms like mud turtles were scrambling up Its wall One of at these forms torms seemed to slip sUp and anti then rolled to the bottom of or orthe the tue trench I leaped across this intervening inter Inter- ening space apace The man to my left seemed to pause In mu midair then pitched head down into the German trench 1 I laughed out loud In m my delirium Upon alighting on the other side Bide of or the trench I came to with a sudden Jolt nl Right flight ht In ill front of of me loomed a giant form torm with a rifle which 1001 looked d about ten feet reet long on the end of ot seemed seven en bayonets These Cla flashed In the air all In front of or me Then through h my mr mind flashed Clashed the admonition of or our ba bayonet onet Instructor back in BlI Blighty ht lie He had said saM Whenever you ou got In a charge and run your bayonet up to the tho hilt Into Ino a German the the- Fritz will fall Perhaps your our rifle will wilt be he wrenched from your our grasp Do not waste time It if the I ba bayonet ond is fouled In his equipment equip equip- men mont ment t It by put putting tI n g your ou I foot root on his stomach and tugging at the tile rifle rUle to toe e extricate tile the bayonet Simp Simply press the trl trigger and alid the bullet will free Cree it ILlIn ILl In m my present situation this was fina logic but for the life of me I could not remember how he had told me to get Jet m my bayonet Into the tile German To me this was the paramount Issue Issup I 1 closed clofed m my eyes eye and lun lunged ed forward My 1 rifle was wat as torn from m my hands I mu must t have havo gotten tile the German Gernian because he had die dis appeared About twenty feet to an my left front was waR a hu huge e Prussian nearly six feet four Cour inches In ill height a a. fine Cine spec spec- CIment C- C of or physical al manhood The baronet bayonet bayonet bayo bayo- net from from his lila rifle was wa as missing hut but he clutched the barrel in both hands hn and andas was waR as swinging singing the butt hutt around his head I could almost hear hrar the swish of ot the butt hUH passing through h the tile air Three little Tommies were engaged d with him The They looked like pl pigmies alongside of tile the Prussian The rho Tomm Tommy on OH the left leU was gradually circling to the thc rear of or orda tI da T. T un Inn hP In se them 1 duck urk the swinging ln butt and try tn to jab Jail Ii Mm him im nt at tho th same time The Tile Tommy Tomm nearest me received the butt hutt of or orthe the Germans German's rifle In a smashing blow below the rl right ht temple It smashed mashed his head like an e eggshell lie pitched forward for for- ward ard on hl his side and a convulsive o shudder der ran through his bod body Meanwhile the other Tomm Tommy had gained tho the rear of or the Prussian Suddenly about four Inches of ot bayonet protruded from the throat of or th the Pruss Prussian Ian Moldier who wilo staggered forward and fell I will never ne forget the look of blank astonishment that came ame over o ills his face faco Then something hit lIlt me In the left I shoulder and m my left side wont numb It St felt Celt as at I rf a hot poker was being driven drivon through me mc I 1 felt relt no pain pain pain- Just a sort of or nervous ner shock A bayonet bayonet bayo bno net had hind pierced m me inc from tile the rear 1 I foil fell backward on the tile ground but was not unconscious because I 1 could see see urn dim objects ctR moving mo around me tIle Then Thena a flash of lI light ht In ill front FOOt of my toy eyes and unconsciousness Something hInd had hit me meon meon meon on the tile head hal I have havo never no found out what It was wao I dr dreamed I was as being tO tossed about In an open boat bon on Oil a heaving ln sea and opened my lIlY eyes eel Tile Tho moon mool was Vas shin SlIm ing I 1 was on a n stretcher being carried down one of our communication trenches At the tile advanced ad first aid post an my wounds were and then I 1 was wan put Into an Ril ambulance and sent to on one of or tho the base haNe hospitals Tho Tile wounds In my shoulder and head were ere not Ilot serious and In six weeks I had bad re reJoined rejoined ro- ro joined my company for service In the front line Continued d tomorrow |