Show af I 1 L N 1 71 f WILLIAM J ROBINSON CHAPTER IX the th fate fat of a spy reached 4 as aa aulce ay ly 17 as a we could and got cot out without a scratch which to la more important than anything else we went back bach along the road until we earn to the turning which leads to the village tillage of Doe thin village is on the bank of the cabiat but it af I 1 a unhealthy place to visit as an it Is 1 lii full view of part of the german une lines our plan wa 8 to go as close to the tillage as aa we dared and then leave the car and try to get through on foot it was wa almost as aa dangerous as aa it would be to go through cypres ypres but we figured that here we would at least have bare a fighting chance we left the car under some trees about half a mile from the village and act out on foot fool we haan hadn t been going ton ten minutes when a sentry stopped us na again and informed us as that the road was raa closed and we would have to go aback 67 ack the officer explained things to him and told him that it was Rs absolutely imperative that we get through and that this was the only way it could b be done the sentry said that be was wa very sorry but he bad strict orders from the assistant provost marshal marchal and ho he dared not let us pass there was nothing left for or us ua to do but to turn back we went straight to headquarters and the coffier explained that it was impossible for us to get through ue ile ordered me to report to him the next morning and we would try again the next day they were bombarding just as aa heavily and the city was waa still burn ing so eo all I 1 had bad to do was to stand by and hold bold myself in readiness all day long we saw aw a very exciting g incident that day there thera was a big ammunition col 1 dmn near our headquarters abad it was I 1 waiting there all ready loaded until sent ent tor for it had been there several weeks then and the chaps who belonged to it were having the softest time i they ever had in their lives bout about A 2 in the afternoon I 1 was standi standing Wg on a corner near this column when I 1 saw one of the police go up and speak to a chap who was waa walking around it with a notebook in hl his hand they talked for a few moments and then a policeman sauntered down to where I 1 was standing and came up and spoke poke to me go down to the guard room he be said bald land and have the corporal corpo ial fall in two men and bring them up here as quick as god will let him that fellow there by the column is getting all kinds of information and putting t in his bis book now hurry burry but take your time until ou get I 1 out of sight of this place I 1 ai U look after him until the guard cornes comes I 1 was naturally all excited but I 1 did as aa he be said and it many minutes before we e were on our way back at the double our man was still there but the minute he saw us be got start started edl our policeman pulled his revolver and 1 fired after him ile he dian didn t stop for a adred second but he pulled a couple of guns himself and every few seconds would pend end a shot abot back at us as he ran fellows fellow were joining in the chase all the time and it wits was getting interest ing the end came very suddenly when two of our chips chapa with rifles appeared in kan the road ahead of the fugitive and ordered him to halt ile he fired on them for an answer so GO they raised raised their rl ri I 1 j fia des and brought him down examination showed that tie be was a german he had on german service cress under the tb british uniform tie was wearing the little book our policeman referred to certainly was a gold nine of information tie ile bad the name location and strength of every unit in our vicinity and also the location of a good many of our batteries he ele was a brave fellow all right and he played the game clear to the end the next day I 1 reported myself as usual for the trip to potijze and 0 no o decided to make the try again even as we got near I 1 pres the fire seemed to slacken blacken and we rushed straight through without mishap it if ypres cypres had bad been in bad condition before this I 1 dont know how it would be described bowl to n the center of the tofia there was scarcely a building left standing all the towers but one bad been knocked off the famous cloth aall and the whole place had been gutted by fire the cathedral who all down except half of the tower and the inside of that was till still the streets were littered with bodies of every description and broken wagons ambulances Bater carts etc ia lay y er everywhere ry where tte the roads were almost obliterated and we were riding over broken bricks and mortar the shells were still coming over but they were no worse thou thau what we had bad ruu rua through before so we did not mind them very much we found tho road 1 the other bd aido of cypres ypres about as aa usual so BO we got up op to potijze without any more excite excitement meW I 1 fol AT 1 THE z F 2014 pvn an american boys bays baptism of fire fir 9 by WILLIAM J ROBINSON copyright attle brow ft co C the th most graphia account of the great war that has ha yet t been wr written I 1 aten come coin a from the th pen pan ot of a twenty two year fur old boston boiton boy who his ha just r returned from france where as dragoon diman dispatch rider and motor sar ar driver he h served fourteen tour tn months month under the th british flag out of f thirty en in motorcycle yole dispatch aidem be was vm one or of four our survivor is to Is a very tiny place which ha has seen acen some hard bard fighting from linn to time there was really very aery little left of the place itself but our trenches ran ram just outside the village and we had bad all around there on our arrival my officer told me to turn the car around and then to pet get into one of the I 1 dugouts and watt wait for him I 1 did as aa he be told mf me and for tome some reason or other I 1 left the engine running I 1 shut the throttle clear down so BO she h was jast barely ticking over 1 I looked around and round found a dugout not twenty yards yarda away and went la 1 wo officers were there at the time but they told me to sit down and they went ent on with their work I 1 found some paper and a pencil and started tr write a letter after a few minute one of these officers got up and went out I 1 don t think it was wore more then than ten minutes later that I 1 beard a lot of running around and ob shouting outing over our heads beads and 1 I won dered what be then I 1 noticed that my throat threat and nose seemed to bo be burning burn lii an and d my eves commented to water I 1 could t draw a brute without sharp pain r forcing ng my throat jaud lungs it struck 4 4 A 0 f 0 1 4 P PO 4 t 4 idi 4 0 i t k 1 1 t t but all the th time I 1 had mm mine I 1 never saw another sign of gas gaa me suddenly that it was the gas the who had left a few minutes be tore ore poked him bead down and shouted ruin hun like h its the gas gast by this time I 1 could hardly set see and I 1 was doing some tall old scrambling to get out of that place I 1 would hold mv breath as aa long as aa I 1 could and then I 1 d take tahe another breath through my khaki handkerchief when I 1 got outside I 1 found that everything was waa COT ered with ith it a greenish yellow haze baza and I 1 couldn coulden t see three feet in front of we me I 1 ran in the direction of the place I 1 had bad left my mv tar and I 1 struck it the first shot perhaps I 1 thankful I 1 had bad left the engine runn I 1 jumped in and started down that road for ft til 11 1 was waa worth and before I 1 had bad gone ax yards I 1 was off the road and stuck in a cloned ed field I 1 was waa clear of the gas though and that was wa 1 all I I 1 cared about I 1 waited there for two hours houra before any ny one appeared and when a fatigue party finally came along the road I 1 had bad them help me get the car out they got eight horses and we hitched them I 1 i on to the back I 1 raced my machine and the horses pulled and after half an hours hour a work the car was back or on the rood road again no a sooner had bad they gone than my officer showed shoved up safe cafe and sound and we started back for camp it was a terrible experience arid and we were ere absolutely helpless an aa we had not been furnished with the respirators and gas helmets at that time we secured these things soon boon after but all the he time I 1 bad mine dine I 1 never maw av another sign bleu of raa I 1 found out afterward that those two officers i who had bren been in the dugout were both by the gas gai the officer w m ho was wag with me at tb the time of the aas t ns attack was one of the most remar remarkable Lable roan I 1 ever met for several years before the war he be had been in the british secret errice in germany so BO he spoke german almost i as well as he did j one day we stopped at a boodt hospital ta in RaDl eul and one of the orderlies ord crUea told us as that there were some annaa ge wounded there the officer asked me lr if I 1 aj would like to go in aud and bee ee them I 1 said I 1 would like it very tery much so 0 o we went rent in there was one poor devil all by himself among kome bome english patients the officer went over and eat on the edge 0 af his bla bed and began to talk to him if you aoud bavi hiv seen that poor fel lows face when he beard hlosek ad dressed in his bis own language langu agel hii whole lighted up end and L U f began tu to talk t pretty tty soon eoon the tears begun began to run down his bis cheeks and 1 I felt awfully sorry tor for the poor chap who wad away from all his hl own people beverely Bever never elj wounded lie ile said that he be bed just been mari ried before the beginning of this the war and tie he and his wife had bad saved bared au all they could and two days day before be wax was called up they bad bought a tow cow lie ile was as worried as aa be could be for fear something bad bapp happened ened to the cow I 1 the he bombardment of aprea began the a night of the april day we experienced the gas and with the bombardment be gan the infantry autry attack I 1 was up op at a little place called and I 1 could hear the rifles find and machine guns at it doall they were worth I 1 was wa thanking my lucky that I 1 was vaa on my tar lar instead of a ma caa thine gun gon when an orderly rode up and told me that I 1 was waa to report at bead at once all AD the nay ay back to camp I 1 bad the feelley that something was waa goina to happen and when I 1 arrived there I 1 was waa told to report myself to the signal company for duty with my motorcycle then I 1 knew that I 1 was to carry dla dis patice pate lip through we th a coming battle I 1 ty male particular note of the fatt fait that at the beg beginning luning of this bat tie which aich lasted three weeks we afis patch numbered thirty one la in all for wr pa half an hour later we rully fully equipped and on our way to the advanced report center which would ito he the scene of our activities until tip tie vt as 0 er p i ire n about W yards yarda to the rear of f the birst arnt thip live of trene heia and we ro given el rea an old barn bam to ourselves and we w laid out our blankets and made our beds for it was 1030 0 clock the at tack was increasing in ia fury all kinds of shells shella landing around us and the germanas Ger maia were using their same old tactics of hurling great masses of troops alain against st our position our machine guns guna gave the usual good account of themselves and the german dead were plied piled up op over our wiro wire entanglements entangle ments in great heaps the germans would tall fall back reform and come on again in their usual close formation go bo it went all night and when tho the morning came the dead ground between the two lines of trenches was waa a grew some looking place during the day the germans boxa bow barded baided our first and second line trench es ea with high explosives ind and nel all day and at night they resumed their infantry attack on our position ray day after day and night after night the battle continued until we all felt dead and numb all over sometimes the germans would penetrate our hues dues for a few yards and then we would immediately counter before they had bad a hance bance to strengthen their position e lost an awful lot of men inen but oven even though I 1 dont know the exact figures I 1 know I 1 am safe in say bay ing that the german losses were more than double what ours our were we dispatch riders were certainly kept busy during this time our work was as to be standing by every minute of the day and night and the moment we were wanted to sling the dispatch case over our shoulder and get away for the bead headquarters quarters to the rear the riding at night was terrible the germans were all the roads la in the vicinity and we beld to go dashing along through the inky blackness at breakneck pace it was impossible to see more than a yard or two ahead and so it was ft a case of ride uke like the dickens and trust to luck the road was covered with shell abell holes boles and the first intimation we would get of the fact was when we would feel the me mo drop beneath us as and feel ourselves shooting through the ajr air like amateur skyrockets eky sky rockets we would pick ourselves up op drag the motorbike motor bike out of the bole and if it would still run jump on it and get away again we certainly got some terrible spills and there were a good many who got broken bones and a few who bad their necks and backs backa broken imagination cannot conceive of our utter misery everywhere I 1 looked at all hours of the day and night it was just nightmare most of the tb time we were kept too busy to sleep and we would be so ao tired we w could hardly move the constant dla din of the runs guns of all sizes and of the exploding shells was enough to drive nearly ill ati of ns insane perhaps this little incident 1 I show what condition our nerves were in A i young fellow named lewis and I 1 had bad chummed together for the time being and we rode the same route during the 1 i en entire tire battle one night he be came down to headquarters just ahead of me and I 1 assure you we came through some mighty hot territory I 1 was in awful condition myself but I 1 think be was j even tell worse 1 I 1 handed banded my case in and while I 1 was waiting for orders I 1 went put out to the petrol stores to fill up the tank on my lithe blue lewis wes was talking to tb the officer in charge of the riders and was stand ins ing with bis ack to the door another fellow caman cem tn carrying two empty 1 petrol tins and unintentionally nd ally of course he dropped them just behind lewis they nade quite a racket and coming 0 to o suddenly lewis jumped over ft a table and fainted dead away we were all in about tho the same condition I 1 and it take much to get a rise out of us poor lewis was killed ib the next nest night by falling into a shell bole ITO to tie be continued contla ned |