A Yankee in the Trenches by R. Derby Holmes
page 29 of 155 (18%)
page 29 of 155 (18%)
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yards long. We put several of our remaining Stokeses in that and
wrecked it. Turning the corner of the next traverse, I saw Jerry drop his rifle and unlimber his persuader on a huge German who had just rounded the corner of the "bay." He made a good job of it, getting him in the face, and must have simply caved him in, but not before he had thrown a bomb. I had broken my bayonet prying the dug-out door off and had my gun up-ended--clubbed. [Illustration: OVER THE TOP ON A RAID. Photograph from Underwood & Underwood, N.Y.] When I saw that bomb coming, I bunted at it like Ty Cobb trying to sacrifice. It was the only thing to do. I choked my bat and poked at the bomb instinctively, and by sheer good luck fouled the thing over the parapet. It exploded on the other side. "Blimme eyes," says Jerry, "that's cool work. You saved us the wooden cross that time." We had found two more machine guns and were planting Stokeses under them when we heard the Lewises giving the recall signal. A good gunner gets so he can play a tune on a Lewis, and the device is frequently used for signals. This time he thumped out the old one--"All policemen have big feet." Rat-a-tat-tat--tat, tat. It didn't come any too soon. As we scrambled over the parapet we saw a big party of Germans |
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