The Franklin Evening Star from Franklin, Indiana • Page 7

ervr SATURDAY. AMIL 1S. 1W WQ DC. r- rn rr, CVS i letter tints found. It wa from tin i folks at home, tellini? all aliout a dance and the good times they h' had; anil the? were looking forward i with no much pleasure to the 'time when le should come home on leave, That night Buck was one o( i tarhment of twelve men detailed for outpost duty.

There, dug in in i old travel pit. they watched the man colored flares playing throughout th night from hoth the Germans ami jii Allies. Gerry's flare were usually red: the Allies used while, or according to the information to he giv en out- These flares are shot trom THE REDUCTION THE MAHNU GALI2NT 47TH INFArrrOV, 4TI1 D2VI3ION, A. C. F.

i trains, make their own schedule, and tin -nests defined l.v red flags: thet tii-ja-A i a nnn.nDcia i "i out and prisoners taken. Bat the prisoners, one day, happened to he th-company took and his helper, whiih was a tragedy indeed, and a par ty of captors interceded for them. beg-: ging leniency." The purpose of thol work was serious, hut the attitude cf the men was always one of laush an I joke. Orders from It. levervthins evenhnis in Frame str tc-i out clow ot the sot sun till n'l liH and since ail troop movements near th- tro.it must be made under cover of daikmss, the newly arrival continent nnbi coutent itself until night should onu' and the orderly should cr.du i h.tn to uuarters nn one knew where.

No one ever did know i.inihins of plan or destination In ox.ept The French, wh, all il sc. know, hut did not think woith hite to pass on 4 he lt! Germans had hecTS the. onntiy aniinul Meaux evidently loping anything rdn ed to whii meant i nu ikm uiitiki in inrniuriiin iroiTvii the huys stood in for mat ion noon tilt evening hefore the arrivi' of the atttoniohile hearing the im pressive insignia of four gold stars 1'ershing was evidently impresse I most with the things thai Ue division lacked, for after his visit the ration were greatly improved and iohaeeo was forthcoming. July 4th could Ik nothing for Americans if not a celehration. wherever hey might he.

and here, under III-3 very phadow of the guns, was no ption The lioys wre allowcil togu; to Ligy-sur-Ourcq tthey called it just plain to attend a regular American field day. and a jolly jauut it was. The occasion was honored with the pretence of two distinguish ed French generals, Petain and taud. who looked with no little in teres! upon the hoys who could play as well as fight- The Frenchmen were in gala dress and looked like ff ures itist stepped from the frame of i .1 the mohiliciug s. Lutiwith them their gasmasks, readv Sab ShtiCreildy "Vary" pistol and hum on a para chute-like structure.

The thus hrnadcasted were read hy of "I eers only: the rank and file knew! nothing of their significance. Through! the long night hours alertly awak' they read every pight and sound af! the night, for they knew that the en cmy was preparing for an attack. But (Jerry was not yet ready for move, and the nieht passed quietly enouh. except for an occasional hotuhardmetit, which was put over more for moral, rather than for mu terial effect. With daylight, rameic lief for the outpost, and relaxation for' the company- It was during the ilay light hours that the men were sil lowed to rest ami sleep, for darknesn' was filled with work ami uncertainty and no man was allowed to sleep.

That night the Americans movi 1 forward uliout a mile, where theyj were met hy trucks. Th altoard and rumlded and jnstl'l Ih'to'igh the nieht for perhaps two' a half hours wunour rest. jut tat dawn, they arrived at a wood, an I deployed along the edge of it. Much of their movement was from wood t. wood, as an animal stalks its piev from cover to cover They were toni matuled to dig in.

evidently expectin; an attack The Allies In this sector were short of men; there were gaps in the lin? some of them a half mile long. placements were not coming up rapid ly enough to invest the whole! maneuver. Tvvi hills frowned at each others across a little ravine. On one wet 'he Ameticans; the other iirtit havM he untenanted, had it not n-n that occasionally a man would he seee scuttling along the ground But th Allied forces knew that this whole nill; was infested with Gorman, and so' the eiiiis began a com entrated ti'' scuttling alone the ground But th- Allied forces knew that this hole nill was iafte. with Gorman, and the Buns hegan a comentrate.l ti f.Zcn'o Half Soles 01X0; Ladies 75s; some vivid picture.

The uniform ot'Bn' ii Ky 1 General lleadtiarters. insisted upon) the soldiers wearing their heavv Meol helmets; also that they carry, fr instant use. and their comhat pack which were shoes, towels, tooth hruslh hardtack, a can of corned heef one of tomatoes. The art of quick; digging in was added to a knowleMce trcmh omiation; grenade throw was still pra titled, for the French srenade was different Lrcm and tmt practical as the American make: it was French grenades for them now Itui knew a little, insigni.i ant. effeminate, scared to death tc low.

ih tiutt of all the stray jokes of company, who seml to lie more less dared hy it all. He gave the ompany the scare of their lives one in grenade practice, when, having 'tracked his grenade which explodes a given numher of second after it has heen cracked he held it in his hand. IcHvking at it if he could not, guess what he was to do next. Yell inc. "Throw- it.

Spivey; throw it!" hoys ran for the transverses. expect the poor fellow to hlown hits. The lioy at last threw it straigV the air and none too soon, for i immediately exploded, and tlid no harm. And yet this same dullard la' met death in the most unflinchin manner Buck got many a glimpse ot regal spirit housed in a dug-out personality. In the clouds above the town th was played many a drama of the ah' i Little could he known positively of ffcr Gcoh had far failed to get the rane.

daik. the nil ltivision started hikin? so.i- joint where it w-i to he to Cron divNIon. nigh ciin'1 ii tho sullen 'e r.inl growl th farotf cutis hrongh' lluck's at i-tnion to ho fact that he wa- step- I hic into the red fringes nf war From that time. ocpt for a very shrt it ial. he was never out of hearing the ureal gnus.

Ahont midnight it out p.thts not even a cigarette w.c i 'i miiitil ilic hoys were niao hing ever th ohiile-stones of a little tow a descried and hlack. sivtnewhe'e on ttie Pat ss Met toad; heie th-y sat down at the side of the road to awa ttittt. At last they were in to a huthlina. pitch, hm wht whiih was dark asjin ihev found to ho' oml'ortaldo enough. with alio it ighte-n inches of lean straw on ilie lioor; here they were content to lay themselves down tt a deep and dreatttU'ss sleep.

the gift ot their weariness content that the gna.d Vad been dtily posted and regnl.i-;-;,is satisfied. Kevcille revealed a scene qiaint.y pii tnresiue. as a stage set for an od masque. The huihiing in whicli th had slept so snugly was a long hat n. occupying one side of a recta a-i-uk'r, cohlde-sioned acre, the of which were defined hy various huildings.

raih hnilt to the In the middle of one end stxd had been the master's house, with ty evidence of wealth and ease, fur nished with handsome old walnut and liih tapestry, now deserted and left! at the men of the passing troops I 'in Sand of ing las hut the or day ing in er a i TtNI nf some iort had a smal! completed the ta-k with Gerry Inol at I -od foun I en that hill top. hopin? to' dislodge the voted ranee, hut some men wh ot titiailts. It was worse than all tl' I I dot ihinn ui often personnel of the actors, for they sehlon: flew low enough for the spec tator to le able to distinguish duy Youn coal vV Coal prices effective April 7 and k1 until May 1: Vczt Hun $5.00 Ferries end Stove. $5.75 Pocchcntas Lup $0.75 Pocchcnics r.tine Run $5.75 tween the circle of the Allies and they let the mule-drawn machine Herman cross. The observation ha entis.

with their crews, pass them an 1 loons of the Allies were choicest tar-, pull out into a field, sending the mul- The other linUdincs around the areai' "'e gttns of the German carried with him an intre tichin vow to obey the officer" command smi.ll shell came over; the net or," whining iindhurst with terrible tone. Of this squad with Buck, only one r-iher besile himelf survived. Th next day is burnt in uiwn hu k'f- very sml. for thou it was th: moved up to the fiv it line and participated in the With the regulars went all the m-n i he Ked Gross, who, armed, always inevd with the line until the wounded needed their attention. whOi tln-v tin tied to care for them Thi' movement occurred on the plain be tween the two hill, a Iwauti'-il ex pause of golden wheat, and over it all.

the German iiiaihine nuns, (rain id foot al ov swe ning with a the crot.ud. wer" most iitriic! ivo fit-1 tearing men logs from under ilieti: Try knew that wounded no woie lll-Ue xp'nsive than one. A2 the flood of battle ebbed ami flowed Sergy. the objective. olrinsM'd l.am1- live time during that dreadful d.iv i )ar artillery had inn pt pae wn the attacking lino ami so was iiu.ivh'I able for support to ih infantry, a fact which cot the Alli of the two hundred and ad vaneed beyond oommuni.

a'ion i i dearly. fifty I i Cc! Fume co one was the regulation French hlue. litht. grayish shade, verv smart, i.ii- its heavy braiding The tit her offu was striking in his velvet suit i of deep hlue. with all his gold decor I atiops on his hreast and the gren ord draping his shoulder: on hist head, he wore the hlue garrison cap This was the uniform of the celehrat ed Blue liovils, who were to Franc? what the Prussian tluard was to the Germans.

It was a day of relaxation, full of fun. chaff, laughter and joy. It well that they had it then, for it w. their last happy day for a long tim Iteturnitig tired: late in the day. Bn snatch'Ml time for a pseudo-hath.

and while indulging himself, he heard th officers call: "Itouhle time!" 'an I "Koll paks!" In fifteen minutes with his comrades, were readv to move. Two extra handoliers of am mimiMon were issued mill with the dark they started hiking on the Fart's Met load. They needed no inform i tion this time as to their destination it was now soon?" At only a question of "how one o'clock in the morn 'to th? rear. As the infantrv movol up, a sergeant and two corixn with a small detainment of men. wer.

forward and dug in for an outpost "Oigi'itig in" meant excavating a shal low tretnh just deep enough for i In lie in with hw I at grouml. Thus an outost is not tieahle and may retain their position ntnjer the most huxardous circinn stanes. Telephone lines were imm" diately etahlishel and every prepa" ation made for immediate action. Gerry was quick to appreciate t'f weight of the Am than forces tlie part they might play in the tor man drama, and he realized that hi hopes of success now depended on oup to he delivere! before th Yankees could get started. To Un end, lie began shelling Meaux on Juy Hth.

his evident plan being to at trat the Allied defense to that point while the main army of ue Germ: offensive should take its ictorious way toward Pari. Bu? Gerrv had jmanv a bridge to cross he could reach the French oapttol. and he had not counteu tnem an, ny any meam This movement was to constitute til' second battle of the Marne. The 2nd and the 4th divisions it will he remembered that Buck was in the 4th were being held in reserv near Meaux. and the Isi near Bea.v IVgoutte, moved out to a reserve po sit ion.

a small town. La Ferte Milou between Chateau-Thierry and liheino-As soon as night fell the front lin-. composed of both French and Ameri can toroes, which had heen station ary for months, now moved on. the 1 i noises of inferno let loose at one-- tn almost insupportable spectacle bursting sheds and fire. The frnr line, lor winch trie 4th division wi held in reserve, were attemf ing a movement the outcome of whuh was in serious doubt, when alotig tain a company of Bin? Ik viN ovj horseback, gay, debonair, sniokin; cigarette and lain: nine for all world as if they were going on a ho! iday.

When they returned, the hill wa taken, and not a prisoner tl i 1 they bring ha a statement quite significant enough: For two or three days this wood hi I the Allies Occasional shells came over, and there as a continuous d.i'i ger of gas gas shell hided among those were always in diteoted ugain-l any given point. The recognized ga. alarm was a sounding of Klaxon. ll throuch the lines, hut this had to abandoned, for the area of dang-'t from a single gas shell is compara lively small, and while the dangei might be acute at some point, her-. would be no danger at ail outside a small radius.

Continuous alarms from different points were too mu like the old storv of "Wolf! Wolf i i i i 1 if Ed- air L. Phone 316 xvete the laundry-, the granaries, the and the horse hum H. ine-vat were in ihe rear of ti re. idem all connected. In the center ot" the area.

American eves were shv ked to behold a large vat, or bin into which was thrown all the offal of eoih house and barns! Back to lh middle ages flew their thoughts when this sost of provision might have he ictiside-red tile last word in saniti lion, but in A well nearby tninished to the estate, but not tor the soldiers, for nothing wjss nior? aren.llv guarded than the wa-er. supple for the army. Sin face wells were of a menaie than the possible po luiii.ii. or iHiisoning, the water by the iMit-my, All of the water used for the army was tested and treated hemicall vvhuh made it somewhat erj wlat.ihlo, but cntin ly safe. Ha.

of the buildings the artleti w.iS thriftily growing: around about were fields of hay ready for cutting and wheat field with a luxuriant crop: alteady waist hiith Nothing is need les-lv Iom roved, or hurt, ir I pianos, ami many a nrave tiainiotu-i saw his ship fired and was compelled to seek safety by his para hute. The striving of airplanes resembled noth- ine so much as great birds in dead'v 'combat. The plane that swoons diiw fnvm above and tin- rear has the ad vantage: the planes turn and twist at lightning speed to prevent this, an I the one which is able to atih the tail" usually finish es him to a fall, unless in a loopGi-loop. the pursued can dart away he lore the enemy i righted. Buck thrilled with these aerial battles an I he says the sight of them never failed to inspire the hoys with red hot fight.

Supplies had not been coming up as had been expect d. Tobacco gave' out and for two weeks a time suf- fioiemly long to rasp the nerves thoj hoys did without. Then the captain I sent a bugler with a thousand dolla-s! to th" nearest supply station to buy tonacco tor the regiment worse than Gerry's Temp, hells, temptation was the end or mat soi resting in prison. The Y. M.

A tried to tide over the situation by poi-tioning two cigarettes to each man: whose yuiiiliT hank t.o on. find the im't. return md ea. i II hilio.lf to ilie Wit a i 1 out resting they hurried hack tin wn felvj id onie. They arrived Rubber Heel 40c rn S5.75 C3.75 $0.75 Lccj V.r!;Ur2 Chicle; MPROVrP, pifrmeJ ferurc absolutely ih tnosf flu ierw irv-cubiitor maoc.

UJ l''ulini rHilir raicrv. uar jntcrd hu nuire cliii ks and l'ii'i; eronger chit ki. basics to mici--pf. Control entirely ut.iinniir. Cmnnot nvmrhmml cannot nnJer-Mmmt.

The p.iuntc.l Autnrn.it ic Revolving Oiute lv lutcly prc vnr Ir. Come in ami get nil thai fawa about th :tox.rior Automuiat. FRANKLIN HARDWARE A IMPLEMENT CO. i nine. Weary I mm iiiir heavy together with their la li of lo.d sleep, Ihey were rendy to drop her, but when tli.y v.

i It i I.ll'l and an I'll. IV wagont. bad come up, tint will. Ilie dieU of the enemy, heir jt and in J'y COfllpIt e. Ihey hid Hie fit I hot fond Ihey had had fur three hed steak mid pi in.e-, one Imu idretl and eighty men and only iiitniV' 'men to eat it.

Need il mentioned that they "seen their duty and due' it?" At midnight fl.o hoys were I l.v aiiiflu ulii.nl fi.il. I.i bV a where the I. ill. ting oilieer had nuuV- it r'-ady for fheiii. No royal bedchamber was ever hi hw.i-l ait tint billet where they (ouM rest for f.

'v hourx al lea-f. (To Colli ll.l.ed I IT the river but found no bridge. the Klaxons were abolished and eve-v Btnk" company, there w-'r' oidylwa iiul't, a problem, itinnnne the.r man relid upon his own or hi neiuu jninety that escaped unhurt! surprise and leli.f when found iior's nose. At night, when they had dug in jthat the stream tall stream and Proximity to the front prevented (be, it wa learned that the battalion hi I brooks in ''rami' were wa their ammunition dump: they li.nteiu.nt 'aty orders were very strict in took some time to find hint, citing every thin Ftein h. ard "hen they did.

he was relieved of it a onrt. martial offense to watonlv niilitary luty and spent the next year the lied Cross was able to do a little vais. ready for the counter attack better hy giving each man a packacojThe 4th division, now under command of Bull Durham and some papers of two French generals. Manein i liesj toy or to poa on the The little village idout ly one of that lay about was a peasantry popu hu situated and kept mph.vment afforded hy the vast es tate of the master of the house. Th-' tdi a.

also, goes back to timis end seems strangely out of place ir th. mod. rn days. In i few day the peasants ventured to their homes and tok ur avain their every day duties of car iur for the crops, not wit hstan-ling th booming of the distant guns, and the toar of the aircraft above them Ths own. nam.

less to Biuk. was like a chow wagon coming up and the boys ate--how and when they could tho'rj "iron rations" of corned lieef. hard lack and tomatoes. AYliile they wf'c not yet in attacking posiion. thy were now upon the very heels of the 1 1 out line, continuously most viciotis shell fire.

under In Wounded which were being brought hack froui the front in great numbers lay about on lluir stretihers for hours waitine for nu diral attention: the boys serve I these suffering one most faithfully Living what firt aid th'V could, a si, fr in a tanteen. a cigarette to stead their frayed nerves, or just a joke and a 1 rich to relieve the terrible tediu.n of waiting and uncertainty. As the day wore to evening, preparations for action became even nice ai-jia'cnt The order came that ui; ornament should he reiioved i iul regimental insignia should be d. Gerrv did lie know th I iin i A'! losorves were tvher than had en r.d tr. did not want h'tu to it 1 lit ammiinft ion.

and wav to bring it up. for wet continuing their hideous ersitenee. there was lio the German'' shelling with rtittfns off all possibility of help from any direction A patrol that had heen sent out had been caught between two enemy rages and many of them never lettirn-ed. The enemy iped by the severi'V ot the bombardment to drive the Al lies into their trenches and nald-j the German to mifke their attack a sweeping victory- If Gerry could hav known the deplorable condition of ta Allie at this point, ho could have delivered a tellin? coiii i hottr.i'nds of prisner: but hi not hi w'thdrawal at critical moment are some of bines that still puzzle lis all. The problem of bringing up fl" th- a in tail it ion was a serious whiih by irti.s Indeed, carrying nothing but their gas masks and th Mee 1 met which they were wearing th each man might carry ammunition to the last mnd of his endurance if 1th following close behind-two The Germans hecan to slft only a foot de-p When fafely acros.

the tl'nd Ilivislon III them with the news that the Imiiii bardn.otit wa terrible that it, would be iuioi'ih1o lor them toj resicli the line if would lie no leu than snicide to attempt it. The offi cor did not com nd the men nifiti but advied them not to try it. But ihey knew how desperate was th need for th" supplies which they er bringing and they were not going 1 let tl.cir dangerous mission fad now within si2h! of.tlloir objective. "To with you! We are going up!" up no neiii. in tik ii Ihing but their mission and their' omrade in their fi trenches.

at l.i-t, wl'h iiuittiutiil Ion for all HowJ those iiit ine boys did rejoice to th' siifplies that they knew were the) only means of llieir hoie of ce in wa the b.ittallion able In iarry; on and so complete the task of drivlr rj the enemy beyond Scrgy, for aft-r next (Ilie third! day' attack line' ad valued to the dfo of the littl" town Mid so accomplished its occupy I ion Conditions mnt at nil times he kep' as sanitsirv a todbe, and the prob I of disposing the doii.l and If was Beearr for hlie I in 1 ir- 1,1 it I hi 'II i II iill'in 'i' in re .1.1. l.l.lr... th. acs covered with a little dirt, which often had to he accomplished as onltkly a tosihle. As Kn an the tiKwement of the lines permitted the chaplain came, lifted the Iwidle from their shallow graven, got their identifu li.t.v, ir y.r n.

'i I i i. l.l.l. I I p.iue out of an old book. Th unaiatj a' Ii'Mtry. The I'nitcd Slates stubbornly tntesting every foot of liitle houses were huddled along not her boys bread.

forround. The reserve divisions moved of the road like old rones j-i, American bread had been shown to on to a town again nameless v. h-r- slowly, hut surely, a little at a time they established their line hy digging in in little "fox trenches." whit hav already been referred to. The Allied to tH; the cobblestones entirely unfit for export, situe it roadwav and made Toiled so uuickly and became n.t "the makin Some of the boys were able to add a little to this by buying a few cigarettes from French soldiers, and these they divi I ed among the men of their platoon N'ot only was tobacco gone, hut ra tions were very low; in fact, there was little hut corned beef to twice a week, ea man got t. niespoons 01 torn syrup, wiuh wa i i onI" covered, but filled with a green only covered, hut filled with a mould The French bread kept mm hj better, for it was hard and drv.

but it w.is not so palatable, it in color, baked in round i.i i loav prnhahly on sawdust) and cut edge-shaped pieces like pie. How ever, if one was hungry enough -an 1 Buck usually was it was cool enough. Interest was keened hy the new that the American in C. (Command er in-Chief was on his way to vijt be had: i ti necessity made tnod immediate Thr wa no tither way. but to send ba a detachment, unhampered line had assumed the shape of j.waa little surpris" party for the old horseshoe with the Germans b.

I that ihev were earer to nut over he ever ret urne.1 all Muck was oiiejwa always a cruesomely serious one of the men bosen for this hazardo The s'oTit tioeame at limes InsuntMir' ins for for'ign feet. Women al i hecan cutting lie hay, with th- of a few- soldiers who were homo fin lough There were three cs I in the village who were able i IV hor ses always t.ui.K tn ile th ivl rode in the women walked wo'k that lasted After a hard day's till the dusk of the daylicht mad io more, the women it impossible to appeared in the reets wearing across their shoul-rs uueer long-armed vofces. with a nk. on eah end of the beam, alii tin to the one town pump for wa' i i no pr.iiiKs That the struggle was a desperate one, was attested by the German! dead left lying ahout in all stages if mutilation and decomposition. Thf stench and sights were, indeed, ening.

Entering a trench that' Gerry had lately occupied. Hnck found tw vj German soldiers sitting, loth dead, as if death had struck them in the midst i if he should snath a man or two' of this battalion, he would still find no reason to suspect that his prison- crs re other than those who ha 1 heen opposing him along the line And so they sat waiting for the datk ready for hatever the night might bring to them. Th big gnns front he yond the enemy lines were forth death ami destruction, and oli- own gnns from the wood behind were thundering and crashing against an invisible foe: the going and arriving' shells sang a continuous Swan-song 1. i enterprise. He tell the Mory of .1 I I I III mu frill HI v- i ii hit- iinni t-l th-oeerv li ever were his thoughts at that time, he no le than a hero of thi first rank for his one adventure alone, if (hr were nothing further to tell.

Just where the ammunition lutnr was lo cated. could not he learned with any j. 'irl n.l ah( v. l. r.l...,,i i.

this encampment. The captain of the a genial conversation. There were! outfit was a West Pointer, an offic rno marks on the bodies, hut from th-' Nisht at last descended upon them of the regular army ahd a fa ft that a third one nearby had his l.ko the going down of a on man. He gave his men some good head blown off. it might he infernd a melodrama.

'advice: "General Pershing will wn jthat the two died from the shock of: Military training having been inter ispect this afternoon. If he the thell that had killed their rnvi mpted for the time. it. was now re you, shoot your answers straight." No'ratle. same! with vigor.

Fngineer? built a advice could have better described The enemy dead was always search title-range: formation and maneuvers the great C.in-C for he is a man who! ed for any papers whith might con were on.ln. ted the little town K'jhas trimmed oft all the superfluities' tain iutormation valuable to the Al time an "example" with Imaginary of lite. Hut general. like troop-i Huck's heart wa tombed hv iow vr lieau ine uoiid wrri i r-i iiiiiniiii uir wnni-. nn.ii i.

ii.ii i mu a.uiiMt-, line, searching that position for what; darkness of night to find if. Theyjfully recorded, and then burled them information might he available. Su I crossed the river on a little bridge! a detently a KMsibe. denly the order "Pig In." latised ev jrnd hurxJed on. not knowing wlat in At the end of that three day's haltl cry man to protect himself as best li slant a message from Gerry mig.it the ftivfslon was relieved and went could with all pos-dble speed Kaflijsend them acrs tfinf dark riv lru i Uo to the wood from whence It In I I i.