together so as to provide an almost endless chain of
cartridges for the gun. Under one tree where there had been a nest, I
saw empty cartridge shells eight inches deep, which was some shooting
for a short fight such as this was. That machine gun had certainly
done all that could be expected of it.

We gained our objectives at 4 o'clock of the afternoon of the day the
drive started. We were then in the best possible position, so far as
ground is concerned, as it was possible for us to occupy. We had taken
the commanding ground from Fritz, and we began digging in so as to be
ready for a counter attack. All during that night we dug our trenches,
making them deep and as safe as possible. Between 3 and 5 o'clock the
next morning, the expected attack came. We experienced a heavy
shelling from the German artillery. Of course, our light artillery
that had been hastily brought up was not slow in returning the fire.
Our barrage was very accurate and eventually the Huns were silenced.

It was at this time that I was called upon to witness the greatest
horror of war--that of seeing some of my dearest friends fall from the
enemy's fire before my very eyes. I was working in a post with three
other men. We had been constantly together since the drive began and
our hardships that we had undergone resulted in a bond of friendship
that held us together like brothers. All three of these men were
killed during this barrage. Two of them were instantly killed and the
third lived but a short time after being hit, dying about 6 o'clock in
the morning.

When you consider that we were working in a post that was not more
than twelve feet in diameter, you may well imagine my feelings as I
saw these boys fall. I fully expected that my turn would come at any
minute, but I kept at work so as to keep my mind off the gruesome
surroundings.

The next twenty-four hours were about the worst that I experienced
throughout the war. My post was right out in front, and I was the only
man left in it. Our communication lines had been badly cut up by
German shells, and I was unable to make a report of the disaster that
our post had suffered to headquarters. I could not leave the post,
because I could not leave the instruments. They were too valuable to
be left there with no one guarding them, and it would not do to leave
any chance of their falling into the hands of the enemy. So I remained
at the post all day. About 7 o'clock in the evening, men from
headqu