y local importance, and no matter how difficult the problem or
how cleverly it is solved it is only on rare occasions that the result
reaches the outside world, even though a collection of detailed
reports which patrol leaders are able to make would form a story that
would put to shadow the most impossible book of fiction or the most
unbelievable adventure film.

The following two descriptions of such work, therefore, make not only
a highly sensational story, but prove also that war in modern times
relies almost as much on personal valor and initiative as in times
gone by, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding, and in spite of
the wonderful technical progress which military science of our times
shares with all other sciences.

An American special newspaper correspondent with Von Hindenburg's army
reports the following occurrences and also gives a vivid pen picture
of conditions in the territory immediately behind the front:

"In a forest near the town of Lyntupy a patrol of thirteen Russian
spies hid in an abandoned German dugout in the course of a night march
southward to destroy a bridge over the river Viliya with high
explosives.

"Desperate for food, they finally intrusted their safety to a Polish
forester, ordering him to bring food. The forester promptly gave the
Germans information. The Germans surrounded the dugout, throwing in
three hand grenades. On entering the dugout they discovered ten
Russians killed by grenades and three by bullets.

"The Russian lieutenant had shot two comrades not killed by grenades
and then himself, in order to escape execution as spies, for the
patrol was not in uniform.

"Another audacity was performed during a Russian attack on the German
trenches. From the darkness came a voice calling in perfect German,
'What is the matter with you? Are you soldiers? Are you Germans? Are
you men? Why don't you get forward and attack the Russians? Are you
afraid?'

"Bewildered by these words coming up to them direct from the nearest
wire entanglements, the Germans turned a searchlight in the direction,
discovering the speaker to be a Russian officer who had taken his life
in his hands on the chance of drawing the Germans from the trenches.
His audacity cost him his life, for instantly he fell before a volley
of bullets.

"The Germans speak well of the marksmanship of considerable bodies of
the Russian infantry. Personally, I can say they shoot as well as I
have any desire to have me