seemed to be fairly panting. Every clump of trees concealed a den of
seventy-fives or larger guns, and miles of deserted trenches were passed
through.

The work on hand was enough to keep all the men busy. Many German
prisoners were coming through by this time and each group helped by
carrying back wounded. Some of the German wounded were brought back in
this way by their comrades. By this time, also, a shortage of litters
began to be felt. The ambulances had not been able to get up owing to
the blocking of the roads by artillery which was moving forward. Towards
evening ambulances began to come in to Vacquois, and Hill No. 290. The
last load of wounded had been removed by about 4:00 A. M., the next
morning. Meanwhile, Lt. Siberts had reached Cheppy, close on the heels
of the victorious 138th Infantry and collected a large number of wounded
there.

In crossing the German trenches, we saw the effects of our artillery
barrage and the evidences of the fierce fighting that the doughboys were
doing. The ground was fairly pulverized. There were shell holes large
enough to drop houses into, and parts of the hills were seemingly
scalped and cast aside. Concrete dugouts were crushed as if they had
been made of cardboard, trenches were leveled and barbwire entanglements
were cut to pieces. The Germans had contested the ground inch by inch,
and we could see where groups of our men had been literally blown to
pieces--scenes that the boys will never forget. As we advanced further,
the evidences of the struggle were not so ghastly, although we were
passing the lifeless forms of many Kansas and Missouri boys mixed with
those of the drab uniforms of the enemy.

The field was sprinkled with shell holes whose burnt sides seem to have
been blasted by the touch of hell. Our artillery was crawling forward
and were blazing away from behind the shelter of clumps of bushes. The
doughboys were now moving so swiftly that the big guns could hardly keep
up.

As we neared Cheppy, we could see where the infantry boys had charged an
almost impregnable machine gun nest. About thirty men had been mowed
down in front of this position. At a cross roads, a big shell had landed
in the center of a collection of wounded doughboys, tearing them to
pieces. Gas had been used, but nothing could stop the boys from entering
Cheppy. The fierce struggle in this town had caused heavy casualties.

Ambulance Co. 138 having moved up the triage to Cheppy on the 28th