temporary advantage
military preparedness may have given to the enemy.

CHAPTER VI

PEN PICTURES

GERMAN SNIPER IN CRUCIFIX

At Chemin des Dames, near Soissons, one night about the middle of
April, four Americans (one of Italian birth) belonging to the 102d
United States Infantry, made up a raiding party. Their objective was a
crucifix out in No Man's Land, about four hundred yards from their own
trench and within two hundred and fifty yards of the German trenches.
The crucifix was a monument containing a secret inner chamber reached
by a small spiral stairway. A Boche sniper concealed in this crucifix
had taken too large a toll of American soldiers at that point in the
line. The four night raiders left the American trench at one o'clock
in the morning. They crawled on their bellies through snow for one
hour before reaching the sniper's post. Seven yards per minute is a
snail's pace, but pretty good time in No Man's Land, where you must
remain motionless each time a star-shell lights up the darkness around
you and makes your discovery possible.

The Italian won the privilege of entering the crucifix to capture the
sniper. His weapon must be a silent weapon, for a shot would expose
the presence of the whole party. He chose a razor, and when he emerged
from the crucifix he brought with him, as proof that he had
satisfactorily executed his order, the Hun's rifle, fieldglasses, and
identification card. Needless to say, no further trouble from Boche
snipers was experienced at that point. The return trip was made with
less caution and they were discovered. When within fifty yards of
their own lines a heavy machine gun barrage opened upon them. It then
became a race for life, but they reached the safety of their own
trenches without a scratch.

GERMAN INFERNAL MACHINES

In the German dugouts all through the Argonne Forest and on the
battlefields were found a multitude of death-dealing devices intended
to invite the curiosity of the Yankee souvenir hunters.

In one dugout near the edge of the Forest we found a
mysterious-looking box which we let severely alone. I had seen the
diagram of a similar box, which had been carefully dissected by a
member of the Intelligence Squad. This German trap was a finely
polished box about fourteen inches long by six inches at its widest
part, and disguised as a music box. It had polished hinges and lock
and an alligator handle in the center of the top. It had also a
monog