which I had gone
to work that first night on the front, but everyone had their work to
do, and did it so quickly and coolly that we had no time to think of
personal feelings.

[Sidenote: An interesting day on the firing line.]

The first day on the firing line was very interesting. The battery kept
up a constant fire, getting range from the map which is issued daily--as
well as the given ranges, targets, etc. (which arrived over the field
telephone). That night we stood ready to do any work required, but no
orders came through, and I had my first experience in sleeping in a gun
pit.

Our food, by the way, was brought up daily from the headquarters at the
village and was prepared in rolling field kitchens.

[Sidenote: Food is good and abundant.]

As an example of the care that the fellows are getting, I might say that
we were given bread and milk, fruit, excellent coffee, eggs, or possibly
hash, and, of course, bread for breakfast; a heavy meal of soup, steak
or some roast meat, potatoes and vegetables, coffee and sweets, came
next, with a meal of canned foods for supper. All of it well cooked and
mighty tasty. Believe me, Uncle Sam was taking mighty fine care of his
soldier boys!

[Sidenote: The telephone system is demolished.]

The following day started as the first, but in the middle of the
afternoon the telephone system of our sector was demolished by rifle and
it was impossible to get into communication with either the headquarters
or the trenches.

"That stops work for today!" the officer told me. "No more gun fire till
we get it fixed."

I can remember asking anxiously what we could do.

"Nothing just this minute," he laughed at my eagerness, "but tonight you
and I will crawl out on our bellies and find that broken wire. Then we
will fix it, and unless they find us with a shell we'll crawl back."

[Sidenote: We go out to mend the wire.]

The prospect was exciting, and I waited anxiously for night. Then, armed
with the necessary tools, we started to crawl along the trench
containing the wires. We had no light, we could not stand upright. We
went about a half mile, feeling every inch of wire for the break, and
then suddenly I ran my hand along the wire that suddenly came to a
point. We had found the break.

"I've got it," I called in my best whisper, but before I could receive a
reply there was a noise from the German trenches.

"Star shell, star shell," my French companion called excitedly.

[Si