MIRACLE OF A TRENCH.

Mataura Ensign, 11 February 1916, Page 2

MIRACLE OF A TRENCH.

GERMANS DRIVEN BACK

mv worxDrrv mkn. An episode which is already annine tile classic slui'ics nl lllc war stands revealed in n new and rein;', rka I> I y in-UTc'-tine liyht in mi article which M. .Mniiriec Mimec. the well-known I'Veiicli writer, nml rihutes in Ihe ‘ I'.el u» <le Ihir ’s. The eM'm i(! i ■ I'e 1e r ret 1 tn Wits hrielly iliine.'. ;i e ;1111. "1 mu suddenly conswarnied min :i iinrn k Tencli trench illld hroken dnu II the resist 11 nee 111 rhe de le in Icls . wllnsc Imdies Covered the "round. Suddenly n him t i rn re, mid. sei/.’iiy ;i sirk nf "renadcis which lay within liu yiasp, shouted. "Dehorn hj s limi t'(l'n with \-< 111 , dead men I) A i this sninanm.s the wounded in Ihe trench made a. .supreme effort . ami siaceeriny to their lent drove the eneIII V < ill I .

The Imm of tin- a (fair is Eionifiiani Pfiacaid. a man of u lui'f hair is already while. "Mv sooi ion- was ordered." In s.avs. "io aiiack a (lor.nan tronoli. I i was a stdf liplu, and wo had many killed and wounded. lint wo Inhd tin- iioimli, and I oxporionood a pioat exaltation of.spirit. i foil 1 1 1.-11 life wa.s extraordinary inloii'ihod. and I had a 'ailph mi my lu". On two iiroasions a 1 111 pi di, kimekod nm over, iiu oi inp nm wilh oarili and w rookapo. and I piokoil m\si..| up l.nipliinp is if a 4 a pood i-.iko. A Ii 11 T- la tor ho was in ilm ill ink of thinks apam. "I a.m suddenly f,»nso'nns." Im eoni inm d, "of ilm nrooan01l aha in lons nm . 1 a n alra uI. I Ih m w m\ s"!f 1 >i• 11 11d a heap of sandßaps. Only a soldier named Bmmot n inains. Ho is iinimnhlod and liplils on like a 'ion. mn- aua; ns i how 111 an y f "I 11 cover myself, shamed hv hm example. Shall I po to see wlml u ha pnmilnp 1 Imsiiaie ami ilmn sharp-

BLOOD EVER VWIi'ERT. ■ rile. lis■ i. ■- I, is full -ill' EI I 'lll'll (load; 11 n■ i o i.s h' ta I ovi'i'vw hero. A I lir-i I pi' oa ci • i ii' iy . will, 1: iI lo a ssii i a noo. I . a.mio wuh ad those dead I Thou, ul min' l:i I 10. I pluck up ouiirapo, I dare m look al I Ill's i - hi ul i os. and m me il si a-1 n s 'dial timv are hmkinp at nm. Emm our own I i "imii in di iin 1 nmn waloh me wuh eyes of tear, in which I roai I. ‘He i' pi ,i n p in his dea l h.'

"Shell er lup in iheir ret I riltp-1 ri-nelli's Hio Bholio- aio n a lon hi iup Hndr olforts; llnur hoi nhs an iuinhi imr dmvui and tin 1 avalanoho is ranid'.y a ppmaoh i np. I Him Inwards Hio oxiondt'd oorp>os. I Hi iiik . 'lim r saonlioo. t lion .isin ho i,l in, avail: Hmv will have faJon in vain. A -aoifii fury pm yon mo. I have no ro' iillool 'mi now of my exact act 'ins ni words. All 1 know is that I dinn:od smimilnnp like this, ‘< ) 1 1 . there! Up wilh vail I Whai aie yon do inp; on the pmn ml Hioi o Gel nj, and lei ns pn aml k ok I lies.- tups um of ill' "Dohain 1 1 -s moils | A touch ol madllissi’ No. tor Hio dead answered nm. They said io mo. We follow yon,' And. ri' np at mi - call, ilmm soil s minpmil wilh aiy 5., 11 1 ami made of it a preai incandesceiii mass, a. wide river ol fused metal. There was nothinp now Hnu eon !d astonish nr slop me. I had Hie ianh. that, moves mountains. 1 feared nnthiiip any more: I felt myself master of m v tiesl in v.

"Whai hapepmd ilnmi' I have simply a. vapiio impression' of a disorderly i,ll'ensi\'o in iidueh, always in the front rank, Bonnoi stands mil, Etir myself, I retain Hie impression of havinp had an abnnrmaliv lailor anil bippor fraino, Hm body of a plant, nil'll super-abnnd-ani and limiilo.s.s vipor. and an extranrd.nary laodiiv ol' thoiipht. which otiahlod mo io have my eyes in 10 places al once, Io slnml an order to one while ilomiiiaHnp another by a pesiure, to hro a rilli' and ai Hm same time proI eci mi's,, lf from a Hireatenmp Innol,. "Tiviot, we ran short, nl' Innuhs and iwict' we io.ind. at onr fetU, sacks lull of-Hit-m. minuled with the sandbars. We had moved about over them all day wit limit noGcinp them. Rut it w as. indeed. Hie dead that had mu them i Imre. "At last the Roches calmed down ; um were able lo consolidate onr barrier of baps, forward in Hie conmuinieat ion trench. We apain tonnd ourselves masters of this corner. All Hm even--lup and dnrinp several of the siieeeednp davs I retained ihe relipions emotion which had seized upon mo at tlm moment of Hint summons to ihe dead. I fell smnelhinp like that whirl) one fools alter a t'ervem. Communion. I understood that, f had lived thronph hours- which I should never experience apain, dnrinp which my head. 1 a rude effort, havinp burst thronpTi tin, low oeillnp. had risen into liiph mystery, amid Hie invisible world of lii'i'oi't and pods."