the rest of the night. We were not allowed to return to our billets as
another attack was expected. At 5:30 the first snowstorm of the winter
swept over the land. The ground was fairly firm from the preceding
frost, and in a short time the country was resting underneath a mantle
of beautiful purity. With the enthusiastic ardor of a lot of school
boys, we grabbed up the beautiful element in our hands and an old time
snowball fight took place. Then the "Stand to!" of the morning was
given.

Our objective this time was to cut channels through the wire about 15 to
20 feet wide, to permit the infantry to pass. This work is effected by
means of shrapnel shells that cut the wire into little strands, then
high explosives are used to root out the remaining posts. When we had
accomplished our purpose and made everything ready for the charge,
"Stand down!" was sounded. The infantry took up the program and dashed
over and through the gaps we had made. They cleaned up the first line,
then on to the second, smashing their guns, trench mortars and
trenches, bombed the dugouts, destroyed their rations and sent back over
1800 prisoners. What I call a fair morning's work!

Now, as I have heretofore said, the objects most easily seen by an
airplane are white and black and the surface of the earth being covered
with a mantle of snow, naturally the things that the keen-sighted
airbirds would first look for would be dark-colored.

The snow around our battery by this time had been thoroughly melted by
the heat from our guns--as a matter of fact, the guns were steaming--and
one of our Sergeants, knowing how easily discernible our pieces would be
to the enemy airbirds, began gathering snow and spreading it all over
the places where it had melted. He was working hard throwing the snow
immediately in front of my gun when another "Stand to!" came. Let me
repeat, if I have not already made it entirely clear, that when this
most imperative order is sounded, there is only one thought in the mind
of every man of the battery, to get our message off as quickly as human
power can send it; and throughout every stage of the world's work that
we are doing over there, there is no time when the bodies of men are
entirely free of bruises received in collision with one another in the
absorbing endeavor of every man to respond. This will account for the
lamentable accident that occurred at this time.

The Sergeant, unthinkingly, after "Stand to!" was sounded