PAGE K
EIGHT
rlH
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ANAMEKKMS
WHO WENT
MACHINE Gim,OTIG W FRANCE-" '
(ClISIT BY
I arThur hiy t wry
unrorMDENCEi OREGON.
THE INDEPENDENCE ENTERrHio&i ....... ,rMOr. WCP It. rn..." -
AMERICAN MARINES DISTINGUISH mcmoclwco ,N rnANUt
EMPEY TAKES HIS FIRST TURN ON THE FIRING STEP OF
THE TRENCH WHILE BULLETS WHIZ OVERHEAD.
Synopsis. Fired by the sinking of the Lusltania. with the loss of
American lives, Arthur Guy Etnpey, an American riving In Jersey City,
goes to England and enlists as a private in the British army. After a
short experience as a recruiting officer In London, he Is sent to train
ing quarters in France, where he first hears the sound of big guns
and makes the acquaintance of "cooties." After a brief period of
training Empey's company la sent Into the front-line trenches.
CHAPTER V.
Mud, Rats and Shells.
I must have slept for two or three
hours, not the refreshing kind that re
sults from clean sheets and soft pil
lows, but the sleep that comes from
cold, wet and sheer exhaustion.
Suddenly, the earth seemed to shake
and a thunderclap burst In my ears. I
opened my eyes I was splashed all
over with sticky mud, and men were
picking themselves up from the bottom
of the trench. The parapet on my left
had toppled Into the trench, completely
blocking It with a wall of tossed-up
earth. The man on my left lay still. I
rubbed the mud from my face, and an
awful sight met my gaze his head
was smashed to a pulp, and his steel
helmet was full of brains and blood.
A German "Minnie" (trench mortar)
had exploded in the next traverse. Men
were digging Into the soft mass of mud
In a frenzy of haste. Stretcher-bearers
came up the trench on the double.
After a few minutes of digging, three
still, muddy forms on stretchers were
carried down the communication
trench to the rear. Soon they would
be resting "somewhere in France," with
aiittle wooden cross over their heads.
They had done their bit for king and
country, had died without firing a shot,
but their services were appreciated,
nevertheless.
Later on, j found out their Barnes.
They belonged to our draft.
I was dazed and motionless. Sud
denly a shovel was pushed Into my
hand3, and a rough but kindly voice
said:
i "Here, my lad, lend a hand clearing
the trench, but keen your head down,
and look out for snipers. One of the
Fritz's Is a daisy, and hell get yon If
you're not careful."
Lying on my belly on the bottom of
the trench, I filled sandbags with the
sticky mud, they were dragged to my
rear by the other men, and the work of
rebuilding the parapet was on. The
harder I worked, the better I felt. Al
though the weather was cold, I was
soaked with sweat.
Occasionally a bullet would crack
overhead, and a machine gun would
kick un the mud on the bashed-ln para
pet. At each crack I would duck and
shield my face with my arm. One of
the older men noticed this action of
mine, and whispered :
i "Don't duck at the crack of a bul
let, Tank ; the danger has passed you
never hear the one that wings you.
Always remember that If you are going
to get it, you'll get It, so never worry."
I This made a great Impression on me
at the time, and from then on, I adopt
ed his motto, "If you're going to get it,
you'll get it."
It helped me wonderfully. I used it
so often afterwards that some of my
mates dubbed me, "If you're going to
get it, you'll get It."
After an hour's hard work, all my
nervousness left me, and I was laugh,
ing and joking with the rest.
At one o'clock, dinner came up In
the form of a dixie of hot stew.
I looked for my canteen. It had
fallen "off the fire step, and was half
burled in the mud. The man on my
left noticed this, and told the corporal,
dishing out the rations, to put my
share in his mess tin. Then he whis
pered to me, "Always take care of your
mess tin, mate."
I had learned another maxim of the
trenches. -
That stew tasted fine. I was as
hungry as a bear. We had "seconds,"
or another helping, because three of
the men had "gone West," killed by
the explosion of the German trench
mortar, and we ate their share, but
still I was hungry, so I filled la with
bully beef and biscuits. Then I drained
my water bottle. Later on I learned
another maxim of the front line, "Go
sparingly with your water." The bully
beef made me thirsty, and by tea time
I was dying for a drink, but my pride
vould not allow me to ask my mates
for water. I was fast learning the
ethics of the trenches..
That night I was put on guard with
an older man. We stood on the Are
step with our hands over the top, peer
ing out Into No Man's Land. It was
nervous work for me, but the other fel
low seemed to take it as part of the
night's routine.
Then something shot past my face.
My heart stopped beating, and I ducked
faj head below the parapet. A of t
Chuckle from my mate brought me to
my senses, and I feebly asked, "For
heaven's sake, what was that?"
He answered. "Only a rat taking a
promenade along the sandbags." I
felt very sheepish.
About every twenty minutes the sen
try In the next traverse would fire a
star shell from his flare pistol. The
"plop" would give me a start of fright.
I never got used to this noise during
my service In the trenches.
T would watch the arc described by
the star shell, and then stare into No
Man's Land waiting for It to burst. In
Its lurid light the barbed wire ana
stakes would be silhouetted against its
light like a latticed window. Then
darkness.
Once, -out In front of our wire, I
heard a noise and 6aw dark forms
moving. My rifle was lying across the
sandbagged parapet. I reached for it,
and was taking aim to fire, when my
mate grasped my arm, and whispered,
"Don't fire, lie cnaiiengea in a low
voice. The reply came back instantly
from the dark forms:
"Shut your blinkln' mouth, " you
bloomin' idiot ; do you want us to click
It from the Boches?"
Later we learned that the word, "No
challenging or firing, wiring party out
In front," had been given to the, sentry
on our right, but he had failed to pass
It dpwp the trench. An officer had over
heard our challenge and the reply, and
immediately put the offending sentry
under arrest. The sentry clicked
twenty-one days on the wheel, that is,
he received twenty-one days' field pun
ishment No. 1. or "crucifixion." as
Tommy terms it
This consists of being spread-eagled
nn tha wheel nf ft limber tWO hours a
day for twenty-one days, regardless of
the weather. During this period, your
rations consist of bully beef, biscuits
and water.
A few months later I met this sentry
and he confided to me that since being
"crucified," he had never failed to pass
the word down the trench when so or
dered. In view of the offense, the
nhv Tinnishment was very light. In
that falling to pass the word down a
trench mav mean the loss 01 Bunj
lives, and the spoiling of some lmpor
tant enterprise in No Man's Land.
It was not long after this that I was
one of the "20 lying."
I soon hit the hny and was fast
asleep, even my friends the "cooties"
failed to disturb mo.
The next morning at about six
o'clock I was awakened by the lance
corporal of our section, Informing me
that I had been detailed as mess or
derly, and to report to the cook and
give hlui a hand. I helped hlin make
the fire, carry water from an old well,
and fry the bacon. Lids of dixies are
used to cook the bacon In. After
breakfast was cooked, I carried a dlxle
of hot tea and the Hd full of bacon to
our section, and told the corporal that
breakfast was ready. Ho looked at me
in contempt, and thon shouted, "Break
fast up, come and get It!" I immedi
ately got wise to the trench parlance,
and never again informed that "Break
fast was served."
It didn't take long for the Tommies
tr nnswer this call, uair aresseu.
they lined up with their canteens and
I dished out tho tea. fcaen lummy
rnrried in his hand a thick slice or
bread which had been Issued with the
rations the night before. Then I naa
the pleasure of seeing them dig Into
the bacon with their dirty fingers. The
allowance was one slice per man. The
late ones received very small slices.
a a each Tommy not his share he" im
mediately disappeared Into the billet
Pretty soon about fifteen or mem maae
a rush to the cookhouse, each carrying
a huge slice of bread. These slices
thev dlDDed into the oacon grease
which was stewing over the fire. The
last man invariably lost out. I was
the last man.
After breakfast our section carried
their equipment Into a field adjoining
the billet and got busy removing me
trench mud therefrom, because at 8 'AO
a. m., they had to ran in ior inspection
and parade, and woe betide the man
who was unshaven, or had mud on bis
uniform. Cleanliness Is next to godli
ness in the British army, and Old Pep
per must have been personally ac
quainted with St. Peter.
Our drill consisted of close-order
formation, which lasted until noon.
rnrint this time we had two ten-min
ute breaks for rest, and no sooner the
word, "Fall out for ten minutes," was
given than each Tommy got out a fag
and lighted it
Fags are issued every Sunday morn
ing, and you generally get Detween
twenty and forty. The brand gen
erally issued is the "Woodbine." some
times we are lucky and get "Gold
flakes," "Players" or "Red Hussars."
Occasionally an issue of "Life Kays"
comes along. Then the older Tommies
immediately get busy on the recruits
and trade these for "Woodbines" or
"Goldflakes." A recruit only has to
be stuck once in this manner, and then
he ceases to be a recruit There is a
llJI
40
I
CHAPTER VI.
"Back of the Line."
Our tour in the front-line trench
lasted four days, and then we were
relieved by the brigade.
Going down the communication
trench we were in a merry mood, al
though we were cold and wet, and
every bone In our bodies ached, It
makes a lot of difference whether you
are "going In" or "going out"
At the end of the communication
trench, limbers were waiting on the
road for us. I thought we were going
to ride back to rest billets, but soon
found out that the only time an in
fantryman rides is when he is
wounded and is bound for the base or
Blighty. These limbers carried our
reserve ammunition and rations. Our
march to rest billets was thoroughly
enjoyed by me. It seemed as if I
were on furlough, and was leaving be
hind everything that was disagree
able and horrible. Every recruit feels
this way after being relieved from the
trenches.
We marched eight kilos and then
halted in front of a French estamlnet.
The captain gave the order to turn
out on each side of the road and wait
his return. Pretty soon he came back
and told B company to occupy billets
117, 118 and 119. Billet 117 was an
old stable which had previously been
occupied by cows. About four feet in
front of the entrance was a huge ma
nure pile, and the odor from it was
anything but pleasant. Using my
flashlight I stumbled through the door.
Just before entering I observed a
white sign reading : "Sitting 50, lying
20," but, at the time, its significance
did not strike me. Next morning I
asked the sergeant major what It
meant. He nonchalantly answered:
"That's some of the work of the B.
A. M. 0. (Royal Army Medical corps).
It simply means that In case of an at
tack, this billet will accommodate
fifty wounded who are able to sit up
and take notice, or twenty stretcher
cases."
r
I'fc'v 4 V.OC t (?:!
Resting Back of the Lines.
reason. Tommy Is a great cigarette
smoker. He smokes under all condi
tions, except when unconscious or
when he Is reconnoltering In No Man's
Land at night. Then, for obvious rea
sons, he does not care to have a light
ed cigarette in his mouth.
Stretcher bearers carry fags for
wounded Tommies. When a stretcher
bearer arrives alongside of a Tommy
who has been hit the following conver
sation usually takes place: Stretcher
bearer "Want a fag? Where are you
hit?" Tommy looks up and answers,
"Yes. In the leg."
After dismissal from parade, we re
turned to our billets and I had to get
busy immediately with the dinner is
sue. Dinner consisted of stew made
from fresh beef, a couple of spuds,
bully beef, Maconochle rations and wa
terplenty of water. There is great
competition among the men to spear
with their forks the two lonely potatoes.
Hi 4 1
f.lV3 - u--w' kiwwW'" '' n.ummr-
U (t (if tl(i Nll()rt)US (olltluct of tla, fnlte-l Stat.-s mtm
Willi grout snlisn.i'ih.n ' Amoi u " l'"1 1 f , l8 ,.r M.own on Kb way to the lighting w
the lighting in Franm A UirK '' -vj .
SIGNAL CORPS MEN. INSTALLING TELEPHONE LINES TO TRENCHES j
T Us photograpn Oust a Held butiullou .detudm'i4 ot tin hUu corps iiiHUMlug telephone lines to tot troM.
line trenches by way of an old culvert. Note the ciuimullage. I
one weapon of the hun "DEVIL DOG" AND "BLUE DEVIL" TOGETHER j
f t ' mmmwM'0mJ
IxU I I fw nmwKgw! I
SK T 7 XI A 3., I
i iLiy wv (A
Back on the front line, after a
stay In rest billets, Empey gets a
6hock when a German bullet cuts
down his first friend of the
trenches. He tells the Btory In
the next Installment.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Make Light of Heavy Loads.
The streets of Jerusalem within the
walls are as narrow and crowded that
it is impossible to drive a wagon
through them, and many of them are
built of a series of steps upon the hill
side, so that it Is a task to lead camels
or donkeys through them after sunrise,
Therefore most of the carrying and
porterlng is done by men. They carry
the most surprising loads. I am told
that they will step along briskly with
600 pounds on their brtcks, with stout
ropes holding the bundles to. their tew
heads Exchange, i
The kaiser is reported to have wild
recently that the Germans had taken
enough prisoners, the inference being
that all the wounded should be killed.
This weapon, one of many thousands
captured, Is a sample of those used by
the Huns to murder soldiers talcon In
their trench raids.
Why Ships Are Sunk.
Torpedoed merchant vessels are not
sunk by extensive damage of the ship
structure, is the view of a committee
of the British Institution of Naval
Architects, but bccau.se watertight
compartments are not watertight.
Plating and riveting are not disturbed
over large areas, while bulkheads are
not burst in by water pressure. Three
causes explain many losses bulkhead
doors too low-down to be closed after
explosion, flooding of closed compart
ments through fractured suction pipes,
and penetrating of bulkheads by flying
rivets and other fragments of steel.
What Solomon Said.
The teacher was talking to her class
about Solomon and his wisdom.
"When the queen of Sheba came
and laid Jewels and fine raiment be
fore Solomon, what did he say?" she
asked presently.
One small girl, who had evidently
had experience In such matters,
promptly replied:
'Ow much d'yer want for the lot?"
McClary Wireless.
ii immmtmimmtiMimMmmamtiY'"'1 """"
Ilio American cm the U-ft Is a United States marine. FHU,
clash with l, m, dubbed him a "Umfel bund," which is perfectly K000.,,6
for "devil dog." The soldier on the right Is a member of the Chasseurs w
whom the Germans have called "hhio dovlls." Roth mnrlno and chasseur ,
wimngiy accepted (lie nppcllatloiiH.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
The present congress 1ms 17 union
labor id embers.
compensation
Virginia's workmen's
bill was vetoed.
Female munition workers In
France are limited to ten hours' work
a day.
The amount of land above sea level
In the world would make a mist 000
feet thick If evenly distributed nil
over the globe.
About 00 per cent of Norway's
den lsts are graduates of American
dental colleges or have taken post
graduate courses in the United States.
Abyssinia Is the original home of
me coffee tree, and In the southern
- ., ,.,k1u.iuh or mat country
here are still Immense forests of it
thL!ave P.ever beenjouched.
CONDENSATIONS
. . ......... ombcrst
Since 1000 traao union f
i sea
In Australia
cent
hns Incrca
I
The London & Northwest-,
of England has offered BP f
the side of Its line for food Pw.
Lizards are being raised m
dad, British West Indies, to y
the sugar crop from ttogWV'
Bread for the British soldier
"near the front" by mem bar
British Woman's army nuxii"1 1
Vnat nnr.lo wfrB first USed
i .... r"-r Mrt of thot-j
inn. xney aecumo -
i., l In 1S09.
British trade union member s
n In Alienist. 1911
i
per cent In August, 1WA1 ... ptt
.t. fir has Deen '
niuuy muiii.ua tevsmv. -
tlcally sero.
!