Eagle Valley news. (Richland, Or.) 191?-1919, October 24, 1918, Image 6

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    MACHINE
EMPEY HEARS THE STORY OF THE TOMMY WHO HAD A
BROAD STREAK OF YELLOW.
Synopsis. Klrotl by the sinking of the Lusittuiln, with Uio loss of
American lives, Arthur Guy Empey, nn American living In Jersey City,
goes to England nnd enlists ns a private In tho British army. After a
short experience as a recruiting olllcer In London, he Is sent to train
ing quarters In France, where he first hears tho sound of big guns and
makes the acquaintance of "cooties:" After a brief period of training
Empey's company Is sent Into tho front-line trenches, where ho takes
his first turn on the fire step while tho bullets whU overhead. Empey
learns, as comrade falls, that death lurks always In the trenches.
Chaplain distinguishes himself by rescuing wounded men under hot
flre. With pick and shovel Empey has experience as a trench digger
In No Man's Land. Exciting experience on listening post detail. Ex
citing work on observation post duty. Hack In rest billets Empey
writes and stnges a successful play. Once more In the front trenches,
Empey goes "over the top" In n successful but costly attack on tho
German lines. Soon afterwards Empey and his comrades repulso a
determined gas attack launched by tho Germans. Ills next cxperlcnco
Is as n member of a firing squad which executes n sentence of death.
CHAPTER XIV Continued.
21
After standing at "attention" for
what seemed a week, though In reality
It could not have been over five min
utes, we heard a low whispering In our
rear nnd footsteps on the stone flag
ging of the courtyard.
Our officer reappeared and In a low,
but firm voice, ordered:
"About Turn !"
We turned about. In the gray light
of dawn, n few yards In front of me, I
could make out a brick wall. Against
this wall was n dark form with a white
square pinned on Its breast. We were
supposed "to aim at this square. To the
right of the form I noticed a white spot
on the wall. This would be my target.
"Heady I Aim! Fire!"
The dark form sank Into a huddled
heap. My bullet sped on Its way, and
hit the whitish spot on the wall; I
could see the splinters fly. Some one
else had received the rllle containing
the blank cartridge, but my mind wns
at ease, there was no blood of a
Tommy on my hands.
"Order Arms ! About Turn ! Pile
Arms! Stand Clear."
The stacks were re-formed.
"Quick March I Right Wheel !"
And we left the scene of execution be
hind us.
It was now daylight. After march
ing about five minutes, we vere dis
missed with the following Instructions
from the officer In command :
"Return, alone, to your respective
companies, and remember, no talking
nbout this affair, or else It will go hard
with the guilty ones."
We needed no urging to get nway. I
did not recognize any of the men on
the-firing squad; even the officer was a
stranger to me.
Th,e victim's relations nnd friends In
Rllghty will never know that he was
executed; they will be under the Im
pression that he died doing his bit for
king nnd country.
In the public casualty lists his name
will appear under the caption "Acci
dentally Killed," or "Died."
The day after the execution I re
ceived orders to report back to the
' line, and to keep a still tongue In my
head.
Executions are a part of the day's
work, but the part we hated most of
all, I think certainly the saddest The
British war department Is thought by
many people to be composed of rigid
regulations all wound around with red
tape. Rut It has a heart, and one of
the evidences of this is the considerate
way In which an executlo. la concealed
and reported to the relatlro of tho un
fortunate man. They never know tho
truth. He Is listed In the bulletins as
among the "accidentally killed."
In the last ten years I have several
times read stories In magazines of
cowards changing, In a charge, to he
roes. I used to laugh at It. It seemed
easy for story-writers, but I said,
"Men aren't made that way." Rut over
in France I learned once that tho
streak of yellow can turn all white. I
picked up the story, bit by bit, from
tho 'captain of tho company, tho sen
tries who guarded the poor fellow, ns
well as from my own observations. At
first I did not realize tho whole of his
story, but after a week of Investiga
tion It stood out ns ch-ar In my mind i
us tho mountains of iny iintlvo West In
tho spring sunshine. It impressed mo
so much that I wroto It nil down In
'rest billets on scraps of odd paper.
The Incidents nre, us I uy, every hit
m D nr I)
I A.A J. J. JUL- X VI
MAMEfiKM50lMm
WHO WENT
GUNNER JOMNGINFBAtK
true; the feelings o"f the man are true
I know from all I underwent In the
fighting over In France.
We will call him Albert Lloyd. That
wasn't his name, but It will do:
Albert Lloyd was what the world
terms a coward.
In London they called him n slacker.
His country had been nt war nearly
eighteen months, and still he was not
in khnkl.
He had no good reason for not en
listing, being alone In the world, hnv
lng been educated In nn orphan asy
lum, and there being no one dependent
upon him for support. He had no good
position to. lose, and there was no
sweetheart to tell him with her lip
to go, while her eyes pleaded for him
to stay.
Every time he saw a recruiting ser
geant he'd slink around tho corner out
of sight, with a terrible fear gnawing
nt his heart. When passing the big re
cruiting posters, and on his way to
business nnd back he passed many, ho
would pull down his cap and look tho
other way from that awful finger
pointing at him, under the caption,
"Your King and Country Need You;"
or the boring eyes of Kitchener, which
burned into his very soul, causing him
to shudder.
. Then the Zeppelin raids during
them, he used to crouch In n corner of
his bonrdlng-houso ccllnr, whimpering
like a whipped puppy and calling, upon
the Lord to protect him.
Even his landlady despised 1dm. al
though she had to admit thut he was
"good pay."
He very seldom read the papers, but
one momentous morning tho landlady
put the morning paper at his place be
fore he came down to breakfast. Tak
ing his scat he rend tho flaring head
line. "Conscrintlon Bill Pnunoii " nm
nearly fainted. Excusing himself, he
siumoieu upstairs to his bedroom,
with the horror of It gnawing Into -bis
vitals.
Having saved up a few pounds, ho
decided not to leave the bouse, nnd to
sham sickness, so he stayed In his room
and had the landlady serve his meals
there.
Every time there was a knock nt tho
door he trembled all over, Imagining It
wns a policeman who had come to take
him nway to tho army.
One morning his fears wero realized.
Sure enough, there stood a policeman
with the fatal paper. Taking It In his
trembling hand he read that he, Albert
Lloyd, was ordered to report himself
to tho nearest recruiting station for
physical examination. He reported Im
mediately, becauso he was afraid to
disobey.
Tho doctor looked with approval
upon Lloyd's six feet of physical per
fection, nnd thought what a flno
guardsman he would make, but exam
ined his heart twlco beforo ho passed
him us "physically fit ;" It was beating
so fast.
From the recruiting depot Lloyd was
taken, with manv others. In clinrcn nf
a sergeant, to the training depot at Al
dershot, whero ho was given nn outfit
of khnkl, and drew his other equip
ment. Ho tnndo a fine-looking soldier,
except for tho slight shrinking In his
shoulders uud tho hunted look In his
eyes.
At tho training depot It docs not
tuk'i long lo find out a man's character,
and Lloyd was promptly dubbed
"windy." in tho English army "windy"
iiieuns cowardly.
The smallest recruit In tho barracks
looked on him with contempt, mid wns
not slow to show It lu many ways.
Lloyd wns n good soldier, learned
lltlftblt ..It....... I ......M ..M.1..H II. .11..
never groused nt the hardest fatigues.
IIu was afraid to. Ho lived In ilt-mllv
fear of tho olllcers ami "noneonia" over
him. They also do.iplHed him.
Ono morning about three months
after his onllstment Lloyd's com puny
wns paraded, nod the mimes nlckoil nut
for tho next draft to Franco wcro read.
hen his name was called, ho did not
stop 6llt smnrtlr. two mieos in tin
front, nnd answer cheerfully, "Here,
sir," ns tho others did. Ho Just faint
ed In tho ranks and was carried to bar
racks amid the sneers of tho rest.
Thnt night was an agony of misery
to mm. no could not sleep. Just cried
and whimpered lu his bunk, because
on the morrow tho draft was to sail
for France, where ho would seo death
on all sides, nnd perhaps bu killed him
self. On tho steamer, crossing tho
channel, ho would hnvo Juinned m-nr.
board to escape, but was nf raid -of
u c,o wuiug.
Arriving In France, ho and tho rest
wcro huddled Into cattle cars. On tho
sldo of each appeared In white letters,
"Homines 40, Chevnux 8." After hours
of bumping over tho uneven French
roadbeds they arrived nt tho training
unse or Rouen.
At this place they were put through
a week's rigid training In trench wnr
fare. On the morning of tho eighth
day they paraded at ten o'clock, and
wore Inspected i ml passed by General
II , then wen' marched to tho quar
termaster's, to dr. w their gas helmets
and trench equipment.
At four In the afternoon they wcro
ngnln hustled Into cattle cars. This
time the Journey lasted two days.
They disembarked at tho town of Pre
vent and could hear n distant dull
booming. With knees shaking, Lloyd
asked tho sergeant what the noise was,
and nearly dropped when tho sergeant
replied In n somewhat bored tono:
"Oh, thorn's the guns up tho lino.
We'll bo up there In a couplo o' days
or so. Don't worry, my laddie, you'll
seo moro of 'em than you want beforo
you get 'omo to Rllghty again, thnt Is,
If you're lucky enough to get bnck.
Now lend a hand there unlondln' them
cars, and quit that evcrlastln' shakln'.
I believe yer scared." Tho last with a
contemptuous sneer.
They marched ten kilos, full pack,
to a llttlo dilapidated village, and tho
sound of the gun grow louder, con
stnntly louder.
The vlllaco was full of Kolillpn who
turned out to Inspect tho new draft,
the men who were shortly to bo their
mates In tho trenches, for they wcro
going "up tho Jlno" on tho morrow, to
"tnke over" their certain sector of
trenches.
The draft was paraded In front of
bnttallon headquarters and tho men
were assigned to companies.
Lloyd was tho only man assigned to
D couiDnnv. I'erhans tho rililrnr In
Charge of tho draft had something to
do with It, for be called Lloyd asldo
and said:
"Lloyd, you arc going to a now com-
LIQUIDATES DEBT TO FRANCE
In Sending Prune Trees to Devastated
Country, California Is Repaying
an Obligation.
California Is generously sending a
million nnd n half two-year-old pruno
trees to help In restoring tho French
orchards, and enough seed beans to
plant C0.000 ncres. Canada Is under
taking the planting of thousands of
Canadian maples In France. It is
pleasant also to know that thero Is to
be no lack of outsldo help for the dev
astated towns, observes Christian Sci
ence Monitor, In stating these facts.
English nnd American architects nro
at work on plans for now buildings to
replace those razed by tho guns, both
In Belgium and In France.
The Indianapolis News sees senti
ment In tho pruno trco transaction. It
says : "These trees are expected to con
vert 15,000 acres into bearing orchards
In two years. It was Franco which, In
1850, gavo to California her first
pruno trees. Tho prune, which since
then has filled many a gap on the table
of tho American boarding houses, and
has borno tho brunt of many a Jest,
keeps right on proving Us worth."
Australian Wool Romance.
Australian wool, on which has been
built up much of tho colonial prosper
ity Justly celebrated, has n most ro
mantic history. Its real hero was n
certain Cnpt. John Macarthur, n sol
dier of tho crown, whoso father had
fought with I'rlnco Chnrllo at Cullo
den. Settling in New South Wales soon
nfter Governor Phlllpp arrived thero,
ho saw tho possibilities for growing
flno wool and by tho luckiest accident
wns nblo In 1700 to Import flvo merino
ewes and threo rams from Capo Colony,
They had been presented to tho Dutch
government there by Uio king of Hpnln
from tho famed Escurlnl flock. Thoso,
Judiciously added to by Macarthur,
wero tho beginnings of tho vast Aus
tralian sheep Industry of toduy. The
first shipment of colonial wool wns
215 pounds, in 1007, and now tho ex..
port runs Into hundreds of million.
pnny. No one knows you. Tour beA
will bo ns you ninko It, so for God's
snko, brace up nnd bo n man. I think
you hnvo tho stuff In you, my boy, so
good'by nnd tho best of luck to you,"
Tho next day tho battalion took over
their part of tho trenches. It happened
to bo a very qulut day. Tho artillery
behind tho lines wns still, except for
nn occasional shell sent over to lot tho
Germans know tho gunners woro not
asleep.
In tho darkness, In slnglo file, tho
company slowly wended tholr way
down tho communication trench to tho
front lino. No ono noticed Lloyd's
whlto nnd drawn face.
After they had relieved tho company
In tho trenches, Lloyd, with two of tho
old company men, wus put on guard In
ono of the traverses. Not n shot was
fired from tho German linos, and no
one paid any attention to him
crouched on tho firing step.
On tho first time In, n new recruit Is
not required to stand with his head
"over tho top." Ho only "sits It out,"
while tho older men keep watch.
At nbout ten o'clock, all of u sudden,
ho thought hell had broken loose, and
crouched nnd shivered up ngnlnst (ho
parapet Shells started bursting, as ho
Imagined, right In their trench, when In
fact they wero landing nbout n hun
dred yards In roar of them, lu tho sec
ond lines. ,
Ono of tho older men on guard, turn
ing to his mate, said:
"There goes Frits with thoso d 1
trench mortaru again. It's about time
our artillery 'tnped' them, nnd sent
over n few. Well, I'll bo d d,
whore's that blighter of n draft man
gono to? There's his rlflo loaning
against tho parapet. Ho must hnvo
legged It. Just keep your cyo peeled,
Dick, whllo I report It to tho sergeant.
I wonder If tho fool knows ho can bo
shot for such tricks ns lenvln' his
post?"
Lloyd had gone. When tho trench
mortars opened up, n maddening ter
ror seized him nnd ho wanted to run,
to get nwny from that horrlblo din,
anywhere to safety. So quietly sneak
ing around tho traverse, ho enmo to tho
entrance of n communication trench,
nnd ran madly and blindly down It,
running Into traverses, stumbling Into
muddy holes, nnd falling full length
over trench grids.
Groping blindly, with his arms
stretched out In front of him, ho nt
last came out of tho trench Into tho
village, or what uxod to bo a village,
before tho German nrtlllcry razed It.
Mixed with his feilr, he had a pe
culiar sort of cunning, which whis
pered to him to nvold all sentries, be
causo If they saw him ho would bo
sent bnck to that awful destruction In
Uio front lino, and perhaps bo killed
or maimed. The thought mado hliu
shudder, tho cold sweat coming out in
beads on his face.
Empey learns that a streak of
yellow sometimes can turn all
white. He telli the unusual
tory In the next Installment.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Galluses Vindicated.
After blaming everything from grnpo
seeds to patent flour for appendicitis,
tho medical sharks havo finally landed
on tho trousors belt They say ap
pendicitis never beenmo provident un
til tho belt enmo Into general use. For
many years tho humblo suspender has
been held up to scorn. Men, If their
architecture refused to lend Itself to
belts, wcro forced to harbor suspend
ers ns they did n secrot sorrow. All
sorts of subterfuges woro Invented,
such ns Invlslblo suspenders, camou
flaged beneath tho outcrgarmcnt. For,
bo It known, there Is nono so wretch
ed as tho man whoso sky lino Is not
adapted to belts, trying to maintain
tho status quo ante, nnd look uncon
cerned nt tho snmo time. Now one
mny wear suspenders nnd look the
world In tho face Wichita Beacon.
Stand While Typowrltlno.
Officials In tho French army do not
believe thnt tho most efficient service
Is obtained from members of the mili
tary clerical force when tho latter ajt
at their desks practically all day With
out Interruption, according to tho Pop
ular Mechanics magazine. Thus the
French government hns Installed, for
tho use of nrmy clerks, typewriter
stands so mado that each machine Is
alternately raised and lowerod each
half hour. Tho Innovation Is reported
to havo proved very beneficial.
Not Improbable.
"Aro you friendly with tho police
man on your block?"
"Oh, wo speak cordially enough,"
said tho citizen of n "dry" town, "but
I was carrying homo n box of 'shoes'
tho other day mid dropped It on the
pavement, Tho packago began to
leak and ever slnco then I'vo had an
Idea that ho regards mo with suspi
cion." Blnnlnglinin Age-Herald.
Savlnrj Theory, "
"BllllngH Isn't very generous, with
nil his money Is he?"
"No; ho hold that wen I Hi Ih ii bur
den, nnd Unit It Is not fair to pnl nm'
burden .on olhnr m-,;i-'m h)'Hii-.
10 DARKEN HI
APPLY SAGE TEA
Look Young! Hrlng Hnck Its
Nnturul Color, Gloss and
Attractiveness.
Common garden sngo browed Into rt
heavy tea with sulphur added, will
turn gray, streaked nnd faded hair
beautifully dark nnd luxuriant. Just
n few applications will prove u revela
tion If your linlr Is fading, Htrenked
or gray. Mixing tho Hngo Tea nnd
Bulphur reclpo at home, though, Is
troublosomo. An easier way In to
got a bottle or Wyuth's Sngo and
Sulphur Compound nt any drug store
all ready for use. This Is the old tlma
roelpo Improved by tho addition of
other Ingredients,
White wUpy, gray, faded hair Is not
Bluful, wo all dcslro to retain our
youthful appearance nnd nttrnctlvo
ucss. By darkening your hair with
Wyeth's Sago nnd Bulphur Compound,
no ono can toll, because It does It so
naturally, so evenly. You Just dnmpon
a spongo or soft brush with It and
draw this through your hair, taking
ono small strand nt n tlino; by morn
ing all gray halra liavo disappeared,
and, nfter another application or two,
your hair becomes beautifully dark,
glossy, soft and luxuriant.
This preparation Is rt delightful toi
let rcqulslto and Is not Intended for
tho cure, mitigation or prevention of
disease
It Works! Try It
Telia how to loosen a sore,
tender corn so It lifts
out without pain.
No humbug! Any corn, whothor
hard, soft or between tho toes, will
looson right up and lift out without
a particlo of pain or soreness.
This drug Is called froozono and la
a compound of other dlscororod by a
Cincinnati man.
Ask at any drug storo for a small
bottle of frcoxono, which will coat but
a trlflo, but Is sufficient to rid ono's
foot of every corn or callous.
rut a row drops dlrootly upon any
tondor. aching corn or callous. In
stantly tho soreness disappears and
shortly Uio corn or callous will looson
and can bo lifted off with Uio fingers.
This drug frcezono doesn't eat out
tho corns or callouses but shrivels
them without oven Irritating tho sur
rounding skin.
Just think! No nam at all: no soro-
noss or smarting when applying It or
attorwards. If your druggist don't
havo freezono havo him order It for
you. Ad r.
f rmwm Granulated Eyelids,
uic i( oun, uuji aim fiinu
ZTw rj-j. quickly relieved by Murine
LVClS Cjelleaieily. No Smarting,
v lint I've Comfort. At
Your DrtigjMiU or by null 60c per Bottle.
For Dook ol the Lye free write b u
Murine Vyo Remedy Co., Chicago.
Don't Use Any Other
Than Cuticura Soap
To Clear Your Skin
TYPHOID
U no mora necriitry
uunsmiupox. Army
eistrUnce bu dtmaaitritrd
tba Hi mart mlraeuloui effi
cacy, and hannlettoeat, of Antityphoid Vaccination.
Il Tacclnattd NOW by your pbnldan, you and
jour family. It 11 root vrul tbio bouie I murine.
Ask your pbyilcUn. dracttit. Of (ad f or llare
you hti Typhoid?" UM of Typhoid Vaccine,
tcraltl from us , and dangtt tram Typbold CariUrt.)
tk arma labobatoby, ukuux, cau
raawciae (MClltl ! ( . (. . UCtltt
ADDED EARNINGS
BEHNKE. WALK Eft, at Portland, North
Treat's biggest j business college over
whelmed by calls for trained young men
and women. Enroll now. Take a courme
and a position assured. Btenography tele
graphy, accounting, shorthand, banking,
secretarial etc. write for catalogue.
Hides, Pelts, r Wool & Mohair
VimntiSyMlne, WriU br Mm taJ Skfeebf Tu.
THE H. r. NORTON COMPANY,
16th and Johnaon Sta.. Portland, Ore
Stall!. Waah. Dillingham. Waah.
SHIP
Veal, Pork, Beef,
Poultry, Butter, Egge
and Farm Produce,
to the Old Reliable Kverdlng houae with a
record of 46 yrara of Square Dealing, and
be aeeurcd of TOP MARKET PRICES.
F. M. CRONKHITE,
145-47 Front Street, Portland, Oreion
FRED DUNDEE
MOTOR CAR REPAIRING
MACHINE WORK
'MAGNETO SERVICE JSTATION
ALL KINDS OF
WELDING
CYLINDER GRINDING
PROMPT ATTENTION
TO ALL ORDERS
Broad way atTUndera, Portland, Or.
P. N. U, No. 43j'l9Ts