The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-05
CHAPTER VI.
THE TAKING OF THE QUARRIEs.

THE TAKING OF THE QUARRIEs.
"Hulloa, young un," exclaimed Tom
Byng as ne thrust his head into the door Of
| Fieming's tent, ''if il was some time before
we got introduced to the trenches, III be
bound to say the big wigs are doing their
best to make US quite at home in them
now"
why, you don't mean to say we give
| them again tonight"
Indeed we do, my boy, and If you've got
nothing ready TO eat you'd better come and
feed with me at once. / don't know yet
what's in the wind, but the Brigade Major,
who is an old pal of mine, told me we we're
likely TO have a very lively night Of it."
IAN right, I'm your man, Ion; shall be
ready in two minutes, and then I'll come
with you"
Yes, it's sharp practice, said Tom Byng
| as they sat down to dinner. 81 only came
out Of the trenches myself this morning,
but it's all fair enough. These regiments
that bore the brunt Of the winter are re-
duced almost to shadows. | met a fellow
the other day whose regiment is in the lett
attack; he told me that they hadn't two
hundred men At for duty; so of course the
turn comes heavy upon strong regiments
like ourselves. That's the sherry, help your
self and pass it on. By the way, did tell
you my adventure on the Woronzof Road
this morning."
mo, what was thatp inquired Fleming.
| well, don't know whether you've ever
been down there. The left attack fellows
| generally take care of it. However, for
| some uDscrutable reason we were told of
for it last night. The trench crosses the
road, and we have an advanced picket Of
| subaltern and thirty men covered by q
chevaux de frise, some eighty yards or SO
in advance. Pm afraid it was bit my fault,
but new TO the post, and trihe anxious.
| You see when you're told to withdraw at
daybreak, 1t becomes rather nice point
II was warned that the Russian rife pits
commanded my trench and would make
themselves deucad unpleasant as soon as
they could see. In my anxiety not to quit
my post too soon, stayed a little too late
| As | withdrew my advanced picket, two or
three fellows had snap at US, but no sooner
did fall in my men and leaving the main
| trench proceed to march them up the road
than the rife pits at the top here in front of
| the right attack, commenced squibblng.
| To retreat leisurely may be dignl6ed, but
it's not whist wasn't going TO solose men
| il | could help it, so l gave the word 10
double. You Know that tall Irishman,
| Mickey Finn, he was doubling alongside
me when he suddenly exclaimed, I'm Shot,
| Capt. Byng-Pm shot
"'Come along, my good fellow, come
along, l cried, as | turned round to look at
him. He was doubling as steady as any
man in the company, and gave no sign Of
| being wounned.
"'pm short, sorr. he reiterated, and with
out slackeniug his gait.
| Where my good fellow" inquired, as
we still doubled side by side. Where, my
good fellow -wherel Come onr l once
| more cried.
Right through the body, sorr, be re,
| joined, without in the least relaxing his
pace
"Come onr I cried; come onP And
how the deuce AMMAN shot through the body
succeeded in keeping up the steady double
| like Finn, astonished me greatly"
YES, SOFT he exclaimed, continuously
I'm snort; shot clean through
| well, j continued my exhOrtation to
keep it up, in short, keep it up was the sum
! total of my advice. and the responses to my
htauy on Films part were--'Tm shot, sorr
Pm shot clean through AS soon as we
turned the bend in the road and were out of
fire, halted my party, that Films wounds
might be attended to. There was the bullet
mark certainly, going straight through his
great coat in front, and a hole where it had
come out behind, and if ever you would
have said a man had been shot through il
was Finn.
when we came to his tunic it was the
same, but when We came to himself, there
was nothing but a red mark running round
his ribs The bullet must have struck but
ton of his great coat in front, glanced
round his body, and come out at the back.
The queerest casualty I've seen since I've
been at work IN the trenches. The best of
the joke is that Films extremely disguised
because haven't returned him wounded.
It's not a bit that he wants to shirk duty.
but be wants to know what's the use Of be-
ing shot clean through the body if yez
| A,t, k3,an of -
Fall in the covering partyin interrupted
the hoarse voice Of the sergeant from out
side the tent.
Times upn said Byng. Here
Stephens, he cried to his servant, "quick,
give me my revolver! It's pity to be asked
TO an evening party and not be able to take
part in the fun. Now, Hugh, come along ~
A few minutes more, and they were wend.
ing their way to the brigade ground whore
the various trench guards formed up, and
were formally handed over to the colonel
destined TO command them.
who commands the -thF" exclaimed the
officer in question. as he got off his horse.
Il do sirm replied Byng, touching his
cap.
''You and your fellows are for the ad-
vance tonight, and are not likely to have a
dull time of it, l promise YOU" said the
colonel, chaerily The Sappers report
that those rife pits in front of our attack
are getting too troublesome 10 be borne
with any longer; we must have them to.
night
You will find US all ready, sir,n replied
Byng, las soon as you give the word tC
go.
The colonel gave him good-natured
nod
His own officers always said Of Col
Croker that you could be always sure wher
you were about to see sharp fighting The
colonels manner was 50 deuced pleasant.
There wss a delay of some ten minutes OF
so before they moved off, waiting for the