The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-08
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

communication trench to the rear, a MIN
Der OF cycles lie with a pile of spades.
Like ribbons binding edge to tn,
naked eye in the heat waves was {
brown streak on the other side Of ths
wheat held. Under the glasses 1t become:
earth and sandbags-the German trenches
All YOU could see above 1t were some
specks, the enemy's periscopes. There
was not the report of a rifle or the SOUND
OF bullet; the birds were twittering In
the trees. 1t was June at its loveliest
NO war except for an occasional shell
from our own guns farther down the
line. Then there was the sharp crack OF
a bullet and of another close following
and third moved a sandbag a little. Up
to 600 yards the bullet cracks. Beyond
tnat range 1t whistles, signs, even
wheezes.
| Snipers. it's your hat. SIR" said Tom
my: My hat came down. also my head
| with II, you bet; and I became immedi-
| ately strong advoca.e of observation
! tnroush pertscopes. One crack on a
peaceful day Is sufficient warning that
an unusual excrescence which might be
human crown Is visible above your
the same Kind of target on the Germa n
| parapet
| hieNatlon gives snipers who are always
! trained shots an angle of advantage In
| WINTER they had to rely on buildings
which often came tumbling down with
them when hit by a shell. The foliage
OF summer Is a blessing to their craft
Does 1t look to you that there is an
opening in the branches of that tree
the big one at the right
In the mass OF green leaves a dark
spot was visible: it might be natural, or
IL might De space cut away for the
swing OF rifle barrel Perhaps, sitting
up there snugly behind a bullet-proof
shield fastened to the limbs. was a Ger
man sharpshooter watching for a shot
with the patience of a hound for a rab-
DIT to come out of its hole A bullet COM
ing from our side swept overhead One
OF our own sharpshooters had seen some
thing to shoot at. Not giving yot, much
excitement" said Tommy.
Inc real excitement. when IL comes
does not last long. A bath of shells on
trench and charge TO take it-that
Is real excitement II it kept I'D con-
unuaiiy there would not be many SOL
diers left In either army Where would
you find the shells and cartridges for
such a hell?
suppose I'd get little excitement.
maybe. If I stood up on the parapet? i
asked
You would get ticket for England,
you'd get a box"
There's a cemetery just back Of the
lines if you'd prefer to stay in France"
4 had passed that cemetery with its
fresh wooden crosses on my way to the
trench. These tender-hearted living SOL
diers who joke with death have placed
flowers on those graves of fallen COM
rades and bought elaborate French :
burial wreaths with their meager pay, |
which is another side OF Mr.. Thomas |
Atkins. There's sentiment in him. Yes, |
he's loaded with it.
Keep your head down there, Eames."
called corporal Il don't want to be /
taking an inventory Of your kit
Games did not even realize that his
head was asove the parapet. The hard
est thing to teach soldier is not to
expose himself. Officers keep reiterating
warnings and forget to practice what
they preach.
That morning a soldier had been shot
through the heart and arm sideways
back of the trench. He had lain down
there unnoticed for a snooze in the sun,
i was supposed. When he awoke. pre- /