The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-01-12

hiN w thoah huh l'lll'A 'i' iNliA''i
lals Maybe they did It for n lark, he
thought, vaguely. None of them
thought that war would really come
/ That was more than year ago. When
war came they were worried but they
/ fetl they couldn't well back down.
I'VE used to chip each other said
be, hut We didn't like the prospects
| I've laid awake nights thinking about
/ H."
The British line In France needed
reinforcements. The Territorials
were sent on because there were no
more professional soldiers available
He felt the regular army officers
rather disapproved OF them. At first
they were kept In the rear guarding
depots and lines OF communication,
and keeping out Of the way Of men
who had real work TO do. He couldn't
remember that he felt at all humili
ated by this.
You see, we used TO see the wound.
ed ~ they were sent back tO the base
hospitals" he said, half In eNplRnR
ton.
When the Pinch Came.
There came sudden pinch, aud the
TerritOrials were hurried forward,
They we're Of the battle, but not In
H. All around them troops we're be-
Ing fired on but for some reason the
Terrltorials were sighted They sat
very low In their trenches, although
no shells were coming their way, That
night they aw their first dead men
newly killed men. that ls
"Half dozen men Of my company
we're very sick" said he. II was sick
too, looked at my men, and they
were sweating. II seemed that every
face was covered with great beads
| was cold and shiyering, but when |
put my hand to my forehead ] brought
II away covered with perspiration The
collar of my tunic was black with IT.
The next day they moved on They
passed more dead men, but no more
OF the company was sick. They were
still afraid, the officer said. Many Of
them were very pale Some talked
loudly In ranks and ut random. The
feeblest sort " joke won loud laugh
ter. Many averted their eyes from the
sight VI the dead. A day or two latter
they came to a trench Oyerw hich the
Germans had swept The. dead were
still In II.
I'VE could look at them by this
time" he said. NO one laughed any
more. We were still afraid, but not
as we had been We were getting used
10 the Job. Still we had not been un'
der fire"
This went On for a day or two more
than two weeks. At last their time
came. During a lull In the firing they
were sent forward 10 n trench held
by Hlghlanders, who needed reinforce
ments. In front " them was field
dotted here and there with dead and
wounded men. They could hear the
wounded crying, The Territorials
we're pale, but they were steady, The
officer put his hand up 10 his fore
head. To his relief II came away dry,
Then came an awful thing
"In front Of us, said he, "0ne OF
| IHt NVUnutu unfll lNNF w hAH hNNh hhh
staggered toward us He walked very
slowly He kept his left arm pressed
across his middle Twenty yeards from
the trench he stopped and his arm
fell to his side He had been cut across
the stomach by fragment of shsll.
His entralls were falling out After
n moment he fell."
For day they were under fire,
Fortunately the firing was not heavy.
None " his men were killed, and only
one or two injured. and that slightly
His men began 10 cheer mp They be
gan 10 "chip" each other, and In
steadier tones than at first. The next
morning they had been In the field
lust three weeks-the tide suddenl,
shifted their way For hours they werS
under heavy shell fira Half dce
en- men were hurt Then the Ger
mans charged
Then the Germans Charged.
1--WE were at the right OF tn
charge said he, thought at mrs
they were not coming our way. The
saw they wem There was q TN
mendous swarm OF them, Our gun
opened on them, Of course but
didn't seem TO make any difference
The Germans cheered AZ they ran fol
ward. They didn't seem 10 come YER
fast, but there was something srcte'
The attention Of the lieutenant wa
they would hurry mare
The fifth man from the lieutenar
IN the trench was former hank cierl
The attention Of the lisutsnsn va