Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-05
Fighting With the Foreign Legion

the result that there is a free-for-all
fight to get into the spray
1t is rather crude method, put as
the water is hot we are very thankful
for it. ,.,
At the first line we are on guard
every other night, and AS the weather
was cold it was not very enJoyaple.
One night l was on guard from 1 am.
to 3 am. with Red. We We're IN
trench running at right angles from
the main one and about twenty ret
from it. 1t is so arranged that me
earth is on a level with our eyes. You
would be surprised to know how nara
it is to keep awake. Even as near the
enemy We are. an almost uHcoH
querable desire to sleep oNercofnes us; us.
1t must be that the constant searching
and the straininS OF the eyes mo me
darkness hypnotiZes one. but, pc thlS
as it may, it requires a great eHort 10
keen awake. We all complain OF TINS
On the night l speak about was
struggling to keep awake Wheh an o.
a sudden my heart almost stopped
beating. 1 was thoroughly wide awake
Instantly / could have sworn that
there were two figures directly III IRONY
of me about $50 feet away. one Seeineu
to be standing and the other kheehhE.
and as we maintain a trench ruth!ilS
parallel to the main one ana apout ~
feet away my mind pictured al hihus
of things. .,,
watched them intently and they
seemed to be working at sonethlhs, pue
The large figure seemed to be motloniess,
but the small one appeared to rise ana
bend like a man at a pump inns con-
tinued for what seemed ages. am wen
aware that at night objects take strange
FORMS but | could not account for THESE:
Our rifles are constantly loaded and
cooked while on guard and ] WAS tempted
to take a shot at il, but | wanted to see
them actually move before | fired
| looked over and saw Red OBSERVING
to11 .n1 Vel
decided that it was part of the landscape
and the next morning we went into the
trench and came to the conclusion that IL
was two trees
Another time while on guard in the Sec
ond line position l WIS looking out OF a
small portfolio in the trench. | had just
come to the conclusion that guard duty
was a waste of time when saw what
looked to be d figure crawling slowly
under the barbed wires in front of the
trench. 1t was a wretched night, raining
and very dark.
. / could have sworn that this was really
man. l almost pictured him freeing
himself from the barbs. l thought bet
ter view would be gained from over the
trench, SO I noiselessly climbed up until
my head was clear of the earth, but it
was impossible to see a thing when my
eyes were above the surface of the earth,
so l got back again. The object was still
in the same position
Would you believe 1 actually kept my
eyes glued on the thing for nearly two
hours? A number of lights We're sent
up by both sides. but their positions were
such they did not help me- Finally,
German white light went up in a direct
line with my eyes and the object
What do you think my creeping German
was? Nothing but frame to roll wire
on. / certainly was disguised when I
made this discovery. One cannot help
imagine things. Everything keys the
imagination up. The steady rifle fire, the
occasional cannon. the bursting mines, the
flare of the night lights and distant bonn
bardments all tend to put one in condi-
ton to see anything.
Downright, 1915, by the Sun Printing and Pub
fishing Companyl