El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-12
7 LFE In Civilian Training Camp;
Il Impressions of a PJattsburg Recruit
Interesting Benin Training Which
AreCOu Suchq Couse Of County,
N

: vitation to enjoy a well earned rest On
/ the contrary your torture is about 70
! begin In civilian life it is customary
/ when lying down TO select some spot or
/ object which yields slightly TO the pres
sure Of the body, or corresponds some
what to its outlines. But in skirmlsh
/ formation you lie down in your place; II
you are a rear rank man. then half
J pace 20 the right of your file leader
The chances are 100 to 1 that the spot
fits you very badly. Nevertheless. down
YOU 90. You then hoist up on your left
/ elbow, and address your rifle in the d.
rection Of the enemy. Your whole con
I seriousness is now concentrated IN The
elbow This member. which was never
z intended as an extremity rests in all
Likelihood upon rough edged piece OF
granite separated from your bone Dy
one thickness of flannel shirt The rifle
presses mercilessly upon II. Your pack,
thrown forward in your fall. rests upon
the back of your neck, adds itself 10 the
weight upon your elbow. and renders II
almost impossib le-judged by civilian
standards. altogether impossible-to
look along the sights of your rifle. The
pain in the elbow IS soon followed by
sharp cramp in the wrist When these
parts have become sufficiently numb
for you TO attend to minor discomforts.
you begin 70 realize that you are lying
on your bolo knife, and that your can
teen is sticking into your right nip
Same Daily ContOrtions.
At this moment the platoon leader
orders YOU to fire faster" and with a
desperate contortiOn you reach around
TO the small of your back and grOpe for
a slip of cartridges with which to re-
hOad your rifle Then cease firing"
Prepare TO rush. and again Follow
met'-this time not only to a prone po-
sition, but from prone position You
are carefully enjoined that you must
get up running and lie down running.
lest you shall at any time present
fixed target to the enemy. You dig
hold with your foot. summon your last
reserves OF strength. totter forward
with all your goods hanging, dangling.
dragging about you. and soon resume
business with that elbow exactly where
you left off This IS called advancing
by rushes" and it is customary to do
II for distances Of thousand yards or
more in instruments OF so yards or less.
II is capped by a bayOnet charge in
which after drawing the reluctant bay
onet with the right hand from just be-
hind the left ear, and fumbling hastily
about for the proper grooves and sock
cts. you expend your last ounce Of
strength in a desperate sprint uphill
Thoughts or Murder.
Now in this description have
made no reference to the enemy.
In fact there is no reference to
the enemy, at least no personal ref
erence- There is a vague sense Of the
enemv's direction. described as IL
4 o'clock if IL be little 10 the right,
etc But you entertain no murderous
thoughts except for the person. luckily
unknown, who invented your pack; and
YOU are not apprehensive or sorry for
the enemy, for you are too profoundly. |
too whole heartedly sorry for yourself !
IN all this there is a most extra
ordinary alteration Of ones scale Of
values. I think / can understand some
thing Of the mind Of the soldier in the
trenches who welcomes the order TO I
stand erect preferring the chance of !
death to another moment Of agOnizing
cramp. At such times remote memories
and prospects, the normal hopes and !
fears Of life, are expelled by impOr-
tunate sensations One is either too
acutely wretched. or too glOriOusly !
happy. for either anxiety or regret. The |
range Of consciousness is narrowed TO |
aches and pains, or TO such soul salts !
flying JOYS as full respiration and re-
stored circulation
Compensation in Hardship.
There are compensations in hardship. I
wholly unsupported by those who have /
not lived through them. To stretch ones /
limbs without pack, TO sit by the |