Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-09-07

and Mansfield cease to be anything
but faint recollections I shall still re.
member quite wildly an %unpretenti.
Gus vaudeville show given by soldiers
to soldiers out here in the open air
1900 yards back Of a certain famous
woods through which a most unheal-
thy part Of the frinBline runs.
The performers were soldiers; the
stage was built by soldiers with scraps
Of lumber collected here and there;
the curtain was painted by a cavalry
man on tarpaulins which had served
In the beginning as covers for boxes
OF ammunition; the sky and a few wal
nut trees played the part Of roof, while
that part OF the regimental band not
busy bearing wounded on stretchers
of the battlefield. furnished the music.
these men and a young, stoutish sur
geon-lieutenant who doubled on the
plano when not stage-managing the
acts.
The bill was the regular bill. It
was not specially arranged for visitors.
Since Jan. IA this house" has been
playing to standing room only, two
performances a day, at 2 D.. m. and at
3. Sometimes-as often as possible
the bill changes; sometimes the head
liner fails to be on hand for his cue;
a shell or a bullet has interfered. But
always, rain or shine. good bill or bad,
the curtain goes up" on time and the
soldiers on their repose week (usual-
ly they have a week in and a week
back Of the t~renches) never miss a
performance.
AS 6 p. m. drew near the plank
benches in front were creaking under
their maximum burden and hundreds
Of other poilus-the soldiers nick
name for himself, meaning shaggy
were standing at the back and on eth
er side. A heavy rain began to fall
precisely at 6 o'clock but the fat sur
geon on opening the piano. turned
and shouted:
"Poilus. you don't mind a little thing
like a few drops of rain do your"
mol" the poilus thunder back, and
the surgeon, sitting down in a very
wet chair began pounding out an
astonished intermezzo on a no doubt
greatly outraged plano. For, being In
the place where the orchestra usually
sits, the piano as well as pianist was
catching the full force of the young
cloudburst. Every time that a chubby
finger struck a key there was a splash.
AS the curtains parted the Germans
began to lombard the French posit-
ions a short distance away. The
plosions Of shells punctured every
spoken line which followed and beat
time to the music as II jealous of the
big bass drum.
A clown in costume and makeup
which only the ingenuity Of a French
soldier can account for, rushed out
and began to sing and grimace. The
audience roared. 1t was clear that he
was a favorite. He was just back
from the trenches and as he jabbered
a comic patter sorg, with grimaces
and antics like any Barpum & Bailey
star. n caught sight OF his matricu-
lation number bound by a steel chain
to his wrist; for Identification in case
he fails to dodge q bullet some day.
The clown sang on and when he got
round to the chorus his comrades
In front Joined in. A captain OF dra-
goons, occupying a seat on a bench
reserved for officers, sang and laugh.
ed with the others, freely and with
out reserve yet ! recognized in this
captain a count and member OF one of
the proudest families In the Faubourg
nobility Of Paris.
The clown with his Identification
tag gave way amid applause to an
a~crobatic soldier-in peace times a
professional-wearing the pink tights
OF tradition. He. too. had a tag on
his wrist. A horizontal bar had been
rugged up on the stage and as the
soldier, In pink tights began to gyrate
upon 1t, the comic" partner came out
and "oomicked" in the way everyone
who has ever seen q variety show
knows. Under his very much too large
comic" dress coat, on a very muscu.
lar wrist, was his in-case-of-death taE
never letting one forget that Just ov.
er the ridge a ways death was falling
out Of the skies at that very minute.
The tags and the bombardment made
the war seem very near.
An imitator of Houdini came next,
wriggling out Of handouts, padlocks
and chains, ropes and other queer par.
aphernslla. No chain seemed too SO.
curely fastened about him for him to
free himself OF it-ssve the one which
held the plaque which would identify
him II some day he and q shell should
get too we'll acquainted.
After him q British red cross at.
tendant In khaki, sang "Alexanders
Rag Time Band" overwhelmingly bad
to much applause from his allies. And