Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-03-14

augustus Muir IN London Daily Mail.)
Ii was The brigade major who began
il. He came round the traverse with a
pcriscope in his hand, a staff captain nj
his heels and made an exhaustive sur
vcy Of the ground in front.
Bad field OF fire, he muttcred. The
here: but there's ground in front We
can I Sec-lcad ground. Bad field Of fire
altogether
Rotten" agreed the staff captain.
That hollow frousd hide Il couple of
companies of the Boches in case of I'm
trench out"
just what | was going III say, , said
the brigade major. Just what I've
brought You here 10 see. Well mention
il 10 the ~brigadicr this afternoon
Ia the afternoon the ~brigadicr came
down the trench.
~EX -actly.'' said the %brigadicr. in his
neat. precise accents. En- actly.'' lie
turned to the g.. O.. of our battalion.
What do you think of IL. colonel"
Quite agree. said the colonel.
And that was all that was said: thus
can a few short sentences set 4 vast ma
chincry al work. The little neat briga-
dier'S "Ex- actly.'' was like pressing the
button which controlled nm immense re
strained activity.
Satisfied, the group Of officers moved
down the trench. leaving behind them the
disturbing knowledge that something
Was about 10 happen.
That evening We got our orders and
IN the morning Tommy knew what the
making Of an advance trench meant.
A covering party il picked. They
are put under the command IF nm ont
standing -. &. Ga man who has been
tried Ia the fire Of achievement and has
been found reliant. Their duties are
hazardous and vital. On them dcvulvcs
the strain of providing 2 protective
screen between The Bochcs and our
working party. which II about 10 r. out.
They must lie in the open. watching.
waiting. alert. untiring. Should they
itMff W. inN iUNf ~ tlNNi tlANAFi -
work must be- short. sharp and e. the
point. There can ~ IN dali, Ing when
ii l. ones own skin or hat uf Fritz
And they must use the havonct only
for to fire would he but 10 disclose their
locality 20 a dozen enemy machine guns
waiting IA bclrh forth lead.
When the hour appointed draws near.
these picked men get ready. They stand
waiting. cigarette ID mouth. FOR their
orders 10 move. There are The crisp
thudding If 4 maxim down the line an
occasional quick crarkle Of rifle fire and
the angry roar of bursting shrapnel in
the distance. \ Subaltern appears IN
the darkness. Patrol ready. corporal
The corporal signifies assent cigarettes
are put out; bavonctS are fixed: equip
mcntS buckled aud with = last Cheer
ho,'' the covering party Chamber over
the parapct NJ the trench and are gone.
Ten or fifteen minutes later q dark
figure travis back. appears for 2 swift
moment against the night SKY. AMI drops
with 4 >pattcr ~ mud iH the trench. In
j. the officer. lie reports 70 tho com
pany captain that h. has placed" the
patrol; that al i ready for the working
party. The external order ia Garry
on H. given. The next mcmcni y long
string IF men scramble from the cioegN
DEPTHS If the trench and follow their
officer nto the land of uncxplored mNs
~terieS: the Dead Country: that grey des
olatinn fraught with u~nimaeiirei nor
rorS. where the dead are lying; thai
Long Road which runs from the pia>hihg
sea near Dunkirk on the west {" the
base If the white cleaning peaks OF inc
Alpine ridges t. the east-for all me
world like u vast. grim. black riopoh
fling carelessly across Eur De
Every man bears d >anul'ag; IhrE Ar
The essence Of the whole business WIN