The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-19

- rantOns IN the trenches a.
"tOrUt the ANIericun." He IL
one Of tn. mcacrc scattering
nov left Of tho original men Of his
regim"nt. veterans II the first line. ana
among ihcs. he IL respected as n brave
man. Like the others he bears or his
face tie hard stainp OF long months "
kiNriing with death.
Tie j. Il New Yorker hy birth, aged
-. and a university graduate. He has
% culct. studious nature. aud when of
duty back of the trenches ho usually
sp'rds his time in reading and
sk,tChing.
az French parentaCc. he Jeff a thrifty
business hack home at Tho call of
mobilization. arrived In France for tho
iirSt time and sworc allegiance to the
II public. Ii WIS dom through an in
terprctcr, for he was unable to speak
moro than Il Jew words OF the Ian
luagc. lie WAS taken into the r,.u-
lar army as 4 F~rcuvhman.
Now. after months he svi.i never
forget, he l. stationed at n" mos. dan
teinus nr positions given - soldiers
o. the first tine. Il j. at Tin. end Of q
long, Winding ditsa runuiNv cut from
his own ranches pwald N. tic"mlrs
~ he stands out hi Watches There.
he MY alert and listening. with his,
,'lr1d"S In back and Ia" enemy d.
'..'.l in front. IL is tn, consuming am-
t.;.pu Of half 4 dozen mon a few feet
Nv b., 10 Xiii HIM. has been 50 for
W IS. ana fuv weeks hr has MISSED
de. T.. D." irVAcs A. the d,ai'y missile
,.tSh and tear around him.
For weeks fighting AT this point has
been ua, and terrific. There has been
,Ut', trench running. o~yrr-rouud bat
t.t- -, but tho iI'cSs,nt H~umhard.ug ut
tan others trenches io prevent the
su...oIs from iortiiNina themselves too
strongly is -apping the life Of the
IroJps. The soldier. say 1t could
hardy lee worse.
l. cannot he long now. Corot thinks,
1"'"Ic something Will s;r!k" his ditch.
H. chef hope * to bc slightly
wounded, tor this ne knows Is the bees,
that can happen u him. As he takes
w HI watch. he wonders whether
ms time Il Will come. He has so
q, y",t each time for countless days
back.
Ills ditch IS ono of scvcra, dug here
n there. deserted when they are
dis vcrcd or blown up. Tlcrc IL no
covering oNer il such as ~ u"ctsion-
ally found over thc first tine IN back
TICk. c'dY mud, knee deep. Clues him
- n single spot. lie has on rubber
boots and ~ unmIEdfu. of Ia. wci. but
40 feels the strain of the six hours
NstCh kccnly. as he Crouchcs IN con-
t!nIal expectancy and listens.
|, l. his duty to listen for sound in
III" 1rcnCl right a~head-for converse
ton, orders. or the slight ripple OF
nos that sometimes runs along IA
frrnch when troops are brought ny
before an attack. lie has exceptional
~hedrins, the French have
and that is why he was selected for
the post.
On one occasion. he remembers,
shorty after this ditch WAS dug, he
carried back an order he had heard n
German officer give. The Germans
were prCparing to ONE Over without
the customary artillery pombardment
or tho French trenches. His own men
We're warned, orders went back To the
Batteries and in n few minutes the
F'roroI guns were wiping out lite in
To cvcmy's trenches. The attack was
stalled.
GFcuades to-day have been breaking
hearcr the ditch Than at other times
They arc bursting all around him and
he hopes there will soon be orders 10
DIG "A new ditch, for he believes the
Germans have learned of his position.
II a shell should fall into his trench
- hopes I've may escape with an in
Jury that will not prevent him from
~ NlNa.