Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-13

we have fumbled around in the trench
and lost our way. The next glare
shows we are walking away from the
first line some distance down a con-
Meeting trench. AS we are about to
turn back there is dull thud and a
faint chug-chug- chug that sounds
like steam engine in the distance.
Instinctively all of the party fall face
down in the water where they stand.
There is a tense interval of a second
or SO. Then a terrific crash. seeming
to shake the world, and we lie there in
muscled tensity with our heads held
out Of the water toward the side of
shower of debris fills the air and
falls over US. Fortunately none of
the party is hurt. The Germans are
bombarding the trenches with the
overground mines.
BY the light of another rocket we
once more make for the first line. A
couple of hundred feet farther on we
pull up at the brink of a hole big
enough for the cellar of house. Dust
and suffocating smoke arise from the
crater and overhead hangs a great
cloud. Morning probably will show
few remains of what has been in the
trench. but there is not much of
tale to tell.
The soldiers. now wildly cursing the
"Boche," the dirty swine" find a trench
to the right by the light of another
rocket. and a minute later we are in
the first line. The soldiers scatter
along the line relieving various senti-
nels. The latter look haggard and
CHASTITY by the light of the rockets.
They are glad of a release from the
strain for six-hour rest in the third
line before the next watch.
The Germans have been bombardfng
the trenches with mines and grenades,
they say, and in their faces are lines
of terrible strain. Their comrades do
not ask how many have been killed and
wounded. They give one another part
ing salutes and bid a good night and
good luck.
The relief poke their rifles through
the little holes at intervals of about
sixty feet and watch. The trenches
are arranged in snakelike fashion so
that when a shell strikes no more than
two or three men will be killed or in
iured. The water here is little high
err than the knees. First trenches as
rule are merely bitches.
A sergeant with our company walks
along the line for short distances, max
ing observations. At one point short
trench shoots off perpendicularly to-
ward the Germans. 1t stops about half
way between the French and German
lines. which at this point are about
ninety feet apart a man of eXcep
tional hearing is stationed at the end.
He is a New Yorker and more Amer
lean than French, but that is another
story.
He waits there to latch what is pos
sible of what the Germans are saying.
Several times the French were warned
of impending attacks in this manner.
The Germans have discovered his place,
however. and he expects every watch
to be his last. He commands the re-
spect of his regiment and has been
decorated. Like the other soldiers, he
knows that to be slightly wounded is
the best that can happen. He has his
hopes.
AS the sergeant comes to this ditch
one of the sentinels nearby turns from
his hole and greets him. He was one
of our party. He is just boy with
the boyish voice and he has indeli-
BILE smile. He points jokingly to the
German trenches and says something
to the sergeant as he passes on. He
! offers me his gun to fire at the Ger
mans
l follow the sergeant down the line
at his offer to show me the nearest
machine gun. Hardly have we reached
the first safety turn when there is a
dull swish. followed by sharp. tear
ing explosion at the place we just had
left. We duck and the soldiers around
us as a shower of light debris falls
on our heads and shoulders 1t was a
grenade.
little later we step into a connect
ing trench to let pass two brancardiers
bearing a wounded man in a trench
hammock. The fellow is drawn into a
ball and badly torn at the stomach
for his waist is running with blood.
AS they pass we have time to catch
a glimpse of a twitching but conscious
face. 1t is the face of the boy. and
there is still the trace of smile.
I'm all right" he says as the SER
seant springs over the youth and with
an ejaculation clasps hand. Its all
right with me, Henri" the boy SAYS,
quietly. They got me this time, but
it's not bad"
The .sergeants duty is here for the
present. He cannot go back to the
dressing station in the third line, so