Arizona republican., 1917-12-27
WATER CARRIERS ON
 WAR FRONTS TAKE
 LIVES IN OWN HANDS
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

LONDON, Dec. 26.-Carrying wa ter to the thirsty fighting men in the front line trenches through a double harTage of bursting shells from both British and German guns. while the multi-cOlored flares from the German trenches cast a weird light over a shell-riyen battlefield puts to test the nerve and courage of the bravest Yet the work must be done while the bat tle is in progress.
 Stumbling over the bodies of dead comrades or falling exhausted among them, floundering through the mud or into shell craters, the water carrier yer must struggle on till he reaches the first line, unless death relieves him of tho task. A vivid story of one such journey is told by Victor Grayson, formerly a member of the British parliament, now serving as a private in the British army.
 'I found myself one of a party de- tailed to carry up ratiOns to the front line trenches through a dual barrage," he writes. We all knew that the boys up the line were to hop over at day break the following morning, but we were not aware until our sergeant major told us, that they had been with out rations for twelve hours.
 As much as the mud would permit, our pace was speeded up, and we were soon in line upon the duck boards, (board walks laid in mud) myself and my immediate companions each laden with two petrol tins of water
 The front line was about two miles away. For the first part of the jour ney a bright moon made the travelling comparatively easy. But suddenly the ducS-boards ended, the moon com pletely disappeared, and the resulting darkness acted like a signal to the op- posing batteries. The air was torn with the howls and shrieks of shells.
 Tt became matter of infinite care and considerable skill to pick our way between the deep shell holes, which were sometimes so close together as to be divided only by sloping ridge of less than a foot in width. The enemy was firing 'Wild' and shells were exploding on all sides with a propinquity that made us involuntar- fly duck our heads and wait for the in- evitable shower of dirt and mud or worse. Every now and then a man would lose his footing, and he and his cans would roll with a splash into a gaping shell hole.
 Tt seems inconceivable, even ire weren't, that one should laugh in the midst of such horrors. But when l saw my pal in front dart away from menacing she'll burst on the right straight into the arms, so to speak, of a muddy shell-hole on the left, l laughed till a stitch came into my side.
 When we reached the support trenches, a halt was called-not a mo- mont tnA gnnp--fnr a NI,r cans had become amazingly heavy. and all of us were panting as we croucheo beside our comrades who were waiting in the support trench, in reserve. had recently suffered from a cold, anC | heartily wished that my journey might soon end. After five minutes we started out again, and the sergeant, major set a pace that 1 knew 1 coult not sustain. Gradually l felt myself falling behind, and every fresh effor to catch up with my party only served to. increase my exhaustion and lmi my breath. At last. with feeling O utter desolation l fell beside my cans The flares revealed to me that should soon lose contact with my hur rying comrades, and the mad music O he hurtling shells stimulated me to l; fresh effort.
 For a couple of hundred yards struggled forward, but, weak and be reft of wind, I went down once mor' and watched, with a sort of guilt! desperation, the rear file of my part. disappear over a ridge between twt lonely shell-stricken trees. It was ter rible to feel alone on that tortured field, yet 1 was not altogether alone The fitful glares lighted up for me tn unmistakable faces and forms of tn dead, comrades who had fallen on thei way to the front line.
 "A great weariness seized me, and il spite of the noise and uncanny sur roundings I could have gone to sleeI A chagrined dread of failing in my tas nerved me. however. to a final effor I found my way through the star sentinel trees, and though wanderin hlndly, with no further sense of al rection, l finally heard voices, Britis voices, and was soon looking dow into a communicating trench.
 Get down quick digger cried a officer, never mind your cans
 But those cans had become prec ious part of myself, and gripping thel affectionately l slithered into the trenc and comparative safety. The eNpel fence had been thrilling and unforgei table, but there was Wutef TOT siAtce men. And the sight of the boys eager ly filling their water bottles mac everything wonderfully worth while.
 My comrades of the ration part had duly delivered their burdens ar returned, SO that my journey back the dug-out had to be accomplisht alone. 1 freely confess that felt fair squeamush as l climbed out of th' trench and faced that dreadful fife again. Every flare seemed to me have for its sole motive the discover of my over wrought form to u enemy.
 After half an hour of well-nie hopeless wandering, a shriel<ing sht exploded so close to me that the coi cussion lifted my steel helmet from n head and almost blew me off my fe' At the same moment l tripped ov something and fell-between two de' soldiers. They had fallen facing ea' other, their arms extended. For m ment envied them and their pain-fr sleep.
 An inscrutable Providence. rath than any conscious effort on my pa
 brought me to my dank but welcoT
 dug-out. My comrades were high
 relieved at the sight of me, for tn