The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-07-06
over TOP IN NO MANS LAND
Crawley, Goosey, Hunger-Sick, Mag
goty feeling i'm Stomach is One OF
Ideas of Waiting in Trenches Be-
fore Charge.

LONDON.-Did you ever have the
combined sensations OF waiting In
the attic to be whipped, watching the
girl you're in love with go Off with
another fellow, and standing in the
dock while the jury decides your
fate?
If you have, you know what 1t Is
to be in the trenches, waiting for
charge.
The sensations mentioned are de-
scribed by a Canadian sergeant In
one of the overseas battalions, writ
ing to a London paper. He says:
There's a crawley, goosey, hunger
sick, maggoty feeling in the stomach
of you; a save-the-women-and-child-
remand Cod d-help-me grip at the
heart. The raw of breaking down
clutches and numbs the brain ike
the icy hand of the Grim Angel.
Have you ever been three hours
alone in an attic waiting for your
father to come home and give you
the licking of your life? Did you
ever see the only girl you could ever
love going to the theatre with an
other fellow? Did you ever SIT Tor ls
it stand) in the dock humbiy walt
ing for the jury to say whether you
did or you didn't? Eth? Well, JUST
roll these delightful sensations all
into one. plaster a few shovelfuls OF
sticky, clammy mud around your
legs and your hands (not forgetting
to save little for your rife). Then
fin;sh off neatly with a dash Of ice
and sleet from the north pole, ana
roll into an assembly trench in
front of your own front lime In NO
Mans land. This is probably the
feeling you will have while waiting
"tO go over.
few centuries pass. You notlce
such trivial things as that your put
ties are getting frayed. All, well; all
the easier to get a new pair when
Won go on leave. Leave? God save
us! Your poor, miserable micr2be'
you're just awaiting your executron.
Ages roll by. Some blasted fool Is
irving to smile-the same CHASTITY
contortion of the facial muscles you
would expect when caught Dy phy-
sically fit and anti-prohibition coal
HEAVIER in the arms of his Wlfe.
More gloom, more wintry blasts,
more deeper depths"
Swish. swish,. swish. Rapidly, say
in half second.
"There she goes," whispers an old
hand in your ear. shes opened
up"
Some one from somewhere makes
a sign, and in about second you are
actually "over the top" in NO mans
land. face set toward-well, what
ever 1t happens to be. You are sur
prised to find that your blood still
circulates, that you can leap. crawl
stagger onward-forward. Ana III
what seems to be minute OF time
YOU are close up to "his" front line.
You are glad he's putting up scrap:
You flop quickly into shell hole and
peep cautiously over the top. You are
suddenly conscious that your COM
rades on your right and left are do
ing the same, There Is no need to
worry. tho 1t is merely the gauging
of the stride for the last leap. Just
a minute.
YOU are COuGlCOuo Va oSAA~N - -
YOUR side for the first time. Why 10
he rolling his head around In that
idiotic manner as tho overcome by
sleep? He is grinning. All! there Is
a hole thru his neck. 1t Is the grin
Of death. BY jove! It's Jimmy. You
are not shocked or grieved-1ust sur
prised. The shock and grief Will
come later.
You find> yourself moving again
(the wait having occupied minute
or SOY, and that every one else Is
moving along the line. Also Fritz Is
moving, and that as fast as fear and
the first law oftnature will carry him.
Then begins the big hunt. But that
is another story.
The official reports will grandilo-
ouently state that eve advanced on
a front Of" etc. The special war
correspondent will submit that ''our
boys magnifcently stormed." But If
YOU want 1t in the vernacular of the
army, you merely went "over the
top"