St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1917-12-22
gushing and made me lOathe them"

gushing and made me loathe them"
Il have no doubt. But now listen.
We have reason to believe that they
have evacuated the position, while It
has become important that we regain
1t. You will follow my reasoning. II
the enemy has deserted the ditch we
wish to know 1t, while II he has not,
1t is equally important that we should
know, since we must be advised before
hand what we may expect when we
make our advance-whether resistance
or unopposed occupancy. Therefore,
we are compelled to send someone as
a scout to ascertain the conditions"
"And because of the darkness and
treetops the airmen are useless?'
Exactly, Therefore, you will crawl
upon your stomach to the wood, going
alone the better to escape observation
BY working your way fiat upon the
ground and instantly becoming still
should their lights fall upon you, you
may be mistaken by them for what you
are likely to become-one Of the dead
men of which you will pass many, II
you are lucky. Should you return with
this information, well and good II not,
we will be compelled to adopt other
means to secure our information. You
had best plan to arrive there by the
first light of day that you may be able
to observe conditions. II you ind the
trenches empty, you will have to run
for it coming back. We will be watch
ing and If we see you returning even
though you may not succeed in reach.
ing our lines. we will understand that
you found no one over there. Other
wise. Of course, they xould not let
you come back. You see 1t ia all very
simple, sergeant"
''As simple as suicide, colonel"
Il can do no more than wish you
good luck. However, you will start
at once" With another salute Lynd-
ham turned upon his heel and walked
away.
Well upon his way, he lay in the
darkness on the field between the op-
posing battle lines. Over his head
shells were hurting, shrieking OF into
the distance with the vail Of banshees.
The glare of search bombs threw their
CHASTITY light upon field still more
CHASTITY. Occasional flights OF ma.
chiRe~gun bullets swept over him like
gusts Of cyclone driven hail. He came
to shell crater the size of cellar,
and crept into it. It was half full Of
mi ~ ~
revealed horribly torn and bleeding
things half submerged in the drainage
water Of the hole. Filled with unutter-
able repugnance he abided his time,
and in moment Of pitch darkness
clambered over the edge and resumed
his snakelike crawl through the murk.
He reached the wood, found the
maze of entanglements, and making
a breach with his wire-cutter, erawled
to the edge Of the excavation, peered
and listened. No sound came from the
blackness below. and he slid over the
top. Silently he sat until the first faint
light of morning came peeping down
through the foliage, then cautiously
he began his advance. Around the
turns he zigzagged his way in the
gathering light, revolver in hand, see
ing nothing but the grewsome EVIL
dence Of the strife that had ragged
about him. Then he made another sharp
turn he stopped suddenly. Before him,
sitting with his back against the wall,
was German, who held revolver
leveled at his breast. Swiftly Lynd-
hams glance swept the other.
Above the unshaven beard Of the
one who confronted him the cheeks
were the sickly color Of death, yellow
with the unwholesome color Of q
mushroom. Mud coated him as an en-
velope from head to toe, and down
his breast a small red trickle was
creeping. Slowly the bearded lips
parted as words bitter with hate fell
from them.
Zach! You have come again, have
you. abominable Englishers! But you
return to an empty victory, since we
have withdrawn our force to a more
desirable place. You may have this
abandoned sly In welcome, but first
you l shall kill"
Lyndham thought rapidly. Though
he had revolver in his hand, his hand
hung at this side, while the rnuzzle Of
the other mans weapon was full upon
his breast. Into the eyes Of his foe
he saw leap the deadly glare Of hatred
as the grimy hands tigktencd ebout
the butt as the finger prepared to press
the trigger. Sergeant Lyndham had
more than half expected to be killed
before the war was over. bnt he never
nisf1Eed III end q soIn1ng ltka thie