Evening journal., 1917-08-11

your thanks from an American soldi
Grebs, MacLarney and Saunders,
Kings Own Yorkshire infantry, hud-
died together in the bottom OF the
shell crater. q rain drenched. mud
caked, blood soaked trio, their exist
ence unknown TO their company in
trenched a few thousand yards to the
right and ignored by the Huns. g
scant 300 yards 20 the left The three
had been folled by the same shell as
their regiment swept forward TO
storm the enemy's trenches, and so.
tramplcd beneath the crush of on
rushing eager feet, they had sid,
st'fy grotesoue manikins. into tho
yawnlng pit left by the bursting shell
which sent a dozen Of their fellows
20 the last roll call
So there they crOuched for the mo-
ment entirely ont Of the great pic.
ture
Grebs balanced his useless arm
across his knees and watched the
blood soak through the dirty, impro
vised bandage with peculiar NOR
bid interest. MacLaney nursed his
shattered knee, grooming over It as
a mother does over her sleeping
babe The beads OF sweat that pocked
HIS forehead bore eloquent witness to
his agony. running down TO make
wavering tracks In the CRIME that
caked his wan face. Saunders. mira.
culously unwounded, played at nurse
10 both.
Having cursed the Germans to the
lowest pits Of the inferno-cursed as
only a soldier can-they had grown
coherent enough 10 plan a dash 70
their own lines at nightfal before
the Huns came to search out the
wounded for their peculiar Prussian
bayonet drill.
Just now they we're praying, ap-
pealing to their God in desperate, ter
rible agony for-what Salvation?
succor? The confoundment OF the
enemy2
mol
Singularly, collectively. terribly,
desperately, they wanted tobacco.
It may halt your smile TO know
that each OF these men had an i'm
mortal soul and each would have
eagerly bartered It for a smoke
then.
Grebp was speaking, cycling his IN
jured arm soberly.
1T amt so much the bloody pyne
hof it." he growled pstulantly. III q
chap could honly smoke now, while
he whytes for Is bloomin' hendl"
Saunders nodded a scOwling as
sent.
Him a-thiniin' wen be smokin
! l..
! significantly at the top Of the pit
"smokin' in 'ell-that's wot! Til
near time for the 'Uns 20 come and
stick US proper. The bloomin' beas
ties!"
MaoLarney said nothing. He SUD
denly toppled over and lay PROSTATE
on his face-inert clay He was a biz
man, and Saunders wheezed an,
grunted with the effort OF turning
him over to the light. A hasty ex
animation and ne swung strangel
white and grim to Grebs.
"This lads goin' outl' he pante
hoRrsely. " E's got one through tn
belly . never spoke abaoutI"
Grebs dragged himself horwar
painfully, his arm dangling gre
tesquely.
! DUCK up, ldul nc WhHtAtu AublltA
in the dying mans ear.
MacLarney stirred. and Saunder
bent over eagerly. In response to
whispered something he searched hi
clothes feverishly, finally bringing {
light a battered, malodorous pip
Turning to Grebs, he swore a fervl
oath.
"'E says as 'ow e wants a smoB
10 'elp I'm stand the pyne hof h
afore o goes westl" he explaine
"And we ain't got a grain of 'bacC
between usl'
"H'it's plyne ELL" answered Greb
that's wot hit is! They sends us II
tie comfort kits. they calls 'em. viii
rags and the like for your 'urts, bl
what a man wants when 'e's goi
h'out Is a smokel Just one draw Y,
might sye. and I'd go 70 ell with
smile and so would poor MacLarnl
there. which 'e's got to 90 witho
hit Why don't they send US SON
thin to smoke? Il h'ain't much
them wot's 'ome safe and snug. viii
we're hout ERE takin' ell and givi
hit Why don't they, ! arsk your"
His voice trailed off into a pitlat
wall as fresh twinge OF pa
stopped his utterance.
Saunders dug his nails and 10
into the clay that formed the slopl
. sides OF the shell crater and silent
won his way TO the top. The heig
. was not over ten feet at most, $
n required almost a half hour for
ascent He had scarcely stuck
head furtively over the rim when
mufled exclamation Of Joy escap
him.
Buck the lad h'upl" ne hiss
down 70 the astonished Grebs. 'HHii
! hof TO get i'm is smokei"
D Fifty feet away his back TO {
/, crater stood q German private.
zone mittened hand he held a rii
: topped by a wicked looking bayonl
5 I'm the other an electric flashlighi
81 was now quite dark-scarching {
bloody heaps for those who Al
might live But what had caught a
trenshxed the eager eye Of Saund,
o was a huge bowled pipe protrudl
o from the Germans lips. The smo
l. ourled up maddeningly. and the
brought back an aroma that to Sal
u ders was incense OF the gods. He (
mechanically at his belt, though
elready knew he was urormed.
= groan reached HIS ears from
depths below. and. glancing down
faw Grebs supporting the dying Nj
, Larney's head in his. knees.
you'll ave your smoke in a ilffy
lied Grebs nobly. "As soon as
n'open the bloomin'~ in OF baccy.'
Saunders swore softly and clinef