Evening journal., 1917-08-11
To Get a Smoke
BY II. c. wIrwER.

per will receive and turn over to
all contributions to pay for tobacco
four packages with a total retail
ced a postcard bearing the name and
Ter receiving the package agrees to
unknown friend back home. You get
er in the trenches.
his fists until the knuckles showed
white beneath the skin.
The next moment q kicking. biting,
scratching human catamount hurled
itself upon the German from the
rear. The p'pe vas torn from his
amazed lips by a grimy hand and
laid with a care that would have
been humorous in any other situation
upon the torn earth The impact Of
the flying body had thrown the Ger.
man haifwany TO his knees, but now
/ he turned with snarling gutturals-
thrustlng yiclously with the bayonet.
Saunders, leaping nimbly aside,
thanked his God for whatever mira.
Gle prevented his opponent from fir-
ing. and as the latter stumbled for
ward, off balance from the misspent
thrusts he swung bis left in an old
fashioned round armed swing full
on the stubby chin. The lightning
right cross that followed stretched
ihe German at his feet. The fallen
man shook his bull mead. plucked a
revolver from somewhere under his
coat. and Saunders, seizing the rife
thrust once
c-ob. e,,o.a t,oo-4ft,. ,na o,o,,.hoa
on tho defensive as a shower OF earth
and stones came rafting down the
sides Of the crater. The next moment
rife was flung at his feet, and even
as he sprang for it Saunders tumbled
o the bottom. Regaining his balance
with the agility of a cat, he rushed to
the side of the dying MacLarney. He
bent low and drew from his pocket
the Germans pipe, tanning it be.
tween the fast setting teeth OF his
cOmrade. The latter almost immedi-
ately opened his eyes. and a sigh
that was not all pain escaped him
while a beatidc smile grew upon ais
wan features.
by Gawd!" thundered Saunders
swinging on the dumbfounded Grebs
"Selp me, I'll fair kill you II you
| 'aven't got q matchl"
Grebs shook himself and explored
his coat with his one good hand A
sOggy packet OF matches appeared
and was snatched away by Saunders
The first three spluttered and died
while superoaths shook the crater
Then one gave fire, and Saunders
quickly applied It to the bowl Of The
pipe in MacLarneys gritting teeth.
Pull. ladp hissed Saunders. "Pul
ard now.f
Saunders sat down exhausted ant
wiped his grlmy, sweaty forehead
Grebs gazed open mouthed from hin
to the rife and then back to the
pipe. He asked no questions He ap
peared to be in a stupor of awe al
his friends marvellous feat and de
sire for the thing 'MacLarney helt
between his lips. He fixed his eye
on that unwaveringly, smiling hun
grily at the smoke. Saunders after
nervous turn about the pit came [,
. his Side and there they both watche,
the thin curl of smoke as a mise
; watches his hoard, a mother her frs
born, a wounded man a canteen O
? water Their eyes burned with fever
lsh desire; their breath came 4
/ choking gaspss their hands clinche
e and unclinched spasmodically
Saunders spoke.
! Maybe" he whispered, his eye
j. never leaving the pipe-''maybe oil
Macll leave a wee bit Of smoke 70
= Us afore . goes, wot?" Suddenly hi
manner changed He seized Greb
3 roughly by the unwounded shoulder
a and when he spoke again MS voic
s came high pitched broken, like ths
o OF a hysterical girl. "Oh, Sawd,' h
;. all but sobbed don't sit there
d gawpin like a bloomin' mummy
'Ope, 'ope. will yer"