The Washington herald., 1918-02-15
CHAPTER VII.
Rntions.

tntlOn8.
Just before doing OF, Mr.. Lance
Corporal butted in.
In Tommy's eyes, a lance corporal
is one degree below a private. In the
corporaPs eyes, he is one degree
above a general
He ordered me to go with him and
help him draw the next days rations,
also told me to take my waterproof.
Every evening, from each platoon
or machine-gun section. a lance cor
poral and private goes to the quarter
master-sergeant at the company
stores and draws rations for the fol-
lowing day.
The quarter" as the quartermas-
ter-sergeant is called, receives daily
from the orderly room Captains Of
feel slip showing the number OF
men entitled TO rations, so there is no
chance OF putting anything over on
him. Many arguments take place be-
tween the quarter" and the platoon
non-com, but the former always wins
out. Tommy says the quarter got
his job because he was a burglar in
civil life.
Then I spread the waterproof sheet
on the ground, while the quartermas-
NCl bdAAhC1l IdliOho VII IL
The corporal was smoking a flag. L
carried the rations back to the billet.
The corporal was still smoking a fag.
How I envied him. But when the is
sue commenced my envy died. and
realized that the first requisite OF
non-commissioned officer on active
service is diplomacy. There were
nineteen men in our section, and they
soon formed a semi-circle around us
after the corporal had called out,
"Rations up"
The quartermaster-sergea had
given a slip to the corporal on which
was written list of the rations. Sit
ting on the floor. using a wooden box
as a table, the issue commenced. On
the left of the corporal the rations
we're piled. They consisted of the fol-
lowing:
Six loaves Of fresh bread, each loaf
of a different size. perhaps one out
of the six being as fiat as a pancake,
the result of an Army Service Corps
man placing a box of bully beef OH
1t during transportation.
Three tins of jam, one apple, and
the other two plum.
Seventeen Bermuda onions. all diff
ferent sizes.
A piece of cheese in the shape of
wedge.
Two one-pound tins Of butter.
A handful of raisins.
A tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls
them "Jaw-breakers."
A bottle of mustard pickles.
The bully beef" spuds, condensed
milk. fresh meat, bacon, and Ma
conochie Rations' "a can filled with
meat, vegetables, and greasy water).
had been turned over to the company
cook to make stew for next days din
ner. He also received the tea, sugar,
salt. pepper, and flour.
Scratching his head, the corporal
studied the slip issued him by the
quarter. Then in a slow, mystified
voice he read out: mo. / section. ~
men. Bread, loaves six" He looked
puzzled and soliIoCuized in a musing
voice:
six loaSes, nineteen men. Let's
see, that's three in a loaf for fifteen
men-wen to make It even. four of
you'll have to muck in on one loaf"
The four that got stuck made a
howl. but to no avail. The bread was
dished out. Pretty soon from a far
corner of the billet. three indignant
Tommies accosted the corporal with:
What do you call. this, loaf of
bread? Looks more like a sniping
plate"
The corporal answered:
well. don't blame me, I didn't
bake it; somebody's got to get it, so
shut up until dish out these blinkin'
rations."
Then the corporal started on the
jam.
Jam, three tins-apple one, plum
two. Nineteen men. three tins. Six
in tin. makes twelve men for two
tins. seven in the remaining tin"
He passed around the jam. and there
was another riot. Some didn't like
apple, while others who received plum
were partial to apple. After the DIFF
ferences were adjusted, and the issue
went on"
Bermuda onions, seventeen"
The corporal avoided arrow by say
ing that he did not want an onion,
and I said they make your breath
smell, so guessed 1 would do with
out one. too. The corporal looked his
gratitude.
Cheese. pounds two"
The corporal borrowed a jackknife
(corporals are always borrowing),
and sliced the cheese-each-s slice
bringing forth pert remark from on
lockers as to the corporal's eyesieht.
R1talna- offnra~ afrkfn Ir.i i