The Ordway new era., 1918-07-19

| side of each appeared In white letters
"Hommes 10, Cheyaux g." After hours
Of humping over the uneven French
roadbeds they arrived ut the training
base Of Rouen-
At this place they were put through
a weeks rigid training in trench war
fare. On the morning of the eighth
day they paraded at ten O'Clock. and
were Inspected and passed by General
H. then were marched to the quar-
termaster's. to draw their gas helmets
and trench equipment
At four in the afternoon they were
again hustled into cattle cars. This
time the journey lasted two days.
| They disembarked at the town of FIRE.
vent and could hear a distant dull
| booming. With knees shaking. Lloyd
| asked the sergeant what the noise was.
and nearly dropped when the sergeant
| replied in somewhat bored tone:
"oh. them's the guns up the line
Wen be up there in a couple o days
/ or so. Don't worry. my laddle, you'll
see more Of 'em than you want before
you get 'ome to Blighty again. that Is.
II you're lucky enough to get back.
Now lend hand there unloadin' them
cars, and quit that everlastin' shakin'-
believe ye. scared" The last with
contemptuous sneer.
They marched ten kilos, full pack.
to a little dilapldated village. and the
sound OF the guns grew louder. con-
stantiy louder.
The village was full OF soldiers who
turned out to inspect the new draft.
the men who were shortly to be their
mates in the trenches. for they were
going up the line" on the morrow. to
take over" their certain sector of
trenches.
The draft was paraded in front OF
battalion headquarters and the men
were assigned TO companies.
Lloyd was the only man assigned to
d company. Perhaps the officer in
charge of the draft had something TO
do with it. for he called Lloyd aside
and said
Lloyd. you are going to new COM
pany. No one knowS you. Your bed
will be as you make 1t. so for Gods
sake. brace up and be man. l think
You have the stun in you. my boy. SO
The next day the battalion took over
their part of the trenches 1t happened
to be very quiet day. The artillery
behind the lines was still. except for
an occasional shell sent over to let the
Germans know the gunners were not
asleep.
In the darkness. in single file, the
company slowly wended their way
down the communication trench to the
front line. No one noticed Lloyd's
, white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company
in the trenches, Lloyd. with two Of the
old company men. was put on guard in
one OF the traverses. Not a shot was
fired from the German lines. and no
one paid any attention to him
crouched on the firing step.
On the first time in. new recruit Is
not required to stand with his head
'over the top" He only "sits 1t out"
while the older men keep watch.
AT about ten o'clock. all of sudden.
he thought hell had broken loose. and
crouched and shlvered up against the
pnrapet. Shells started bursting. as he
imagined, right in their trench, when In
fact they were landing about hun
| ,ired yards in rear of them, In the sec
ond lines.
One of the older men on guard. turn
| ing to his mate. said:
There goes Fritz with those d|d
trench mortars again. It's about time
our artillery tapped them, and sent
| oil a Il
where's that blighter of draft man
| gone to? There's his rifle leaning
against the parapet- He must have
legged 1t. Just keep your eye peeled.
| Dick. while report 1t to the sergeant.
wonder If the fool knows he can be
| shot for such tricks as leavin' his
| post?"
Lloyd had gone. When the trench
mortars opened up. a maddening ter
ror seized him and he wanted to run.
to get away from that horrible din,
| anywhere to safety. So quietly sneak
ing around the traverse, he came to the
entrance of communication trench,
and ran madly and bIindly down it.
running into traverses. stumbling into
muddy holes, and falling full length
over trench grids.
| Cropping bllndly, with his arms
stretched out in front of him. he at
last came out of the trench into the
village or what used to be village.
before the German artillery razed It..
Mixed with his fear. he had n pc
cuiIar sort of cunning, which whis-
pered to him to avoid all sentries. be-
cause If they saw him he would be
sent back to that awful destruction in
the front line, and perhaps be killed
or manned. The thought made him
Shudder. the cold sweat coming out In
beads on his face.