The Mena weekly star., 1918-03-21

Tours. The man on my left was named
 fete Walllng," a cheery sort of fel- iow' He laughed and joked all the way on the march. buoying up my drooplng spirits. I could not figure out anything attractive ih again occupying The front line, but Pete did not seem to mind, said it was all in a lifetime. My left heel was blistered from the rub Ding of my heavy marching boot. Pete noticed that I was limping and offered to carry my rife but by this time had learned the ethics of the march in the British army and courteously refused his offer.
 We had gotten halfway through the communication trench. Pete in my im- mediate rear He had his hand on my shoulder, as men in communication trench have to do to keep in touch with each other. We had just climbed over a bashed-in part of the trench when In our rear a man tripped over loose signal wire, and let out an oath. As usual, Pete rushed to his help. To reach the fallen man he had to cross this bashed-in part. A bullet cracked in the air and ducked. Then moan from the rear. Ny heart stood still. l went back and Pete was lying on the ground. By the aid of my flashnght l saw that he had his hand pressed to his right breast. The fingers were GOV. cred with t'ood. I flashed the light on his face md in its glow a grayish- blue color w stealing over his coun- tonance. Pcte looked up at me and said Well Tank, they've done ne in can feel myself going West" His voice wsls getting fainter and I had to kneel down to get his words. Then he gave me a message to write home to his mother and his sweetheart, and I, like great big boob, cried like baby. was losing my first friend of the trenches.
 Word was passed to the rear for a stretcher. He died before it arrived. Two of us put the body on the stretcher and carried 1t to the nearest first-aid post, where the doctor took an official record of Pete's name, num- Der, rank and regiment from his lden- tity disk, this to be used In the cas- ualty lists and notification to his family.
 We left Pete there, but 1t broke our hearts to do so. The doctor informed us that we could bury him the next morning. That afternoon five of the boys of our section, myself included. went to the little ruined village in the rear and from the deserted gardens of the French chateaux gathered grass and flowers. From these we made a wreath.
 While the boys were making this wreath, I sat under shot-scarred apple tree and carved out the follow ing verses on little wooden shield which we nailed on Pete's cross. True to his God; true to Britain.
 Doing his duty to the last
 Just one more name to be written
 On the Roll of Honor of heroes passed Passed to their God. enshrined in glory,
 Entering life of eternal rest
 One more chapter in England's story
 Of her sons doing their best. Rest. you soldier mate so true.
 Never forgotten by us below;
 Know that we are thinking of you,
 Ere 10 our rest we are bidden to go. Next morning the whole section went over to say gooc-by to Pete and laid him away to rest.
 After each one had look at the face of the dead corporal of the R. A. Nj. c. sewed up the remains in blan- ket. Then placing two heavy ropes across the stretcher (to be gsed in low ering the body into the gravel, we lift ed Pete onto the stretcher, and rev erently covered him with large union jack the flag he had died for.
 The chaplain led the way. then came the officers of the section, followed by two of the men carrying wreath. Inn mediately after came poor Pete on the fag-draped stretcher, carried by four soldiers. I was one of the four. Be hind the stretcher, in column of fours, came the remainder of the section.
 To get to the cemetery, we had to pass through the little shell-destroyed village, where troops were hurrying to and fro.
 AS the funeral procession passed these troops came to the attention" and smartly saluted the dead.
 Poor Pete was receiving the only sa- lute a private is entitled to ''some- where in France"
 Now and again shell from the Ger man lines would go whistling over the village to burst in our artillery lines In the rear.
 When we reached the cemetery we halted h front Of an open grave, and laid the stretcher beside it. Forming below square around the opening of the grave. the chaplain read the burial service.
 German machine-gun bullets were "cracking" in the air above us, but Pete didn't mind, and neither did we.
 When the body was lowered Into the grave the flag having been removed, we clicked our heels together and came to the salute. v, ..
 tTo be continued next week-)
 sas ---------o------------
 Al T T. IL