The Arizona copper camp., 1918-05-18

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heavens sake, what was that?"
He answered. "Only a rat taking a
promenade along the sandbags." I
felt very sheepish.
About every twenty minutes the SEN
try in the next traverse would fire a
''plop" would give me start Of fright.
never got used to this noise during
my service in the trenches.
would watch the arc described by
the star shell, and then stare into No
Mans Land waiting for it to burst. In
its lurid light the barbed wire and
stakes would be silhouetted against it's
light like a latticed window. Then
darkness.
Once, out in front of our wire, I
heard a noise and saw dark forms
moving. My rifle was lying across the
sandbagged parapet. I reached for it,
and was taking aim to fire, when my
mate grasped my arm, and whispered,
Don't fire." He challenged in a low
voice. The reply came back instantly
from the dark forms:
"Shut your blinkin' mouth, you
bloomin' idiot; do you want us to click
it from the Boches?"
Later we learned that the word, "No
challenging or firing, wiring party out
in 'front.'" had been given to the sentry
on our right, but he had failed to pass
it down the trench. An officer had over
heard our challenge and the reply, and
Immediately put the offending sentry
under arrest. The sentry clicked
twenty-one days on the wheel, that is,
he received twenty-one days field pun.
ishment No. 1. or "cruciixion," as
Tommy terms it.
This consists Of being spread-eagled
on the wheel Of a timber two hours a
day for twenty-one days, regardless OF
the weather. During this period, your
rations consist Of bully beef, biscuits
and water.
A few months later met this sentry
and he confded to me that since being
"crucified," he had never failed to pass
the word down the trench when so or
dered. In view Of the offense, the
above punishment was very light, in
that failing to pass the word down a
trench may mean the loss of many
lives, and the spelling Of some impor-
tant enterprise in No Mans Land.
want TO go nome, want to go home,
l don't want to go to the trenches no
Where sausages and whizz-bangs are ga
lore.
Take me over the sea, Where the Allie
mand can't get at me,
Oh. my. don't want to die,
want to go home"
when overhead came 'swfsh" through
the air, rapidly followed by three 9TH
ers. Then about two hundred yards to
our left in a large field, four columns
Of black earth and smoke rose into the
air, and the ground trembled from the
report-the explosion Of four German
fve-nine's, or "coalboxes." A sharp
whistle blast, Immediately followed by
two short ones, rang out from the head
Of our column. This was to take up
"artillery formation" We divided into
small squads and went into the fields
on the right and left Of the road, and
crouched on the ground. No other
shells followed this salvo. It was our
first baptism by shell fire. From the
waist up was all enthusiasm, but from
there down, everything was missing. I
thought I should die with fright.
After awhile, we reformed into col
umns Of tours, and proceeded on our
way.
About five that night, we reached the
ruined village Of H, and I got my
first sight Of the awful destruction
caused by German Kultur.
Marching down the main street we
came to the heart Of the village, and
took up quarters in shellproof cellars
(shellproof until hit by shelly. Shells