Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-07-25

ICX1l
foadbeds they arrived 1t the trsinin
base Of Rouen.
At this place they we're put throus,
a weeks rigid training In trench wal
fare. On the morning Of the eight
day they paraded ut ten o'clock, IN,
were Inspected and passed BY Genera
H.. then were marched to the quar-
termaster's. to draw their gas helmets
and trench equipment.
At four In the afternoon they wer,
again hustled into cattle cara Tni.
time the journey lasted two days
They disembarked at the town Of Ere
vent and could hear a distant dull
booming. With knees shaking, Lloyd
asked the sergeant what the noise was
and nearly dropped when the scrgean,
replied In q somewhat bored tone:
"Oh, them's the guns up the line
Well be up there In q couple o days
or SO. Don't worry. my laddle, you'll
see more of 'em than you want before
you get 'Ome to Bli-hty again, that is,
II you're lucky enough to get back.
o lend a hand there unloadin' them
cars, and quit that everiastin' shakin'.
believe yer scared" The last with q
contemptuous sheer
They marched ten kilos, full pack,
to q little dilapidated village, and the
sound of the guns grew louder, con-
stantly 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 aud the men
were assigned to companies.
Lloyd was the only mar 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 a new COM
pany. No one knows you, Your bed
Will be us you make it, so for Gods
sake, brace up and be 4 man. l think
you have the stuff in you. my boy, so
good-by and the best Of luck to you"
The next day the battalion took over
their part of the trenches. 1t happened
to be a 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
n paid any attention to him
crouchel on the firing step.
On the first time in, a new recruit !s
not required to stand with his head
over the top" He only sits it out"
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten O'Clock. all Of a sudden.
he thought hell had broken loose, and
crouched and shivered up against the
parapet. Shells started bursting, as he
imagined, right in their trench, when In
fact they were landing about a hun.
dred 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 ID
trench mortars again. It's about time
our artillery 'taped' them. and sent
over a few. Well, I'll be ID.
where's that blighter Of a draft man
gone to? There's his rifle leaning
against the parapet. He must have
legged 1t. Just keep your eye peeled.
Dick, while I report 1t to the sergeant.
/ wonder II the fool knows he Gun bs
shot for such tricks as leavln' his
posty'
NAoSu huV SuuC. NIcI TIE trench
mortars opened up, a m%addening ter
o 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 a communication trench,
and ran madly and blindly 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 tho
village, or what used to be a village,
before the German artillery razed II.
Mixed with his fear, he had a ne
culiar sort Of cunning, which whis-
pered to him to avoid all sentries, be-
cause II 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
shuddcr, the cold sweat coming out in
beads on his face.