Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-04-19
CHAPTER v.
Mud, Rate and Shells

L
must have slept for two or three
hours. not the refreshing kind that re.
suits from clean sheets and soft pil-
lows, but the sleep that comes from
cold. wet and sheer exhaustion.
Suddenly, the earth seemed TO shake
ana thunderclap burst In my ears. /
opened my eyes--I was splashed all
over with sticky mud. and men were
picking themselves up from the bottom
of the trench. The parapet on my left
hnd toppled Into the trench, completely
blocking II with a wall of tossed. .up
earth. The man on my left lay stiIl. I
rubbed the mud from my face, and an
awful sight met ny saza-h.s head
was smashed to a pulp, and his steel
helmet was full .of brains and blood.
A German Minnie" (trench mortar,
had exploded In the next traverse. Men
were digging into the soft mass Of mud
IN frenzy OF haste. Stretcher-bear.
ers came up the trench ON the double.
AFTER q few minutes OF digging, three
still, muddy forms on stretchers were
carried down the communication
trench to the rear. Soon they would
be resting somewhere In France" with
little wooden cross over their heads
They had done their bit for king and
country, had died without firing shot,
but their services were appreciated,
nevertheless.
Later on. found out their names.
They belonged to our draft.
was dnzed and motionless Sud.
denly q shovel was pushed into nv
hands, and a rough but kindly voice
said:
Here. my lad. lend a hand clearing
the trench, but keep your head down
and look out for snipers. One of the
Fritz's is daisy, and he'll get YOU II
you're not careful"
Lying on my belly on the bottom of
the trench, l filled sandbags with the
sticky mud. they were dragged TO INV
rear by the other men, and the work of
rebuilding the parapet was on. The
harder ! worked, the better I felt AL.
though the weather was cold, was
soaked with sweat.
Occasionally q bullet would crack
overhead. and machine gun would
Kick up the mud on the bashed.in para.
pet. At each crack would duck and
shield my face with my arm. One of
the Older men noticed this action of
mine, and whispered:
Don't duck at the crack Of a bul.
let, Yank; the danger has passed--you
never hear the one that wings you
Always remember th"t II you are going
to get 1t, you'l get 1t. so never worry"
This made great impression on me
at the time, and from then on. adont.
ed his motto, "lf you're going to get IT,
you'll get It."
1t helped me wonderfully. I used II J
so often afterwards that some OF my
mates dubbed me, "If you're going to
get 1t, you'll get It,"
After an hours hard work, all my
nervousness left me, and was laugh,
Ing and joking with the rest,
At one o'clock, dinner came up in
the form of dixie Of hot stew.
I looked for my canteen. It had
fallen Off the fire step, and was half
buried In the mud. The man on nv
left noticed this, and told the corporal,
dishing out the rations, to nut nv
share in his mess tin. Then he whis.
pered to me, always take care of your
mess tin, mate"
I had learned another maxim Of the
trenches.
That stew tasted fine. I was as
hungry as bear We had seconds"
or another helping, because three of
the men had "gone West" killed by
the explosion of the German trench
mortar, and We ate their share, but
still I was hungry, so I filled in with
bully beef and biscuits. Then drained
my water bottle. Later on I learned