Weekly journal-miner., 1918-01-02
OF WATER CARRIER, TEST
 OF BRAVERY
WORK VITAL TO SUCCESS MUST BE PERFORMED THROUGH DOUBLE BAR RAGE OF RSTIN SHELLS AND UNDER THE LIGHT OF FLARES FROM ENEMY TRENCHES.

| LONDON, Dec 2S-Carrying water
 to the thirsty fighting men in the
 front line trenches through a double
 barrage of bursting shells from botl British and German guns, while the
 multi-colored flares from the Germa.
 trenches cast weird light over 6
 shell-riven battlefield puts to test the
 nerve and courage of the bravcst Yc'
 the work must be done while the bat
 tic is in progress.
 Stumbling over the bodies of dead comrades, or falling exhausted among them, floundering through the mud or into shell craters, the watcr-cal.
 rier yet must struggle on till Inc reaches the first line, unless death re- lieves him of the task. A vivid story of one such journey is told by Victor Grayson, formerly a member of the British parliament, now serving as a private in the British army
 T found myself one of party dc tailed to carry up rations to the front line trenches through a dual barrage,' he writes. We all knew that the boys up the line were to hop over at laybrcak the following morning, but were were not aware until our scr gcant-major told us, that they had been without rations for l2 hours.
 As much as the mud would per init, our pace was specded up, and we were soon in line upon the duck boards, (board-walks laid in mud myself and my immediate companions each laden with two petrol tins oi water
 The. front line was about two miles away For the first part of the journey a bright moon made the travelling comparatively easy. But suddenly tile duck-boards ended, the moon completely disappeared, and the resulting darkness acted like signal to the opposing batteries. The air was torn with the howls and shricks of shells
 Tt became matter of infinite care and considerable skill to pick our way between the deep shell holes, which were sometimes so close together as to be divided only by sloping ridge of less than a foot in width. The enemy was firing wild and shells were exploding on all sides with e propinquity that made Us involun- tarly duck our heads and wait for the inevitable shower of dirt and mud, or worse. every now and then man would lose his footing, and he and his cans would roll with a splash into a gaping shell hole.
 Tt seems inconccivablc, even ir- rcvcrcnt, that one should laugh fl, the midst of such horrors. But when I saw my pal in front dart away from mcnacing shcll-burst on the right. straight into the arms, so to speak, of d muddy shcll-holc on the left, I laughed till stitch came into my side.
 When we reached the supper, trenches, a halt was called-not e moment too soon-for a rest. My water cans had become amazingly heavy, and all of us were panting as we crouchcd beside our comrades who were waiting in the support trench, in reserve. I had recently | suffered from a cold, and I heartily | wished that my journey might soon end. After five minutes we started on again, and the scrgcant-major set pace that knew could not sus- tain. Gradually l felt myself falling behind, and every fresh effort to catch up with my party only served 10 in 1 crease my exhaustion and limit my breath. At last, with feeling of ut- ter dcsolation, l fell beside my cans. The flares revealed to me that l should soon lose contact with my hurrying comrades, and the mad music of the hurtling shells stimulat- cd me to a fresh effort
 For a couple of hundred yards | struggled forward, but, weak and bcrcft of wind, I went down once iilblN dilu NdlNhNuY Nllli d NOll Oi 1 guilty desperation, the rear file of my party disappear over a ridge between two lonely shcll-stricken trees. It was terrible to feel alone on that tortured field, yet was not altogcth- CT alone. The fitful elarcs lighted up for me the uumistakablc faces and forms of the dead, comrades who had fallen on their way to the iron, line.
 "A great wcarincSs seized mo. and in spite of the noise and uncanny sur roundings I could have gone to sleep. A chagrincd dread of failing in my task nervcd me, however. to final effort I found my way through the stark sentinel trecss, and though wandering blindly, with no furthc, sense of direction, I finally heard voices, British voices, and was soor looking down into communication trench.
 "'Gct down quick. digger, cried an officer. Never mind your cans