Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-03-27
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EVERY DAY IN
THE JOURNAL

roadbeds they arrived at the training
base of Rouen
At this place they were put through
weeks rigid training in trench war
fare. On the morning OF the eighth
day they paraded Mt ten O'Clock. and
were inspected and passed by General
H, then were msrched TO the duar-
ternaster's, to draw their gas helmets
and trench elui .ment,
At four in the afternoon they were
again hustled into cattle cars. This
time the journey lasted two days.
They dlsembarked at the town of FIRE.
vent and could hear distant dull
booming. With knees shaking, Lloyd
asked the sergeant what the noise was,
and nearly dropped when the sergeant
replied in somewhat bored tnsse:
"Oh, items the guns up the line.
Wen be up there in a couple o. days
or so. Don't. worry, my Iadlie, youH
see more of 'em than you want before
you get 'ome to Biighty again, that is,
if you're lucky enough to get back.
Now lend hand there unloadin' them
cars. and quit that everlastin' shakin'.
believe yer scared" The last with q
contemptiious sneer. ~
They marched ten kflos, full pack
to 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 and the men
were assigned to companies.
Lloyd was the only man assigned to
ID company Perhaps the officer In
charge of the draft had something to-
do with it, for he called Lloyd aside
ana said: W
Lloyd, you are going to new com.
pany. No one knows you. Your bed
will be as you make it, so for Gods
sake. brace up and be a man. 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. Ithappened
to be 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 wendell their wax
down the communication trench to the \
front line. No one noticed Lldyfs
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 shotfwAs
fired from the German lines, and no
one paid any attention to hina
crouched on the firing step.
On the first time in, a new recruit Is
not required to stand with his head
lover the top" He only "sits Il ont
while the older men keep watch
At about ten o'clock, all of a sudden,
he thought hell had broken loose, aud
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.
bred yards in rear of them, In the see
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 tapped them, and sent
over few. Well, I'll be id
where's that bllghter Of draft man
gone to? There's his rifle leaning
against the parapet. He must have
legged it. Just keep your eye peeled,
Dick, while report 1t to the sergeant
/ wonder If the fool knows he can be
shot for such tricks as leavin' his
post?"
Lloyd had gone. When the trench
mortars opened up, a maddening ter
ror 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 tbs
entrance of communication trench
and ran madly and blindly down it,
running into traverses, stumbling int
muddy holes, and falling full length
over trench grids.
Cropping blindly. with his arms
stretched out in front of him, he at
last came out Of the trench into the
village, or what used to be village
before the German artillery razed It
Mixed with his fear he had pc
culiar sort OF cunning, which whis-
pered to him to avoid all sentries, be-
cause If they saw him he would be
sent back to that awful destruction n
the front line, and perhaps be Killed
or MANNED. The thought made him
shudder, the cold sweat coming out.in
beads on his face. Sis
On his left, in the darkness, he could
make out the shadowy forms of trees;
crawling on his hands and knees, Stop
ping and crouching with, fear at each
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