The Huttig news., 1918-03-23

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 a shot. but their services were appreciated. nevertheless
 Later on, I found out their names. They belonged to our draft. l was dazed and motionless. Sud denly shovel was pushed into my hands, and 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 if you're not careful"
 Lying on my belly on the bottom of the trench, I filled sandbags with the sticky mud, they were dragged to my rear by the other men. and the work of rebuilding the parapet was on. The harder l worked, the better felt. Al though the weather was cold, was soaked with sweat.
 Occasionally a bullet would crack overhead, and machine gun would kick up the mud on the bashed-in para pet. At each crack I 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 bull let, Tank; the danger has passed-you never hear the one that wings you. Always remember thatjf you are going to get 1t, you'll get it, so never worry."
 This made great impression on me at the time, and from then on, adopt ed his motto, If you're going to get it. you'll get it."
 It helped me wonderfully. I used it 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 I was laugh, ing and joking with the rest.
 At one o'clock, dinner came up in the form of a dixie of hot stew. l looked for my canteen. It had fallen off the fire step, and was half buried in the mud. The man on my left noticed this, and told the corporaI. dishing out the .rations, to put my share in his mess tin. Then he whis- pered to me, Always take care of your mess tin, mate.'
 l 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 Vest" killed by the explosion of the German trench mortar, and we ate their share, but still l was hungry, so I filled in with bully beef and biscuits. Then drained my water bottle. Later on learned another maxim of the front line, "Cic sparingly with your water" The bully beef made me thirsty, and by tea time was dying for drink, but my pride would not allow me to ask my mates for water. I was fast learning the ethics of the trenches.
 That night was put on guard with an older man. We steod on the fire step with our hands over the top, peer ing out into No Mans Land. It was Nervous work for me, but the other fcl- low seemed to take it as part of the nights routine.
 Then something shot past my face My heart stopped beating, and | ducked my head below the parapet. A soft chuckle from my mate brought me to my senses, and foeAly asked, "For heavens sake, what was that?"
 He answered, "Qnly rat taking promenade along the sandbags." felt very sheepish.
 About every twenty minutes the sen- try in the next traverse would fire a star shell from his flare. pistol. The "plop" would give me start of fright. l never got used to this noise during my service in the trenches.
 I would watch the arc described by the star shell, and then stare into No Mans Land waiting for it to burst. In it's lurid light the barbed wire and stakes would be silhouetted against It's light like latticed window. Then darkness.
 Once, out in front of our wire. heard noise and saw dark forms moving. My rife was lying across the sandbagged parapet. 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 lick it from the Boches?" Later we learned that the wo,d "Nc challenging or iIfng, wiring Party out in front" had been given to The sentry aa our right, but he had fajied to mass It down the trench. An officer had over. heard our challenge and the reply. and immediately put fthe offending sentry onder arrest. The sentry cEcked twenty-one days on the wheel, that Is he received twenty-one days' field pun. ishpent No. l, or "crUeifixion," as Tommy terms 1t.
 This conSiStS of hoino cpraod oo oI ed