Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-09
BEING BUR|ED-AL|VE
B0WDY's ONLY FEAR.
wounded British Soldier Lights
Cigarette When Falling Earth
Buries His Legs,
RATS LAY.1N WAIT FOR PREY


on Imprisoned Man and His Res
cuer-The Tommy WHO Dreaded
That Very Thing.
ny RlFLEMAN PATRICK MACGILL.
Now n Soldier in the London Irish. =
FRANCE, November S-There are
,er,ain facts known to all OF us and
these arc few Of them. Heroes of
no parapet often dread the platform.
noidicrs fearless in front OF foe are
late Lord Roberts, ~ c., was afraid
VI cats. These things are known 10
o os an. SO In this story we shall speak
ana that is that Bowdy BenncrS is
afraid of being buried alive.
howdy Is a soldier in a certain rife
regiment. and on Bowdy's breast can
pc seen the ribbon of the ID. G. NJ. He
Is one of the bravest OF men and his
mates love him. The respect. almost
Bowdy is hoy of medium height,
strong -musclcd and very energetic.
his forehead white and lined with
hncly traced wrinkles. Add an aquiline
nose, Il delicate mouth. a fine oval face.
all OF which give hin pleasing and
attractive appearance. A cheerful
spirit combined With honest sincerity
and persistent industry in making the
best of everything draw the men OF
Bowdy Bcnncrs, ID. &. NJ.
In raid or attack he Is always one
"t the first TO cross the bags and, luck
permitting. he is also one OF the first
TO cross the enemy parapet. Fear
*ccms to find no place in his makeup.
me heaviest strafe finds him cool and
unperturbcd, whether standing on the
hrestep of Il dwindlinG trench or cross
ing mo mans land dccked in the
nabilimcnts OF war. But despite this.
Bowdy Bcnncrs is afraid Of one thing
he fears being buried alive under
stricken duEout or n fallen parapet
ms fear is not one that entered
came out TO France. it was with him
always. even when he was "A little boy
An innate dread of being buried under
~ the clay falling over. his body. WAS
Howdy's from the beginning of things
Now and again in his sleep he drcamt
F., OF this happening and Tor weeks after
Wards shuddered TO thing of the dream
~ tortured his mind. this thought Of
death visiting him when he was al
ready buried. To think OF it was agony
OF this horrible effacement: the black
Garth piled over his body. the strange
led breathing, the futiiity OF ali effort
10 free himself In the utter darkness
REFUSED TO SLEEP IN .tN
TRENCH DuGoUTs
When nc came out TO France and
entered the alleys of war he was a
prey 10 this dread. Death he did not
fear. but the manner OF death was his
constant so1ss tor worTy On the omen field
death offered no terror to Bowdy Ben
ners. But IL he was covered up by a
This was TO be dreaded and he had
seen men, mates Of his own, entering
n dusout to snatch few hours sleep
and never coming out again. Bowdy
feared the dugout. and during his days
and nights in the trenches he never
silent In one. In fact he was seldom
known TO cross dugout door. once.
however. three weeks ago he entered
a duGout but the story OF this entry
I Is best told by,a wounded soldier who
AT present is nursing n wounded leg
! in an English hospital.
II got my packet one night on a
I. raid and'i was.left lynn on the top o (
Ierry's trench when my mates made
their way back to their own lines"
rates his story TO those who visit mis-
ward. The night was black as pitch
and you couldn't see more than two
doing their work went back, and. miss
! ing me In the. darkness. / was left be-
! hind. unconscious. too. When came
TOO. and found that the others had
mans land"
FALLS TO SLEEP IN
ABANDONED DUGOUT
Twas long journey with all kinds
Of dirt fitting about my head. aud
L
TO crawl in. pulling n wounded reg
after me. Nobody In the trench. !.
From what | heard afterwards II was
sap leading out FROM ouI4lines that
had stumbled across. But 1t had a
dugout on one side. and into this l
crawled, my shin e.ywith bullet
In IL. painins me horr'd But all the
done up. what with having no sleep
the night before and what,with-work-
ing hard all day helping, to build a
so ! had my kip. and when 7 woke
up II was broad daylight with the sun
shining through the door; had look
round me and took stock of the dug
out. I-umme! it was. a. ;dugout. a
rottin stinkhole. the : fioer's cover
cd with water and the walls falling
in. and the roof coming down! 1t
looked as il a breeze would blow It
happened 1t would be ali up. finec.
and slid. crawling through slusfi' and
stink to the door. When / was at the
coor looked back and then could
s seSnd me e mad the LEFT fiEare5s
ing fool ] went back for. IL. and just
as touched it the damned roof came
move me- ssan for up m ma tSS
on, m% puttees and my legs were. i'm
prisoned with half the dugout lying
o on them and and the rest of the roof just
W uicp uoNu ana flnlSn inc 1OD.
So there was nothing for it but to
light a flag and wait for the lend.
Lumme! q man can die with laugh if
he has faE between his teeth
But 1t was a hong wait In the g tiukE
ing duEout with the rats peeping out
at me from every corner. They knew
that il was all up"with me and they
waited for their blooming dinner. Din
nor t.nG went by and tea time and
then the darkness began to fall. Godl
darkness. i thought of this and /
howled, Just like a frightened Kill.
Ono can't keep ones courage always
un 49,. ,-.,.
cit was real dark when ] heard a
step outside and somebody came to a
halt at the door.
"'Whos there" shouted.
Who's there asked somebody, at
the door. y
ga bioomin' Tommy with hair OF
Trance ON top of lhith:..I" called back
g Course III help you5, was the an