The Robesonian., 1918-08-26
lover the Top
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Maekine Gunner SesoinS IN France
(Copy.isht, 1911. hy Arthur Guy 1upsy
CHAPTER XXI.
About Turn.


The next evening we were relieved
BY the -th brigade, and once again
returned to rest billets. Upon arriving
at these billets we were given twenty
four hours in which to clean up. had
just finished getting the mud from my
uniform when the orderly sergeant in
formed me that my name was in orders
to leave, and that was TO report to
the orderly room in the morning for Or
ders, transportation and rations.
1 nearly had a fit, hustled about
packing up, filling my pack with SOU
venirs such as shell heads, dud bombs,
nose caps, shrapnel balls, and Prus-
sian guardsman's helmet. In fact, bel
fore turned in that night, / had every
thing ready to report at the orderly
room at nine the next morning.
was the envy Of the whole section,
sWanking around, telling of the good
time was going to have, the places I
would visit, and the real, old English
beer I intended to guzzle. Sort of
rubbed it into them, because they all
do it, and now that it was my turn, I
took pains to get my own back.
At nine reported to the captain, re-
ceivtng my travel order and pass. He
asked me how much money I wanted
to draw. glibly answered, "Three
hundred francs, sir" he just as glibly
handed me one hundred.
Reporting at brigade headquarters,
with my pack weighing ton, waited,
with forty others, for the adjutant to
Inspect us. After an hours wait, he
came out; must have been sore because
he wasn't going with us.
The quartermaster sergeant issued
us two days rations, in little white
canvas ration bag, which we tied to
our belts.
> Then two motor lorries came along
} and we piled in, laughing, joking, and
, In the best of spirits. We even loved
the Germans, we were feeling so happy.
Our journey to seven days bliss in
Blighty had comme4ced.
q The ride in the lorry lasted about
two hours; by this time we were GOV.
cred with fine, white dust from the
road, but didn't mind, even if we were
nearly choking
Il At the railroad station at F. W.
reported to an officer, who had a white
band around his arm, which read "R
L. O." (Royal Transportation Oficer)
= To us this officer vas Santa Claus
The sergeant in charge showed hin
our orders; he glanced through then
8 and said: make yourselves comfor,
able on the platform and don't leave
W the train Is liable to be along In fiv
D. minutes-or five hours"
It came in five hours, string @
eleven match boxes on big, hig
= wheels, drawn by dinky little engin
with the "con." These match boxe
ne were cattle cars, on the sides of whic
IN was painted the old familiar sigl
is 'Hommes 40, Chevaux 81
~ The r. T. @. stuck us all into or
be- car. We didn't care; it was as goe
.ct 10 as Pullman to us.
,ty Two days we spent on that trai
humping, stopping, jerking ahead, M
md sometimes sliding back. At three st
inc tiOns we stopped long enough to NAL
inc some tea, but were unable to wash,
the whom uo orrivod of ID 1,ho
the " - "AeAe
line were to embark for Blighty, we we
nee as black as Turcos and, with our u
ner chox,- e,.o, Nv. ,..,.. ,.,
line Hno'eh AoSes' We iooheu Ahe lOC
AXE tramps. Though tired out, we we
no TO happy.
sor. We had packed up, preparatory
lnts detraining, when r. T. o. held up ]
ST, hand for us to stop where we VIZ
eets and came over. This is what he sal