The Mena weekly star., 1918-04-25
OVID TIT I(W'
 co AN AMERICAN SOLDIER WHO WENT < ApT1lUl GUY T,nIpEY
MACHINE GUNNER SERVING IN FRANCf-
1 0la7 eY lMIhuR suY E1AYl


me great pledsure 10 see him 1ucK against the parapet. He was getting taste of what we would get later out in front.
 Then, of course. 1t began to rain. I knew 1t was the forerunner of a mis- erable night for us. Every time I had to go out in front, it just naturally 1 Eained. Old Jupiter Pluvius must have had it in for me.
 At six we reported for instructions They were simple and easy. All we had to do was to crawl out into No Mans Land, lie on our bellies with our ears to the ground and listen for the tap. tap of the German engineers or Eappers who might be tunneling under No Mans Land to establish mine head beneath our trench. Of course, in our orders we were told not to be captured by German pa,.ols or reconnoitering parties. Lots Of breath is wasted on the western front giving silly cautions.
 As soon as if was dark. Wheeler and l crawled to our post which was about halfway between the lines. It was raining bucketfuls, the ground was a sea of sticky mud and cIung 10 us like glue.
 We took turns in listening with our ears to the ground 1 would listen for twenty minutes while Wheeler would be on the qui vive for German patrols. We each wore a wristwatch, and be- lieve me. neither one of us did over twenty minutes. The rain soaked us to the skin and our ears were full of mu5I
 Every few minutes bullet would crack overhead or machine gun would traverse back and forth.
 Then all firing suddenly ceased. I whispered to Wheeler, Keep your eye skinned, mate; most likely Fritz has patrol out-that's why the Boches have stopped firing" We were each armed with rife and bayonet and three Mills bombs to be used for defense only. had my ear to the ground. All of a sudden I heard faint, dull thuds In low but excited voice I whispered to Wheeler, q think they are mining, listen"
 He put his ear to the ground and in an unsteady voice spoke into my ear:
 "Yank, that's a patrol and it's head ing our way. For Gods sake keep still"
 I was as still as a mouse and was scared stiff.
 Hardly breathing and with eyes try ing to pierce the inky blackness, we waited. I would have given thou sand pounds to have been safely in my dugout.
 Then we plainly heard footsteps and our hearts stood still.
 A dark form suddenly loomed up in front of me; 1t looked as big as the Woolworth building. I could hear the blood rushing through my veins and 1t sounded as loud as Niagara falls.
 Forms seemed to emerge from the darkness. There were seven of them In all. I tried to wish them away. I never wished harder in my life. They muttered a few words in German and melted into the blackness. I didn't stop wishing either.
 All of sudden we heard a stumble, a muddy splash and a muttered Don ner md Blltzen" One of the Beches had tumbled into a shell hole Neither If us laughed At that time-it didn't strike us as funny.
 About twenty minutes after the Ger mans had disappeared something from the rear grabbed me by the foot. l nearly tainted with fright. Then a welcome whisper in cockney accent,
 q s'y, myte, we've come to relieve you"
 Wheeler and I crawled back to our trench we looked like wet hens and felt worse. After a swig of rum we were soon fast asleep on the fire step In our wet clothes.
 The next morning was as stiff as poker and every joint ached like a bad tooth, but I was still alive, so 1t did not matter.
 cuAprEa XVI