Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-19
THE SENTRY
"HALT! Who air ye?" The voice of a
~ sentry comes from out the night clear
By Lieut.. Leon Archibald
British Royal Engineers ,.

"HALT' Who air ye?" The voice of
III sentry comes from out the night clear
and distinct.
Friend" goes back the reply
"Pass, friend, as we'll
crack! a bullet nips a corner Of the sand.
bagged sentry box and goes whining off into
space. It's an over from the front line 900
yards away on the edge Of the wood It's
just STRAY
"Han! Who air YEP"
Working parity" comes back the answer.
Crack! Another STRAY" cuts the air with
an ear-splitting noise like the magnied
cracking" Of q whip somewhere above the
sentry's head.
"Pass, werking parity, as we'll"
HJFE sentry's post Is at the right -anged
i turning in the approach to the front line
where the STRAND" becomes Hunters ave-
nue.; while the turning itself. where stands
the seven by three sentry box, with sand
bagged back, had long ago been given the
well-merited sobriquet of Dead Mans Cor
ner. The sentry's beat consists OF seventy
five feet to the dressing station along
Hunters avenue in the direction OF the
trenches, and thence back again around DEAD
Mans Corner and down the strand another
seventy-f1ve feet to the cemetery, or ceme-
teries: for each division which fas occupied
these trenches has accorded to its own gal
liant dead a separate plot of ground.
All WHo u" se'
III "R E." is given In reply.
"pass, Air r., as well! 'Tis a rdtry WELL
in faact, for We hae no got me to full your
saand bags for ye the nicht
Never mind, Jock. old dear. Perhaps
we'll get you tomorrow night.
I'VE wull, pairhaps.' .-
Crack, and the angry little bullet seems
ominously to echo, "perhdps"
"HaI! who air ye?"
Ration parity o the Camrons' IS the an
"Pass, ration parity. as we'll. See can ye
be rettin' an extra piece o. haam or some
thin for the guard. and mind ye no De Tor,
Rettin' yon tot O. rum the NIGHT ike ye dld
last Hows a up l the llne' anu Is II ra"''''
baad up thair?"
Stumblingly the ration party passes, thelr
heads bent low and with greatcoat coiars
turned up high to shield their necks ana
faces from the binding rain.
AwAy down the STRAND and coming
n nearer is heard the sound Of voices, and
suddenly there flashes out of the gloom IN
the vicinity Of the voices small bright hgnt'
HAT, Who air ye? And wuil ye be
pittin oot tha' match. ,,,,
The offending light goes out immed,ateiy,
and the steps continue to grow nearer, but
| no answer to the challenge comes back.
"H1LT, who AIR ye?" And there now
| accompanies the challenge harsh metallic
| click, not at all unlike the operation OF 4
rife bolt ,,s
The sound of approaching footsteps suo-
denly stops and in their stead comes torth
Cyclists on patrol.
This is a new one on the sentry, anu ~
| an instant he is puzzled, but in spite or ms
| dilemma there almost Immediately ioi'ows
his: r,,,.a"
| "Advaance, one. for to be recognized.
| Haltingly, a pair of footsteps come toward
him. and presently an indec'sNe iV,ra, rs..n.s
| shrouded in a loose rubber cape. presents
| itself before the sentry, who STANDS motioh'
| less with his rife lat the ready.
| What did. ye say ye ware?' asks the
sentry. or
| moral in charge" answers the hgure IN
slightly agitated voice. for he heard ina
| metallic click a moment ago, ana ts s'sh'h'
| cance he well understood - :,
| Never before has the sentry been quite ..
| nut to IT, for cyclist patrols have as yet no'
come within his ken. Consequently this
most assuredly moment for caution,
"And wha' might ye\be patrollin, cor prai
| wull ye tell me?" ,
Lines OF communication, explains '"'
Il tnocht tha' would be the dooty o thu
siEnalers," parties the sentry. +,
THE signalers look after the wires
that's what you mean but we're on patro
| Of a different sort altogether. We're out u
catch a spy. maybe. that might be prowiln
around"
TlHIs is just little too much for tn
| i credulity of the sentry. for. II lines OF com
munication do not mean wires. then wha
| TO they mean? And. furthermore. this sp.
business doesn't sound just exactly rish'
either, as his next words indicate.
And IL yen be oot after Gairman spy
wull ye tell me just wha' for aafn heare
Come VT me. and mind yersel M tricks.
Expostulating, the corporal with tle mes
y ~ down ~ "gtrenar y - eHAfds ~
z - rs ( y 81 .,>+. 4. e. { II