Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-22
ZERO HOUR.

II is zero hour" All night the
boys-our Boysshaye been waiting
watching. knowing that with the com
ing OF the dim shadows OF GAVIN
woaId come Zero hour"-the hour in
which they would go over the
top
The artillery has been pounding,
pounding, pounding through the
long hours-Were they long, Were
thy. 1t Is al so much like a
dream. ages, or was it only min
utes. that rush through the slusa
and amud, over shell swept roads,
from Back ther4 somewhere" TO
up here" into the front line trench.
An hour ago he'll broke loosA- 1t
was he final deluge OF death pour
ed from American and Frenc guns
int the German positions out yonde
beyond that fobiGden strip all ma
tirns named mo Mans Land" For
an rcur the air has been filled with
III SOB si'riek and scream OF great
shells.
Nov It l. zero hour" There Is
a moment luu in the cannonfire. 1t
s lick ire dead silence, the IN
earthly calm. that comes sometimes
in tie Z sdst OF fIriOns storm.
The mn are grouped about the
lscsIeIs.
livery rery, in every man is
: nse as steel wire, five minutes
more. four minutes, three min
utes.
I'0r Tie line a whisper runs.
.Aesnember, at the whistle every
nssr gees over. no waiting. keep out
OF tie way OF the man behind, and
giEc them hell"
Gil | want to get boche on my
OIL Dayonet," huns a yoicelike an
-cho and a suppressed laugh rip
olesl through the air.
"Sh-Eh, Silence
Two minutes-one minute
Every man knows that some VINO
are waiting. waiting for the command
To ego over" are spending tnrir
last few SECONDS on eaarth; every
man knows that before the red
sun throws his lances above the
eastern horizon, ALREADY lighted by
tie gray heralds Of morning, some oil
those crouching there Will have pa,o
the last farthsng of the Great Price
that men who fight for Liberty, for
Country, for Home, for Righteous
u sss. are called to pay.
What thoughts go tumblingI throui
their minds-what images Of home,
ot green fieIo5. OF faces-faces-
All, the whistle.
Now. over, Over, And get EN-
shadowy forms spring out Of the
trenches. Figures running, stoopee
forward, leaaping shelllholes-srum-
bling, dash toward the lanes cut
already through the wire.
Every mans eyes fixed straight
ahead. every mans mind alert 10
the thing HE rs to do, every mans
attention. Yiveted on HISS especial
duty.
Machine gums belch death into their
faces. they drop, nat, the next In
slant arc rp. pzrt ~ them, some viii
neyer rice fsa.n- ART lush on.
Into TIE eseb,J trench.
Now. rcw, il IA steel against steel,
or keen po,Tf INTO quiyering flesh
Are gieat sEeIls flying overhead, Are
hand .ftBsdes. bombs, bursting al
aroun1. Are men dropping, sur
prised startled, by the sudden thrust
OF bayonet or smash ooof gun butt on
helmet covered heads.
Perhaps perhaps, there Is no time
70 see. Each man Is busy, too busy
with his own part in the Great Ad-
venture tc notice. There Is no
paus ling TO see If Comrade ia do
lug his Bit; No grumblliDg at
the work. at the enthusiasm, Of the
"other fellow; no whining that ]
am doing more than my share" No,
and thank God There is no conn
paratIye. patriotism "over there"
Every man Is doing ALL, All,
he can do; every man u doing
best
Only so may the trench be taken,
In no other way can the vandall be
driven back