Williston graphic., 1918-06-13

will be as you make 1t, so for Gods
sake, brace up and be man. think
you have the stuff In you, my boy, SC
good-by and the best of luck to you"
The next day the battalion took over
their part of the trenches. 1t happened
to be u very quiet day. The artillery
behind the lines was still, except fol
an occasional shell sent over to let the
Germans know the gunners were not
asleep.
In the darkness, In single file, the
company slowly wended their way
down the communication trench to the
front line. No one noticed LlOyd's
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company
In the trenches, Lloyd, with two of the
| old company men, was put on guard In
one of the traverses. Not q shot was
fired from the German lines, and no
one paid any attention to him
crOuched on the firing step.
On the first time In, new recruit is
not required to stand with his head
"over the top" He only ''sits it OUT
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten o'clock, all of a sudden,
he thought hell had broken loose, and
crOuched and shivered up against the
parapet. Shells started bursting, as he
imagined, right in their trench, when in
fact they were landing about hun
dred yards in rear Of them, In the Sec
ond lines. .=& ~
One of the older men on guard, turn.
ing to his mate. said:
"There goes Fritz with those d-d
trench mortars again. It's about time
our artillery 'taped' them, and sent
over few. Well. ri be ID,
where's that blighter Of draft man
gone to? There's his rifle leaning
against the parapet. He must have
legged it. Just keep your eye peeled,
Dick. while l report it to the sergeant.
I wonder II the fool knows he can be
shot for such tricks as leavin' his
post?"
Lloyd had gone. When the trench
mortars opened up, maddening ter
ror seized him and he wanted to run,
to get away from that horrible din,
anywhere to safety. So quietly sneak
Ing around the traverse he came to the
entrance of communication trench.
and ran madly and blindly down 1t.
running into traverses. stumbling into
muddy holes, and falling full length
over trench grids.
Cropping blindly. with his arms
stretched out in front Of him. he ut
last came out Of the trench into the
village, or what used to be a village
before the German artillery razed 1t.
Mixed with his fear, he had pc
culiar sort Of cunning, which whis'
Dcred to him to avoid all sentries, BE-
cause if they saw him he would be
sent back to that awful destruction III
the front line, and perhaps be Killed
or manned. The thought made MIN
shuilder. the cold sweat coming out III
beads on his face.
On his left, in the darkness, ne couid
make out the shadowy forms of trees; F.;
crawling on his hands and knees STOP
ping and crouching with fear at eacil
shell.burst, he finally reached an olo
orchard and covered at the base OF q
shot-scarred apple tree.
He remained there all night, llsten-
ing to the sound of the guns and ever
praying praying that his useless n1e
would be spared.
AS dawn began to break, he could
discern little dark objects protrudlh9
from the ground all about him. Cqr1:
osify mastered his fear and he crawled
to one Of the objects, and there IN tne
uncertain light, he read on little
wooden cross:
"Pte. H. 8. Wheaton. No. 1870. 1st
London Regt. r. F. Killed IN action'
April Is. 1916. r. I. p" (hest III
Peace).
When It dawned on him that he nao
been hiding all night In cemetery
his reason seemed to leave him, anu =
mad desire to be free from it all mace
him rush madly away, falling over 'lt.
tie wooden crosses, smashing some anu
J trampling others under his feet.
l In his flight he came to an olo
French dugout, half caved In ana ps1'
TALLY filled with Shiny and filthy W.
b ter.
) Like . fox being chased ~ -.
nounas, ne ducked into this hole' snu
threw himself on q pile Of old empv
sandbags, wet and mildewed. Tnen-
: Inconsistencies
On the next day, he came 20; NJ
distant voices sounded in his es1.: /.
Opening his eyes, In the entrance OF
the dugout he saw a corporal and e~o
'' men with fixed bayonets.
,. The corporal was addressing him:
y Get up, you white-livered blighter
curse you and the day you ever joined
!. u company spelling their fine rec
't ord! It'll be you up against the WALL
and good JOB too. Get hold Of him,
men, and if he makes break, give him
8 the bayonet, and send it home, the cow
IL ardly sneak. Come on, you, move,
e we've been looking for you long
J, enough"