Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-18
(COntinued)

Jerry weren't much at cheerful
writing, because %. 'ad a calling.
Even back 'ome in Blighty, e weren't
much for lights nor fun. 'E took
after our mother. The, neighbors
called 'er 'aunted, too, but she
weren't. She could see things like
Jerry.
This ere lone tree sentinel Jerry
writes about was an old tree in No
Mans Land, about a 'undred yards
from our front line trenches. 1t
was pretty we'll knocked about by
bullets and shell fragments. 1t made
a pretty good guide post, stickin' sort
o. lonely like up against the skyline
at night. Accommodating patrols and
bombing parties used it to show 'em
the wye back to their trenches, be-
cause, y'know, out there in the
blaskness it's easy to lose your wye,
unless you ave spirits aguidin' you.
Lots of times English and Ger
man patrols would meet near the
lone tree, and many a 'and-to-'and
fight would tyke plyce around its
roots.
AT that part O. the line it were
pretty 'ot, what with the rifle and
machine gun firing, the only time
there would be a lull in the firing
was when reconnoiterin' patrol
was out in front, and then, as you
know, you couldn't fire for fear of a
lifting your own blokes. All around
the lone tree were scattered many
bodies. mostly English and German
Some of 'em 'ad been alyin' there
for weeks, and when the wind were
ablowin' from the German lines to-
ward us 1t were sort of unpleasant in
our front line.
Every time the captain would
call for soldiers for q reconnoitering
patrol, Aunted Jerry, as you call
i'm, alw'ys put is bloomin' nyme on
the list. 1t got so that after a while
e was never asked If e wanted to
go; the captain would just natural
ly put lis nyme down as agoin'.
In our dugout, Jerry would tell
me 'ow many dead were around the
tree. 'Ow e could count 'em in the
dark, l don't know, but e could see
-'e could see.
Sometimes in the day time e
would rig up a periscope on is own,
and sit. on the firestep for hours
alookin' out in No Mans Land at the
lone tree, and the bodies around it.
This sort O. got on our captains
nerves, and e gave Jerry orders not
to use a periscope. After this order
Jerry used to sit off by imself on
the tirestep a muSin' and n muSin'!
The other blokes laughed at i'm, but
l knew what he were adoin-'e
We're atalkin' to the spirit of the
lone tree.
Then e got sort O. reckless, and
because it were against orders for
i'm to use q periscope, e used to, in
the bloomin' day time, stick is cad
over the top and gaze in the di-
rection of the lone tree. Bullets from
German snlpers would kick up the
dirt and tear the sand bags all
around i'm, and none of 'em ever 1T
i'm. No bullet ever myde could kill
'Aunted Jerry, as you call i'm.
The rest o. the blokes in the
trench would pull i'm down off the
firestep. They thought they were
asavin' his live, but Jerry weren't
afraid from bullets. 'E knew, and
so did /, that they couldn't arm
i'm. Then our Capitalize 'ad
brains, e 'ad-said that Jerry was
balmy, and gave orders to the Ser
geant Major to tyke i'm back to the
Doctors to send i'm to Blighty.
Jerry was told about this the night
before e was to leave. e was great
ly upset, and did nothin' but talk
to the spirits-the air was full of
'em-I could ear their voices, too.
That night about ten o'clock
Jerry was missed. The next morn
ing e was still amissin'. For two
days nothing was card of Jerry.
Then the Royal Irish Rifles took
over a sector of trench on our right.
A lot of our blokes told 'em about
Jerry bein' missin! A few 'em got
around me, and 1 described Jerry
to 'em, but 1 weren't afraid for Jerry
Il knew where 'e vase were with
is spirits.
THAT night an Irish patrol went
out and when they returned they
brought a body with them; said
they'd found it at the foot o the
lone tree. 1t were jerry, all right,
but e weren't 1T nowhere. Two
blooming doctors examined i'm,
looking for wounds. e was dead,
all right, and that bloomin' Cap
tain--'e 'ad brains, e 'ad-was re-
sponsible for is death. Il 'ad tried
to tyke Jerry aw'y from lis spirits,
so Jerry crawled out to the lone
tree to answer it's call. e answered
it, and now 'es with the spirits e
loved, and some time I'll be able to
talk to i'm. Els with 'em, all right,
1 know know"
Just then Jim started to whimper,
1 guess If the truth were known,
we all felt like whimpering.
Without another word, Jerry's 5
brother got up, and muttering to
himself. passed out of sight around
the traverse. AS he disappeared
from view, Sailor Bill exclaimed:
"Blawst my headlights, but if a
bloke like that ever slipped in the
Navy, in fortnight's time e would
blooming we'll be an Admiral. be-
cause e would be the only one left
err rr1On NnzYOuD