Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-22
~ CLARENCE BUDDINGTON KEEL
LAND.


LAND.
PARIS. September 10 (by mai).-A
man can be only so frightened. After
that he dies suddenly or laughs. or
both. Also. no matter how scared
you are, curiosity survives.
II q shell Is coming. you want to
ses 1t land. If 1t is going to swat
you. you want to see how it goes
shout 1t.
We were going back from the front
back. The battle was behind u.s.
Privately each one of US didn't care
how much farther behind US 1t got
It could pick up its belongings and
move away from us as fast as we
we're moving away from it, If 1t
wanted Nobody would hear q pro-
test from any of us.
At cross roads our meteorie prog
ress was halted by a young and Sc
we're soldier with NJ. P. on his sleeve
~You can't pass he said, they're
Smelling the road ahead"
He didn't need to tell US. We knew
it. AS a matter of fact. We could
have told him things about that road
being ahelled that he would never
know.
Shell Comes Screaming
shell came screaming over our
heads to "wham" down alongside the
road hundred yards beyond. 1t
wasn't a Dig she'll In calmer mo-
ment. and at a greater distance, ]
E-H
little shell, an insignificant sheii-a
negligible three-inch shell. But when
IL went over my head / was willing
to take oath that it was forty-two
centimeter. When l was dug out OF
the ditch into which 1 had dived and
the mud scraped out of my eyes ]
took last look down the road.
Something was paining me in the
region of the knees. Also there was
a sound resembling that made by
Brother Bones in the minstrel SHOW;
Minute examination demonstrated
that the pain was caused by the
knees ASA Nting each other ven-
omously. stuck my cap between
them as a shock absorber, and looked
again.
not a popular road. Everybody on it
had taken a dislike to it and was
moving away with enthusiasm. In
the distance were three German prls-
oners and one American private: The
private was on a horse. 1t looked
were having trouble with it. 1t kept
getting in their way. They stumbled
over it.
"Wham" came another shell. Its
explosion was almost drowned out
by the sound of concussion at my
side. They were caused by the beat
ing together of the knees Of the
driver of the Y. n. c. A. car and by
those Of a buck private. Their note
was different and the meter disslm-
liar. but the air was much the same.
7 could not quite make out Whlcn
accomplished the most knocks to the
minute, nor which was loudest.
Mule Team Shows Speed.
Several ration carts were approach
ing. 1t was no slow. dignified, ma
tronly progress. Anybody VINO De.
ieyes a team of mules is incapable OF
speed should have been there to see.
tack The hardtack was as scarce as
anything else, and was trying to keep
up to the cart-but 1t was out OF luck.
IL had no arms to hang on with.
The air was full of bareback. 1t fiow-
cd out behind those ration carts IKE
a ribbon. 1t was a snowstorm of
hardtack. and nobody paused to ask
where it fell.
Every ditch was unbelievably pop
ular 1t didn't have to be q deep
ditch nor a clean ditch Any common
or garden variety of ditch would do.
A six-foot man was perfectly able to
conceal himself in q six-inch ditch.
Heads would poke up. and another
shell would land. Immediately it
would become a scene Of desolation. a
ufeless waste.
After awhile an airplane went over
head to locate the battery that was
terry stopped.
Go ahead" said the NJ. p. They're
through now"
He is the last III. p. shall ever be-
lieve. This is positive. He meant
we'll. and spoke the truth according
to his lights. but his lights were dim.
We started. and we continued. We
continued SO rapidly that the seen