The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-04-18
CHAPTER x-Continued.

we mad sergeant in our battalion
named Warren. He was on duty with
his platoon in the fire trench one after
noon when orders came up from the
rear that he had bccn granted seven
days leave for Bligh:y, and would be
relieved ut five o'clock to proceed to
England.
He was ticklcd to death ut these
welcome tidings and RECALLED his more
or less enViouS mates beside him on
the fire step with the good times in
store for him. He figured it out that
IN two days time he would arrive at
Waterloo station, London, and then
seven days bliss!
At about five minutes to five he
started to fidgct with his rifle, and
then suddenly sprnging up on the fire
step with muttcrcd, "I'll send over
n couple of souvenirs to Fritz so that
nell miss me when / leave" he stuck
MS rifle over the top and fired two shots
when "crack" went bullet and he
tumnled Off the step, fell into the mud
at the bottom of the trench, and lay
still in a huddlcd heap with bullet
hole in his forehead.
~NN e'NN' VIC tillc llc eApcclcU TO Nr-
rive ut Waterloo station he was laid
20 rest in little cemetery behind the
ines. He had gone to Blighty.
In the trenches one can never tell
is not safe to plan very far ahead.
After stand down" the men sit on
he ire step or repair to their respec-
i've dugouts and wait for the rum Is
sue" TO Nateralize. Immediately fol-
owing the rum comes breakfast,
?.oushc up from the rear. Sleeping is
hen il order unless some special work
:uras up.
A-ouad $50 dinner shows up.
"hAn this Is eaten the men try to
.IrSe themselves until tea" appears
~ aboC. four O'Clock, then stand to"
md the? carry On as before.
While liz rest billets Tommy gets up
about six in the morning, washes up,
answers roll call, is inspected by his
platoon officer, and has breakfast. At
$40 he paradcs (drills) with his com
pany or goes on fatigue according to
he orders which have been rcad out
- the orderly sergeant the night pre-
ViOuS.
Between II 80 and noon he IS dis
missed, has his dinner and is con his
,wn" for the remainder Of the day
unlcss he has clicked for q digging or
working party, and so it goes on from
day to day, always "looping the loop"
and looking forward to peace and
Blighty.
Sometimes, while engaged in a
"cootie" hunt. you think Strange to
say, but 1t Is a fact, while Tommy is
searching his shirt serious thoughts
come to him. Many time, when per-
forming this operation, I have tried
to figure out the outcome Of the war
and what Will happen to me.
/ My thoughts generally ran in this
channel:
VIII emerge safely from the next
attack? IF / do Will skin through the
following one, and so on? While your
mind Is wandering into the future 1t
Is likely to be rudcly brought to earth
by a Tommy ntcrrupting with, "What's
good for rhcumatlsm?"
Then you have something else to
think Of. VIII you come out Of this
war crippled and tied into knots with
rheumatism, caused by the wet and
mud Of trenches and dugouts2 You
give 1t up ns n bad job and generally
sauntcr over to the nearest estaminet
to drown your moody forcbodlngs in n
glass Of sickcning French beer or to
try your luck Mt the always present
game of "house." You can hear the
sing-song voice of Tommy droning
out the numbers as he extracts the
little squares of cardboard from the
bng between his feet.