The Washington herald., 1918-02-12

book-right eye on the aeroplane. We
Tommies were lucky, We had no
books, so had both eyes on the aero
plane.
After church parade we were
marched back to our billets, and
played football all afternoon.
CHAPTER ".
Into the Trench.
The next morning the draft was in
spected by our general, and We were
assigned to different companies. The
boys in the brigade had nicknamed
this general Old Pepper, and he GER
tainly earned the sobriquet. I was
assigned to B Company with another
American named Stewart.
For the next ten days We "rested, I"
repairing roads for the Frenchies,
drilling, and digging bombing trenches.
One morning we we're informed that
we were going up the line, and our
march began.
1t took US three days to reach re-
serve billets-each days march bring
ing the sound OF the guns nearer and
nearer. At night, way off in the dis
tance We could see their flashes, which
lighted up the sky with a red glare.
Against the horizon We could see
numerous observation balloons or
"sausages' as they are called.
On the afternoon of the third days
march 1 witnessed my first aero
plane being shelled. A thrill ran
through me and 1 gaZed In awe. The
aeroplane was making wide circles in
the air., while little puffs of white
smoke were bursting all around it.
The puffs appeared like tiny balls OF
cotton while after each burst could
be heard a dull "plop." The sergeant
of my platoon informed us that 1t was
a German aeroplane and I wondered
how he could tell from such a dis
tance because the. plane seemed like a
little black speck in the sky. I ex-
pressed my doubt as to whether 1t
was English, French, or German.
With a look of contempt he further
informed US that the allied anti
aircraft shells when exploding emitted
white smoke while the German shells
gave forth black smoke, and, as he
expressed 1t, ut must be an Allemand
because our pompoms are shelling,
and 1 know our batteries are not off
their bally napers and are certainly
not O"h anu
another piece of advice-don't chuck
your weight about until you've been
up the line and learnt something"
I Immediately quit "Chucking my
weight about from that time on.
Just before reaching reserve billets
We were marching along. laughing
and singing one Of Tommy's trench
ditties-
IT want to so home, I want to go
home,
don't want to go to the trenches no
more
Where sausages and whizz-bangs are
galore.
Tate me over the sea, where the
Allemand can't get at me,
Oh, my, don't want to die,
want to go home
through the air, rapidly followed by
three others. Then about 200 yards
to our left in large field, four
rose into the air, and the ground
trembled from the report-the explo-
sion of four German five-nipes, or
COdl-DOACS. n OldoIs
Immediately followed by two short
ones, rang out from the head of our
column. This was to take up "artil-
lery formation" We divided into
small squads and went into the fields
on the right and left of the road,
and crouched on the ground. No
other shells followed this salvo. 1t
was our first baptism by shell fire.
ha tat N Ill
thusiasm, but from there down, every
thing was missing. I thought should
die with fright.
columns Of fours, and proceeded on
our way.
About five that night, we reached
the ruined village Of H, and got
my first sight of the awful destruc-
ton caused by German kultur.
Marching down the main street we
came to the heart of the village, and
took up quarters in shell-proof cellars
(shell-proof until hit by a shelD. Shells
were constantly whistling over the
village and bursting in our rear,
searching for our artillery.
These cellars were cold, damp, and
smelly, and overrun with large rats
big black fellows. Most Of the
Tommies slept with their overcoats
over their faces. I did not. In the
middle Of the night I woke up in
terror. The cold, clammy feet Of a
rat had passed over my face. I Inn
mediately smothered myself In my
overcoat, but could not sleep for the
rest Of that night
Next morning, we took over our
sector Of the line. In single file we
Nended our way through n zigzag