The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1918-08-03
FIRST NIGHT IN THE
TRENCHES DESCRIBED

thousands of American Soldiers have
faced, perhaps with some misgivings
certainly with lively anticipation.
The experience of many OF them
must be like that of British plough
boy-Soldier described by Lord Dun
sany, captain OF the Inniskilling Fus-
iliers.
"A mans first night in the front
line Is an epoch experience, -
he writes. 1T Is like a mans first
vote, or his twenty-first birthday
II Is a milestone IN his life. marking
the change from the mimic warfare
behind the lines to the grim realities
OF actual conflict.
Perhaps | can best explain how
his experience affects Soldier by
telling you the story of recruits
first night In the trenches. Dick
Cheeser, one of my men, was a
ploughboy Just past Is when he en-.
listed, and not yet 10 when he went
on his front sentry go In the front
line.
1T was quiet night. and dawn
was only an hour or so distant when
Cheeser took his post. The corporal
told him where to stand. warned him
to keep a good lookout, and left him
There was Dick Cheeser, alone in
the dark, with an army In front of
him. eighty yards away, resource
full, crafty and desperate enemy. The
stiffness OF the night oniy added to
Cheeser's feeling OF responsibility.
The stiffness awed him There had
not been shell all night. He put
his head over the parapet glngerly
and waited. Nobody fired at him. He
felt somehow that the night was
canny and unexpected would happen
soon. He heard voices I'm IA communi-
cation trench somewhere behind him;
there was few sentences OF gruff,
unintelligible conversations; the
voices died away There was big
silence. Cheeser fell to wondering
whether the night was black or grey;
he stared hard at the night to study
its exact color; the night stared back
at him, and seemed to be threaten
ing him; II was grey, grey and art
full like cat or a fox.
1T was uncanny, thought Cheeser.
II shells would come. or Germans, or
anything at all, you would know how
to take it;but this deathly quiet.
like mist over huge valleys! Any
thing might happen. Cbeeser waited
and waited. and the night waited too.
He felt that they were watching each |
other, the night and he. both crouch
ing, both ready to spring.
His mind grew 80 active that his |
head throbbed with the physical ex-
ertion Of thinking. lie was watching
with eyes and ears and imagination,
hoping to anticipate by second or
two the dread something that he felt
was sure to happen soon In the omi-
nous mist OF No Mans Land He
thought OF throwing a stone out into
the blackncss, just to see what would
happen. Then he began to wish for
his boyhood's slingshot. so that he
could catapult nice round stone
right across the blackness into the
German line.
"A little wind blew In the night,
90 cold for the time OF year. II made
Tor am oment a lane In the mist over
No-Man = Land. Cheeser peered into
{, but the mist closed round again.
No. night seemed to say, You can't
guess my secret. And the awesome
iush intensified What are they up
o now? thought the sentry. What
ire those crafty enemies planning In
I'll those miles OF silence?
Even the very lights we're few and
ar between. When one went up.
ar hills of shadow seemed to Sit and
rood over the valley; black shapes
rev up and vanished In the shadow.
The rocket faded and the hills went
'ack into mystery again, and Cheeser
till peered level over the ominous
alley.
"All the dangers and sinister
hapes and evil destinies that the sem
ry faced that night cannot be pie
ured or described In mere words.
was only two hours that he stood
here. and not shell fell in all that
ime, not German stirred.
1T Is a weird and awful expert
nee, that first night IN the trenches.
he next time II is an easy matter"