The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-08-16
CHAPTER XIV.
Picks and Shovels.

iSNo eillA SllONCAos
had not slept long before the sweet
voice of the sergeant Informed that
mo. l section had clicked for another
blinking digging party" I smiled TO
myself with deep satisfaction, ! had
been promoted from mere digger to
member of the Suicide club, and was
exempt from all fatigues. Then came
an awful shock. The sergeant looked
over in my direction and said:
Don't you bomb throwers think you
are wearing top hats out here. Cord
in to orders you've been taken up on
the strength of this section, and will
have TO do your bit with the pick and
shovel, same as the rest Of US"
l put up n howl on my way to get
my shovel, but the only thing that re-
suited was loss of good humor on
my part.
We fell in at eight o'clock, outside
of our billets, sort of masquerade
party. l was disguised as a common
laborer, had a pick and shovel, and
about one hundred empty sandbags.
The rest, about two hundred in all,
were equipped likewise: picks, shovels,
sandbags, rifles and ammunition.
The party moved out in column of
fours, taking the road leading to the
trenches. Several times we had to
string out in the ditch to let long col
umns Of llmbers, artillery and supplies
get past.
The marching, under these condl-
hons, was necessarily slow. Upon ar
rival at the entrance to the communi-
cation trench, looked at my illumi-
O'Clock.
Before entering this trench, word
was passed down the line, mo talking
OF smoking, lead off in single file, COW
ering party first"
This covering party consisted Of so
men, armed with rifles, bayonets,
bombs, and two Lewis machine guns.
They were to protect us and guard
against a surprise attack while dig
ging in No Mans Land.
The communication trench was
about half a mile long, n zigzagglng
ditch, eight feet deep and three feet
wide.
Now and again, German shrapnel
would whistle overhead and burst in
our vicinity. We would crouch against
the earthen walls while the shell frag-
ments slapped" the ground above us.
Once Fritz turned loose with ma
chine gun, the bullets from which
cracked" through the air and kicked
up the dirt on the top, scattering sand
md pebbles, which, hitting our steel
helmets, sounded like hailstoneS.
Upon arrival in the fire trench an
officer of the Royal Engineers gave US
lur instructions and acted as guide.
We were to dig an advanced trench
,wo hundred yards from the Germans
the trenches at this point were six
hundred yards apart.
Two winding lanes, five feet wide, |
lad been cut through our barbed wire,
or the passage of the diggers. From |
hese lines white tape had been laid
IN the ground to the point where we
we're to commence work. This In or
Ter that we would not get lost In the
darkness. The proposed trench was
Ilso laid out with tape.
The covering party went out first.
after short wait, two scouts came
ack with information that the work.
ng party was to follow and "carry on"
With their work.
In extended order, two yards apart,
Ve noiselessly crept across No Mans
and. 1t was nervous work; every
minute we expected a machine gun to
pen fire on us. Stray bullets cracked"
round us, or ricochet sang over
cad.
Arriving at the taped diagram Of
he trench, rifles slung around our
houlders, we lost no time In getting
D work. We dug as quietly as pos
lble but every now and then the noise
{ a pick or shovel striking stone
'ould send the cold shIvers down our
aclls. Under our breaths we heartily
lrsed the offending Tommy, U