The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-05-16

"over the top" He only esits Il out"
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten o'clock. all of a sudden.
he thought hell had broken loose. and
crouciied and shivered up against the
parapet. Shells started bursting. as he
imagined. right In their trench. when IN
fact they were landing nbout a hun
dred yards in rear of them, in the sec
ond lines.
One Of the older men on guard. turn
ing TO his mate. said:
There goes Fritz with those d---d
trench mortars again. It's about time
opr artillery tipped them. and sent
over few. Well. I'll be ID.
whers's that bfighier of a draft man
gone to? There's his rifle leaning
against the parnpet. He must have
legged 1t. Just keep your eye peeled.
Dick, while report Il to the sergeant
1 wonder IL the fool knows he can be
shot for such tricks as leavin' his
postr'
Lloyd had gone. When the trench
mortars opened up. a naddening ter
ror seized him and he wanted to run.
to get away from that horrible din.
anywhere to safety. So quietly sneak
lug around the traverse, he came to the
entrance of a communication trench.
and ran madiy and blindiy down IL.
running into traverses. stumbling into
muddy boles. and falling full length
over trench gffds.
Cropping blindiy, with his arms
stretched out In front OF him. he mt
last came out of the trench into the
village, or what used to be village.
before the German artillery rnzed 1t.
Mixed with his fear. he had pc
culiar sort OF cunning. which whis-
pered tn him To avoid all sentrics. be-
cause II they saw him he would be
sent back to that awful destruction In
the front line. md perhaps be killed
or mained. The thought made him
shudder. the cold sweat coming out in
beads on his face.
ON his left. In the darkness. he could
make out the shndowy forms of trees
crawling on his hands and knees. stop
ping and crouchlng With fear at each
shcii-burst, he finally reached an old
orchard aud covered af the base Of
shot-scnrred nprle tree.
sscp out srnartly. two PAGES to the
front. and answer cheerfui,y. sIferr.
SIR" ns the others did. He ,ust faint
ed In The runks and was csrried tc bar
racks amid the snccrs of the rest
That night Was an agony of misery
to him. He could not sleep. Just cried
and whimpercc In his hunk. because
on the morrow the draft was to sail
Tor France. where be would see death
on all sides. and perhaps he killed him
self. vOn the steamer. crossing the
channel. he would have jumped over
board tn escape. but was afraid OF
drowning.
Arriving In France. he and the rest
were huddied into cattle cars. On the
side NJ each appeared In white letters.
'.Hommes 20. Chevnux g. After hours
of humping over the uneven French
rpadbeds they arrived at the training
bss. of Kou-n.
At this place they were put through
weeks rigid trimming In trench wns-
fare On the morning OF the eighth
day they pnraded at ten O'Clock. ana
were Inspected and passed by General
Ii. then were marched 10 tn" quar-
termaster's. to druw their gas helmets
md trench equipment.
AT four in the afternoon they were
ngnin hustled into cnttin cars THIS
time the journey inst'vi tSo days.
They discnbarked nt the toxin ot Ere
Kent and could hear distant dull
booming. With knees shaking. Lloyd
asked the sergeant what the noise WAS.
al. - Arn,.t..sI h..t. mt
replied In somewhat bored tone:
''Oh. them's the guns up the line
Wen be up there In n couple a dnys
or so. Don't worry. my iaddie. you'll
see more of 'em than you want before
you get 'omc to Bilshty again. thnt liz.
II you're lucky enough to get back.
Now lend hand there uuinadin' them
cars. and quit TINT cvcriastin' shnkin'.
l believe yer scared" The Inst With IA
contemptuous sneer.
They marched ten kilos. fun pack.
to u little diiapidafcd villuge. and the
sound OF the guns grew louder. con-
stantly louder.
The village was full of soldiers who
turned out 10 inspect the new draft.
the mcn who were shortly to be their
mates IN th" trenches, Tor they were
going ''up tn. line" on the morrow. to
'tnke over" their certain sector Of
trenches.
The draft was paradcd In front OF
battalion headquarters and the men
were assigned TO companies.
Lloyd was the only man assigned To
d company. Perhaps the officer Ia
charge OF the draft had something to
do with IL. for he called Lloyd aside
and aald.