Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-08-02
CHAPTER X-Continued.

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We had n sergeant in our battalion
named Warren. He was on duty Will
his platoon in the fire trench one after
noon when orders came up from the
rear that he had been granted seven
days leave for Blighty. and would be
relieved at five o'clock 10 proceed to
England.
He was tickled TO death Mt 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 ii out that
I'm two days time he would arrive at
Waterloo station, London, and then
seven days. bliss.
At about five minutes to five he
started To fidget with his rifle. and
then suddenly springing up on the fire
step with n muttered. "I'll send over
II couple of souvenirs to Fritz SO that
he'll miss me when | leave" he stuck
his rifle over the top and fired two shots
when "crack" went bullet and he
tuinuied on the step, fell into the mud
ut the bottom of the trench, and lay
still in a huddled heap with bullet
hole In his forehead.
At about the time he expected to ar
rive at Waterloo station he was laid
To rest in little cemetery behind the
lines. He had gone to Blighty.
In the trenches one can never tell
1t is not safe to plan very far ahead.
After "stand down" the men sit on
the fire step or repair to their respec-
tive dugouts and wait for the rum is
sue" to materialize. Immediately fol-
lowing the rum comes breakfast.
brought up from the rear. Sleeping Is
then in order unless some special work
turns up.
Around 1890 dinner shows up.
When this Is eaten the men try to
amuse themselves until 'tea" appears
ut about four o'clock, then 'stand to"
and they carry on as before.
While I'm rest blllets Tommy gets up
about six in the morning. washes up,
answers roll call, Is inspected by his
platoon officer and has breakfast. At
S:45 he parades (drills) with his COM
pany or goes on fatigue according to
the orders which have been read out
by the orderly sergeant the night pre-
vious.
Between IL 30 and noon he is dis
missed, has his dinner and is ION his
own" for the remainder of the day,
unless I've has clicked for digging or
working party. and so It goes on from
day to day. always looping the loop"
and looking forward to peace and
Blighty. a
Sometimes. while engaged in
'cootie" hunt. you think. Strange to
say, hat IL is fact. while Tommy is
searching his shirt serious thoughts
come to him. Many time. when per-
forming this operation, l have tried
to figure out the outcome of the war
and what will happen To me.
My thoughts generally ran in this
channel:
Will | emerge safely from the next
attack? If do will skin through the
following one. and so on? While your
mind is W; ndering into the future II
is likely To he rudely brought To earth
by Tommy interrupting with, whats
good for rheumatism?"
Then you have something else To
think of. Will YOU come out Of this
war crippled and tied into knots with
rheumatism. caused by the wet and
mud of trenches and duSouts? You
give II up as bad job and generally
saunter over tn the nearest cStaminet
10 drown your moody forebodings i'm
glass of sickening French beer or To
try your luck nj the always present
game of "housc" You can hear the
sing-Snng voice of Il Tommy droning
ont the numbers ms he extracts the
little squares az cardboard from the
bag between his feet.