The Washington herald., 1918-02-17
CHAPTER K.
The Day.r Work.

The Days Nsrk-
I was fast learning that there ts
regular routine about the work OF the
trenches, although It is badly upset
at times by the Germans
The real work in the fre trench
commences at sundown. Tommy Is
like a burglar, he works at night
Just as 1t begins TO get dark the
word stand to- Is passed from ira
verse to traverse, and the men get
busy. The first relief, consisting OF
two men to a traverse, mount the
hre step. one man looking over the
top. while the other ats at his feet,
ready to carry messages or TO inform
the platoon officer Of any report MADE
by the sentry as to his observations
in No Mans Land. The sentry Is
not allowed to relax his watch for q
second. II he is questioned from the
trench or asked his orders. he re-
plies without turning around or TAX
ing his eyes from the expanse Of dirt
in front Of him. The remainder OF
the occupants OF his traverse either
sit on the fire step, with bayonets
fixed, ready for any emergency, or II
lucky, and a dugout happens TO be IN
the near vicinity of the traverse. and
IL the night is quiet, they are permit
ted to go to same and try and snatch
few winks OF sleep. Little sleep
ing is done; generally the men sit
around, smoking fags-and seeing who
can tell the biggest lie. Some OF
them perhaps, with their feet in water.
would write home sympathiZing with
the governor because he was laid
up with a cold. contracted by getting
n.g- - 3aFaF
in Woolwich Arsenal. II a man should
manage to doze OF, likely as not ne
would wake with a start as the clam
my, cold feet OF a rat passed over his
face. or the next relief stepped on
his stomach while stumbling on their
way to relieve the sentries in the
trench.
Just try to sleep with a belt biting
into your ribs, entrenching tool nan
dies sticking into the small OF your
back with a tin hat for a pillow.
with "cooties" boring for oil in your
arm pits, the air foul from the stencil
Of grimy human bodies and smoke
from a Juicy pipe being whitfield into
your nostrils, then you will not Won
der why Tommy occasionally takes
turn in the trench for q rest.
While in q front line trench orders
forbid Tommy from removing his
boots, puttees, clothing, or equipment.
The "cooties' take advantage Of this
order and mobilize their forces, and
Tommy swears vengeance on them
and mutters to himself, 'just walt
until l hit rest billets and am able
to get my own back"
Just before daylight the men turn
to- and tumble out OF the dugouts,
man the fire step until It gets light,
or the welcome order stand down"
is given. Sometimes before stand
rs ordered. the command Eve rounds
rapid" is passed along the
trench. This means that each man
must rest his rife on the top and
fire as rapidly as possible five shots
aimed toward the German trenches,
and then duck with the emphasis on
the "ducl'D. There Is a great rivalry
between the opposing forces to get
their rapid fire on first, because the
early bird, in this instance. catches
the worm-sort OF gets the jump on
the other fellow, catching him un-
awares.
We had o sergeant In our battalion
named Warren. He was on duty with
his platoon in the fire trench one
afternoon when orders came up from
the rear that he had been granted
seven days leave for Blighty, and
would be relieved at s O'Clock 70 pro-
ceed to England.
He was tickled to death at these
welcome tldlngs and regaled his more
OF less envious mates beside him on
the fire step with the good times In
store for him. He figured II out that
in two days time he would arrive at
Waterloo station. London, and then
seven days blissl
At about Sos O'Clock he started 70
fidget with his rifle. and then sud-
denly spTinging up on the ire step
with a muttered, TN send over a
coupled Of souvenirs 70 Fritz. 30 that
he'll miss me when leave" he stuck
his rife over thegtop and fired two
shots, when crack went bullet and
he tumbled of the step. fell into the