Norwich bulletin., 1918-01-30
rocSrrup FROM rUEsDs9

oC0VTrUED FROM TUESDAYl |. Be yaEned and answered, T don't kcare if you came forty thousand miles, fno one asked you to-" and he walked lon The girl gave me-a lsneering look, n vzs speechleSs-
 recruited for three weeks and kneariy got one recruit.
 This perhaps was not the greatest stunt in the world but it got back at the officer who had told me, Yes, we take anything over here" I had kbeen spending a good lot of my re- Ecruiting time in the saloon bar of the White Shear pub (there was a very attractive blonde barm"ii who helped llkin time-I was not serious in l1hose days as was | e later when n reached the front-.,>l, it was the sixth day and my recruiting report twas blank I was getting low in the fpocket-barmaids haven't much use lfor anyone who cannot buy drinks Iso looked around for recruiting ma fterial. You know man on recruit hing gets a "bob" or shilling for every recruit he entices into joining the barmy, the recruit Is supposed to get l1his but he would not be a recruit if Ehe were wise to this fact, would he? 1 Down at the end of the bar was man f-who was very patriotic had about sfour ''Oid Six ales aboard. He asked ;Ine if he could join, showed be his left tlland. two fingers were missing, but iI said that did not matter as i've ltake anything over here" The left hand is the rife hand as the piece is Aczrried at the slope on the left ishoulder. Nearly everything in Eng ,land is by the left" even general hraffic keeps to the port side.
 I took the aplicant over to head squarters where he was hlrriedly ex- .amined. Recruiting surgeons were busy in those days and did not have aminations. My recruit was passed as -ht- by the doctor and turned over to a corporal to make note of his scars. l was mystified. Suddenly the corporal burst out with %Bime me two of his fingers are gone" turning ifo me he said. You certainly have your nerve with you, not 'alf you aint, to bring this beggar fn."
 The doctor came over and exploded, What do you mean by bringing in a -snan in this condition?"
 Looking out of the corner of my eye . noticed that the officer who had re- -cruited me had joined the group, and T could not help answering, @Well. tsir, was told that you took anything over here"
 think they called it Yankee i'm i2udence," anyhow it ended my re- .cruiting.
 CHAPTER II
 BIipIity to Rest Biliets
 The next morning, the captain sent for me and informed me: "ESnpey, as d recruiting sergeant you are a wash
 r17a fn froi iY1iT To- pot ....
 After arriving at this place, I was hustled to the quartermaster Itores and received an awful shock. The Quartzmaster sergeant spread a waterproof sheet on the ground, and commenced throwing a miscellaneous .assortment of straps buckles, and oth- CT paraphernala into it. I thought he would never stop. but when the fSqg enough to sey, Next, No. 5217, sArSds, B Company" I gazed in be- Ngildarment at the pile of junk in front of mp and then my eyes wandered around looking for the wagon which was to carry it to the barracks. I was rudely brought to earth by the quarter exclaiming. Ere, you 'op it, tyke it aw'y; blind my eyes, es looking for is batman to 'elp i'm carry it"
 Struggling under the load. with frequent pauses for rest, reached our barracks (large car barns), and my platoon leader came to the res cue It was a marvel to me how quickly he assembled the equipment After he had completed the task, he showed me how to adjust it on my person. Pretty soon I stood before him a proper Tommy Atkins in heavy marching order. feeling like an over loaded camel
 boots studded with hobnails, the toes and heels of which were reinforced bJ eteel haf-moons. My legs were en. cased in woolen puttees. olive drab 1T color. with my trousers overlapping them at the top. Then woolen khak tunic, under which was a bluish gray wooden shirt, minus collar, beneatl fhis shirt a wooden belly-band abou six inches wide held in place by ti, strings of white tape. On my heaC was a heavy woolen trench cap, witt huge ear laps buttoned over the top Then the equipment: A canvas belt with ammunition pockets, and tw, wide canvas straps like suspenders called ID" straps fastened to the bel fin front passing over each shoulder crossing in the middle of my back and attached by buckles to the req of the belt. On the right side of tn belt hung a water bottle, covered wit felt: on the left side was my bayone and scabbard, and entrenching toe handle. this handle strapped to tn hayonet scabbard. In the rear wa my entrenching tool carried in
 canvas case. This tool was a com bination pick and spade. A canva harersack was strapped to the lief side of the belt, while on my bac was the pack, also of canvas, held il place by two canvas straps over tn