The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-06-08
SYNOPSIS.

CHAPTER I-Fired by the news of the
sinking OF the Lusitania by a German
submarine, Arthur Guy Empey, an Ameri-
can, leaves his office in Jersey City and
goes to England where he enlists In the
British army.
CHAPTER u-After a period of train
ing, Empey volunteers for Immediate serv-
Ice and soon finds himself in rest billets
somewhere In France" where he first
makes the acquaintance of the ever-pres-
ent Coolies"
CHAPTER II-Empey attends his first
church services at the front while a Ger
man Fokker circles over the congregation.
CHAPTER Tv-Empey's command goes
into the front-line trenches and is under
fire for the first time.
CHAPTER v-Empey learns to adopt
the motto Of the British Tommy, "If you
are going to get 1t. you'll get 1t. SO never
CHAPTER vI-Back in rest billets, EN-
orderly.
CHAPTER vII-Empey learns how the
British soldiers are fed.
CHAPTER VIII-Back In the front-line
trench, Empey sees his first friend of the
trenches go West"
CHAPTER IX-Empey makes his first
visit to a dugout in Suicide Ditch"
CHAPTER X-Empey learns what con-
stitutes a days work" In the front-hne
trench.
&l-Empey goes over Ihe
top" for the first time In a charge on the
German trenches and is wounded by a
bayonet thrust.
CHAPTER xII-Empey joins the sui
eide club" as the bombing squad is called.
CHAPTER xIII-Each Tommy gets an
offcia. bath.
CHAPTER XIv-Fmpey helps dig an
advanced trench under German fire.
CHAPTER xv-On listening post" in
No Mans Land.
CHAPTER XVI-Two artillerymen put
one over" on Old Pepper. their regimenta1
commander.
CHAPTER XVII-Empey has narrow es-
cape while on patrol duty in No Mans
Land.
CHAPTER XVIII-Back in rest billets
Empey writes and stages a farce comedy.
CHAPTER x~IX-Soldiers have many
ways to amuse themselves while ION their
own"
CHAPTER XX-Empey volunteers for
machine gun service and goes back into
the front-line trenches.
CHAPTER xXI-Empey again goes
over the top" in a charge which cost his
company II killed and 81 wounded.
CHAPTER xxII-Trick with a machine
gun silences one bothersome Fritz.
CHAPTER XxII-German attack. pre-
coded by gas wave, is repulsed.
CHAPTER X~XIV-Empey is forced to
take part in an execution as a member
of the firing squad.
CHAPTER xXV-British prepare for
the Big Push-the battle of the Somme.
CHAPTER XVIII a trench raid,
preceding the Big Push, Empey is des-
p~erately wounded and lies unconscious in
Nc Mans Land for SO hours.
CHAPTER XXVII-After four months
In a British hospital, Empey is discharged
as physically unfit for further war serv-
In our rear were four stretcher bear
ers and a corporal of the r. A. NJ. G.
and irst-aid appliances. Kind of a
grim reminder to US that our expedi-
ton was not going to be exactly a pic
mic. The order of things was reversed.
In civilian life the doctors generally
come first, with the u~ndertakers tag
ging in the rear and then the insur-
ance man, but in case, the under
takers were leading, with the doctors
trailing behind, minus the insurance
adiuster.
The presence of the r. A. NJ. G. men
did not seem TO disturb the raiders, be-
cause many a joke made In an under
tone, was passed along the winding
NOluIiih, Us " WIN nONiu Ot hlSN W
take a ride on one Of the stretchers.
This was generally followed by a wish
that, if you were to be the one, the
wound would be a 'cushy Blighty
one"
The stretcher bearers. no doubt,
hoping that, if they did have to carry
anyone to the rear, he would be small
and light. Perhaps they looked at me
when wishing, because l could feel an
uncomfortable, boring sensation be-
tween my shoulder blades. They got
their wish all right.
Going up this trench, about every
sixty yards or so we would pass a lone
ly sentry. who in a whisper would
wish us "the best o. luck, mates" We
would blind at him under our breaths
that Jonah phrase to us sounded very
ominous.
Without any casualties the minstrel
troop arrived at Suicide ditch, the
front-line trench. Previously, a wiring
party of the Royal Engineers had cut
a lane through our barbed wire to en-
able us to get out into No Mans Land.
Crawling through this lane, our
party of twenty took up an extended
order formation about one yard apart.
We had a tap code arranged for u
movements while in No Mans Land,
because for various reasons 1t is not
safe to carry on a heated conversation
a few yards, in front of Fritz lines.
The officer was on the right of the
line. while l was on the extreme left.
Two taps from the right would be
passed down the line until / received
them, then l would send back one tap.
The officer, In receiving this one tap.
would know that his order had gone
down the whole line. had been under
stood, and that the party was ready
to obey the two-tap signal. Two taps
meant that we were 10 crawl forward
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