The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-04-12
"0ver the Top"
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Machine Gunner Seroins In France
Copyright 1917, by Arthur Guy hmpo-l
Continued From Last lssue)
CHAPTER XVIII.
Machine Gunner Seroing In France
STAGED Under Fire.

the front line and carried. We stayed
in reserve billets for about two weeks
when we received the welcome news
that our division would go back of the
line ito rest billets." We would re-
main In these billets for at least two
months, this in order to be restored to
our full strength by drafts of recruits
from Blighty.
Everyone was happy and contented
at these tidinSs; all you could hear
iaround the billetS was whistling and
singing. The day after the receipt of
the order we hiked for five days, max
ing an average of about twelve kiloS
iper day until we arrived at the small
town of o..
1t took us about three days to get
settled and from then on our cushy
time started. We would parade from
S:45 in the morning until II noon.
Then except for on occasional billet
or brigade guard we were on our own.
For the first four or five afternoons l
spent my time In bringing up to date
my neglected correspondence.
Tommy loves to be amused, and be-
ing n Yank, they turned to me for
something new in this line. l taught
them how to pitch horseShoeS, and this
game made great hit for about ten
days. Then Tommy turned to Amer
ica for Il new diversion. / was up in
the air until happy thought came to
me. Why not write sketch and break
Tommy in as an actor2
One evening after flights out" when
you are net supposed to talk, | impart-
ed my s-neme in whispers to the sec
tiOn. They eagerly accepted the idea
of forming stock company and
themselves "The Bow Bells" and
put on n sketch entitled, "Blighty-
What HOpes?" They were the divi-
sional concert party.
We hoped they all would be soon
In Blighty to give us chance.
This company charged an admission
of a franc per head, and that night
our company went en- masse to see
their performance. 1t really was good.
had a sinking sensation when
thought of running my sketch in OPP
position to 1t.
In one of their scenes they had
soubrette called Flossie. The soldier
that took this part was clever and
made a Incorporating and chic girl.
We Immediately fell in love with her
until two days after, while we were
on q march, we passed Flossie with
''her" sleeves rolled up and the sweat
pouring from "her" face unloading
shells from n motor lorry.
out: Hello. Flossie; Blighty-What
Hopes? Her reply made our love die
out instantly.
"Ah, go to h-lW
This brought quite laugh from the
marching column directed at me, and l
instantly made up my mind that our
sketch should Immediately run in op-
position to "Blighty-What HopesT
When we returned to our billet from
the march, Curley Wallace, my the
atrical partner, came running over to
me and said he had found Swanky
place in which to produce our show.
After taking off my equipment, and
followed by the rest OF the section,
went over to the building he had picked
out 1t was munStrOus barn with
platform at one end which would make
an ideal stage. The section got right
on the job, and before night had That
place rigged out in applo-pie orr
The next day was SUNDAY ''"r
church parade we put all our t..., GA.
a dress rehearsal, and 1t went fine.
| made four or five large signs an.
nouncing that our company would open
up that evening at the King George the
Fifth theater, on the corner of Ammo
street and Sandbag terrace. General
admission was one-half franc. First
ten rows in orchestra one franc, and
boxes two francs. BY this time our
printed programs had returned from
London, and / further announced that
on the night of the first performance
program would be gwen free of
charge 10 men holding tickets costing a
franc or over.
We had an orchestra OF seven men
and seven different instruments. This
orchestra was excellent, while they
were not playing.
The performance was scheduled to
start at g p. m.
At 5 :15 there was mob in front OF
our one entrance and 1t looked like a
big night. We had two boxes each ac
cOmmodating four people, and these
we Immediately sold cut. Then q
brilliant idea came TO key Cohenstein
Why not use the rofters overhead, cal
them boxes, and charge two francs FOL
a seat on them? The only difficult!
was how were the men to reach these
boxes, but to Ikey this was mere de
tail.
He got long ropes and tied one enc
around each rafter and then tied 10