The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-03-14

are permitted TO go to ssiffie ant
and snatch few winks of Sleep Little
sleeping 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 cold. contracted by getting his
feet wet on his way to work In Wool
wich arsenal. II man should manage
to dozc OF, likely as not he would wake
with start as the clammy, cold feet
of 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 belt full Of
ammunition around you. your rifle bolt
biting into your ribs. intrenching tool
handle sticking into the small of your
back. with tin hat for a pillow and
feeling very damp and cold. with
coolies" boring for oil In your arm
pits. the air foul from the stencil of
griruy human bodies and smoke from
juicy pipe being whitfield into your nos
trils, then you will not wonder why
Tommy occasionally takes u turn In
the trench for q rest.
While In n frontline trench orders
forbid Tommy from removing his
boots. puttees. clothing or equipment
The "cootiesr take advantage of this
order and mobilize their forces, und
Tommy swears vengeance on them and
mutfefs to himself. -Jusf walt until !
hit rest htliets and am able to get my
Just before daylight the men .turn
to" and tumble out OF the dugouts, man
the IRE step until It gets light. or the
welcome order sstand down" Is given.
Sometimes before stand down" Is or
dered. the command five rounds rnp-
Ia fs passed along the trench This
means that each man must rest his
rife on the top and fire as rapidly as
possible Eve shots aimed toward the
German trenches. md then duck twith
the emphasis on the ''duck"). There is
great rivalry between the opposing
forces to get their rapid fire all on
first. because the early bird. In this In
stance. catches the worm--sort Of gets
the jump on the other fellow. catching
him unawares-
We had q sergeant In our battalion
named Warren. He was on duty with
noon, when orders came mp rrom the
rear that he had been granted seven
days leave for Blighty. and would be
relieved at I'VE O'Clock TO proceed to
England.
He was tfckied to death at these
welcome tidlngs and regaled his more
or less envious mates beside him on
the Gre step with tine good times In
store for him. He figured It out that
In two days time he would arrive as
Waterloo station, London. and then
seven days hiissl
At about five minutes to Ave he
started to fidget with his rife. and
then suddenly springing up on the fire
step with muttered. '.rli- send eSeJ
q couple OF souvenirs to Fritz so that
he'll miss me when leave." he stuck
his rife over the top and fired two shots
when ''crnck" went a bullet and he
tumbled on the step. fell into tho, mud
ut the bottom of the trench. and lny
still In \ huddied heap with a bullet
hole In his forehead.
At about the time he expected to ar
rive at Waterloo station he WIS laid
to rest In a little cemetery behind thu
lines He had gone to BiIchty.
In the trenches one can never tell
II Ia not safe to plan very far ahead.
After '>stand down" the men sit OF
the Ore step or repair to their respcc-
tive dugouts and wait for the run Is
sue 70 materialixe. Immediately fol-
lowing the rum comes breakfast.
brought up from the rear. Sleeping is
| then In order unless some special work
turns up.
Around 1880 dinner shows rr
wnen this il eaten the men try to
amuse themselves until "tca" appears
at about four o'clock. then ~stand to-"
and they carry on rs before.
While In rest biiicts Tommy gets up
about six In the merning. washes up.
answers roll call. Is inspected by his
platoon officer. and has breakfast. AT
s :a5 he pasadcs (driiis) with hts COM
pauy or goes on fatigue according TO
the orders which have been read out
ay the orderly sergeant the night pre-
vious.
Between II 80 and noon he Is dts
missed. has his dinner and Is @on his
Iown- Ter the .yeuaainder Of the dny-