Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-06-07
OVER THE TOP
From page 2
Ily Arlhur Coz Empsy. an AmerIean aoIaI

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pGny. No one knows you. Your bed
will be hs you make II, 10 for Gods
sake. brace up and be q man. ] think
you have the stun In you. my boy, 80
go0d.by and the best Of luck TO you"
The next day the battalion took over
their part OF the trenches. II happened
to be very quiet day. The artillery
behind the lines was still. except for
an occasional shell sent over 10 let the
Germans know the gunners were not
nsleep.
In the darkness, IN single file. the
company slowly wended their way
down the communication trench TO the
front line. No one noticed Lioyd's
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company
In the trenches. Lloyd. with two Of the
old company men, was put on guard In
one OF the traverses. Not a shot was
fired from the German lines, and no
one paid any attention TO him
cronched on the firing step.
On the first time in, a new recruit Is
not required TO stand with his head
"Over the top" He only "sits II out"
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten o'clock, all OF sudden,
he thought hell had broken loose, and
crouched and shivered up against the
parapet. Shells started bursting as he
imagined. right In their trench. when in
fact they were landing about a hun
dred yards in rear Of them, in the sec.
ond lines.
One OF the older men on guard, turn.
Ing to his mate. said:
! There goes Fritz with those d--d
trench mortars again. It's about time
our artillery 'taped' them, and sent
over a few. Well, I'll be d---d,
where's that blighter Of draft man
gone to? There's his rife leaning
against the parapet. He must have
legged II. Just keep your eye peeled.
Dick, while l report II to the sergeant.
l wonder II the fool knows he can be
shot for such tricks as leavin' his
postT
Lloyd had gone. When the trench
mortars opened up, q maddening ter
ror seized him and he wanted to run.
TO get away from that horrible din,
anywhere to safety. So quietly sneak
Ing around the traverse, he came to the
entrance Of a communication trench,
and ran madly and bllndly down II.
running into traverses, stumbling into
muddy holes, and falling full length
over trench grids.
Cropping bllndly, with his arms
stretched out In front of him, he at
last came out Of the trench into the
village. or what used TO be village,
before the German artillery razed II.
Mixed with his fear he had a pc
culiar sort Of cunning, which whis.
pered to him to avoid all sentries, be.
cause II they saw him he would be
sent back to that awful destruction In
the front line. and perhaps be killed
or malmed. The thought made him
shudder, the cold sweat coming out In
beads on his face.
On his left, In the darkness, he could
make out the shadowy forms of trees:
crawling on his hands and knees, stop
ping and crouching with fear at each
shell-burst, he finally reached an old
orchard and covered at the base of
shot.scarred apple tree.
He remained there all night. listen
ing to the sound of the guns and ever
praying, praying that his useless life
would be spared.
AS dawn began to break. he could
discern little dark objects prOtruding
from the ground all about him. Curl
osity mastered his fear and he crawled
to one of the objects, and there, in the
uncertain light, he read on a little
wooden cross:
"Pte. II. s. Wheaton, No. 1870, 1st
London Regt. r. +. Killed In action.
April 25, 1915. r. I. p" (Rest in
Peace).
When II dawned on him that he had
been hiding all night In a cemetery
his reason seemed to leave him, and
mad desire to be free from 1t all made
him rush madly away, falling over lit
tie wooden crosses, smashing some and
trampling others under his feet.
In his flight he came to an old
French dugout, half caved In and par
TALLY filled with sllmy and filthy wa
ter.
Like a fox being chased by the
hounds, he duclSed into this hole, and
threw himself on a pile of old empty
sandbags, wet and mildewed. Then
Inconsistencies.
On the next day, he came to-: far
distant voices sounded in his ears.
Opening his eyes, in the entrance of
the dugout he saw corporal and two