The Washington herald., 1918-02-22
CHAPTER XIV.
Listening Post.

II was IN the morning When we
arrived at our rest billets, and we
were allowed to sleep until noon; that
Is, II we wanted to go without our
breakfast. For sixteen days We re-
mained in rest billets, digging roads,
drilling and other fatigues. and then
went back into the front-line trench.
Nothing happened that night. but
the next afternoon I found out that
a bomber Is general utility man in
section.
About o'clock in the afternoon our
lieutenant came down the trench and.
stopping in front of a bunch of US |
the fire step, with a broad grin IN
his face, asked:
who is going to volunteer for lis
tening post tonight? 1 need two men"
1t is needless to say no one vollIn-
teered, because it is anything but a
cushy job. l began to feel uncom-
Portable, as I knew it was getting
around for my turn. Sure enough,
with another grin, he said:
"Empey. you and Wheeler are due.
SO come down into my 6ugout for in
structions at 6 o'clock"
Just as he left and was going
around a traverse, Fritz turned loose
with a machine gun and the bullets
ripped the sandbags right over his
head. 1t gave me great pleasure to
see him duck against the parapet. He
WIS getting 4 taste of what we would
get later out in front.
Then. OF course, 1t began to rain.
knew it was the foreruLner of a mis-
cradle night for US. Every time 1
had to go out in front, 1t Just natur-
ally ruined. Old Jupiter Pluvius must
have had 1t in for me.
At we reported for instructions.
They were simple and easy. All we
Mans Land. lie on our bellies witn
our ears to the ground and listen for
the tap tap of the German engineers
under No Mans Land to establish a
mine-head beneath our trench.
OF course, in orders we were told
not to be captured by German patrols
or reconnoitering parties. Lots of
breath is wasted on the Western
front giving silly cautions.
As soon as 1t was dark Wheeler and
I crawIed to our post, which was
fhbOuI nan way DGl"CCl lIt lines. II
was raining bucketfuls, the ground
was a sea of sticky mud and clung to
us like Ne.
We took turns in listening with our
ears to the ground. l would listen for
twenty minutes while Wheeler would
be on the qui vive for German pa
trolls.
We each wore a wrist watch, and.
hplinvn rafthaV- -
twenty minutes. The rain soaked us
to the skin and our ears were full of
mud.
Every few minutes a bullet would
crack overhead or a machine gun
would traverse back and forth.
Then all firing suddenly ceased. |
whispered to Wheeler, Keen your
eye skinned, mate; most likely Fritz
has a patrol out-that's why the
Boches have stopped firing"
We were each armed with a rifle
and bayonet and three Mills bombs
to be used for defense only.
/ had my ear to the ground. All OF
a sudden I heard faint. dull thuds. In
q very low. but excited voice, 1 whis-
pered to Wheeler, Il think they are
mining; listen"
He put his ear to the ground and in
an unsteady voice spoke into my ear:
"Yank that's a patrol and it's head
ing our way. For Gods sake, keep
still"
I was still as a mouse and was
scared stif.
Hardly breathing and with eyes
trying to pierce the inky blackness,
we waited. would have given
thousand pounds to have been safely
In my dugout.
Then we plainly heard footsteps and
our hearts stood still.
A dark form suddenly doomed up
IN front of me; It looked as big as
the Woolworth Building. 1 could
hear the blood rushing through my
veins and 1t sounded as loud as Ma
CARA Falls.
Forms seemed to emerge from the
darkness. There were seven of them
in all. tried to wish them away. [
never wished harder in my life. They
muttered a few words In German and