Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1918-02-28

p fN'N'NfH NV HnAAptl was On. In
! harder ! worked, the better / felt. A
though the weather was cold, wa
soaked with sweat.
Occasionally a bullet would crac
overhead, and machine gun woul
Kick up the mud on the bashed-ln para
pet AZ each crack | would duck an,
shield my face with my arm. One o
the older men noticed this action o
mine, and whispered:
Don't duck at the crack Of bul
let, Yank the danger has passed-yo,
never hear the one that wings you
Always remember that II you are goInl
to get II, you'll get it, so never worry.
This made a great impression on m,
at the time, and from then on, adopt
ed his motto. IF you're going to get 1t
you'll get It."
II helped me wonderfully. l used II
so often afterwards that some of nv
mates dubbed me, IF you're going to
get It. you'll get It,"
After an hours hard work. all nv
nervousness left me. and | was laugh.
80 '''' JNAh6 WIN tic rest
AT one o'clock, dinner came up in
the form Of dixie of hot stew.
looked for my canteen. 1t had
fallen of the fire step, and was half
buried In the mud. The man on nv
left noticed this, and told the corporal.
dlshlng out the ratIons, to put my
share in his mess tin. Then he whis
pered to me, always take care of your
mess tin, mate"
/ had learned another maxim of the
trenches.
That stew tasted fine. / was as
hungry as bear. We had seconds"
or another helping, because three of
the men had gone West" killed by
the explosion Of the German trench
mortar and we ate their share, but
still | was hungry, SO l filed in with
bully beef and biscuits. Then drained
my water bottle. Later on learned
another maxim Of the front line, go
sparingly with your water" The bully
beef made me thirsty, and by tea time
| was dying for drink, but my pride
would not allow me to ask my mates
for water. was fast learning the
ethics Of the trenches.
That night was put on guard with
an older man. We stood on the fire
step with or hands over the top, peer
ing out into No Mans Land. 1t was
nervous work for me, but the other fell
low seemed to take 1t as part of the
nights routine.
Then something shot past my face.
My heart stopped beating, and ducked
my head below the parapet. A soft
chuckle from my mate brought me to
my senses, and l feebly asked, "For
heavens sake, what was thatT
He answered. "Only a rat taking a
promenade along the sandbags." 1
felt very sheepish.
About every twenty minutes the SEN
try In the next traverse would fire a
star shell from his flare pistol The
plop' would give me a start of fright.
never got used to this noise during
ny service in the trenches.
| would watch the arc described by
he star shell, and then stare into No
Mans Land waiting for 1t to burst. In
is lurid light the barbed wire and
takes would be silhouetted against its
light like latticed window. Then
darkness.
Once, out in front of our wire,
card noise and saw dark forms
loving. My rifle was lying across the
andbagged parapet. reached for 1t,
nd was taking aim to fire, when my
late grasped my arm, and whispered,
Don't fire" He challenged in a low
dice. The reply came back instantly {
ON the dark forms:
"Shut your blnkin' mouth, you
oomin' IDIOT do you want us to click
from the BochesY
Later we learned that the word, "No S
lallenging or firing, wiring party out a
'front.'" had been given to the sentry
! our right, but he had failed to pass r
down the trench. An officer had over
ard our challenge and the reply, and q
put the offending sentry 81
der arrest. The sentry clicked =
'enty-one days on the wheel, that Is, nj
received twenty-one days field pun 4,
lment No. /, or "crucifxion," as st
,mmy terms it. ~ ~
This consists of being spread-eagled e1
the wheel of timber two hours a e.
y for twenty-one days, regardless of he
e weather. During this period, your &c
lions consist of bully beef, biscuits E,
d water. -
A few months later met this sentry
d he confided to me that since being
he had never failed to pass
, word down the trench when so or It
ed. In view of the offense, the NJ
I'VE punishment was very light, in
It failing to pass the word down a ST
nch may mean the loss of many
IS, and the spelling of some impor- an
{ enterprise in No Mans Land.
ITO he continued ! AZ