The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-21

He could not see his brother now; ne
could not see anything against that red
glare
The flap over the entrance to the dug
out was lifted aside, and tense-faced
corporal peered in, but blinded by the
sudden rush of hot smoke, he could see
nothing. His shoulders were covered
by glistening waterproof sheet, and
as he leaned forward beads of water
raced down his helmet and fell in shin
ing drops, with a little hiss, into the red
eye of the brazer.
"Eben Davies," he called; but 1t was
like a cave of the dead. No one an
swered him. He plucked piece of blaz-
ing wood out of the brazier and held II
out at arms length into the darkness.
The burning torch lit up his hand and
arm, and on the sleeve Of his tunic
there was crimson smear of blood.
Crawling carefully over the tumble OF
feet and equipment. he leaned over and
shook the soldier in the corner by the
arm. 'Eben Davies,' he called again.
The man lifted up his head and stared
blankly into the corporars face with
uncomprehending eyes.
you'd better come out into the
trench with me. Eben," he said. The
soldier looked at the red streak on
the corporal's sleeve, then read the
truth in his face. The man in the cor
ncr sat still there for a moment with
his knees drawn up. Inside the peck
/ cts of his great coat his two hands.
white knuckled were clenched saw
| agely until the nails bit into the rough
| palm. He looked past the corporal az
| IL he did not see him.
LURCHED AFTER CORPORAL
"I'n be there now. corporal" he said
| presently.
Outside the dugout he stood up on
tho wooden blackboard of the trench
i, and blinked in the unaccustomed dark
| ness: a great massive man with broad
heavy shoulders Then he lurched aft
er the corporal along the slippery
boards. Round the second traverse he
stumbled into two figures carrying
something on a sagging stretcher The
stretcher bearers halted and laid their
burden down quietly on the duck
boards. Just then flare Kissed up
and burst high over the parapet
throwing the shadows OF the four men,
monstrous and grotesque. against the
sandhag wall of the parados and light
ing the CHASTITY white face on the
stretcher. with its tiny red hole In
the forehead and the trickle Of blood
which oozed away into the ditch at the
edge of the trench. and spread in q
film over the water. Eben Davies
looked down at his dead brother:
looked into the gray face that was so
strangely like his own. and into the
eyes that looked up into his with an
unceasing stare. Then, as the light
! flickered out, he turned away and
walked on down the trench.
"Gawd he do take 1t calm. quiet
! like, don't he?" said the forward
stretcher bearer to his mate. as he
bent down to grip the handles Of the
stretche~.
But behind them. in the dark trench.
Eben Davies was leaning against
traverse clutching at the sandbaEs
with his hands, staring into the night
with dull eyes. seeing nothing. hear
ing nothing.
OUT ON NO-MAN'S-LAND
| Presently he climbed on to the dre-
step IN an empty bay and looked out
on No Mans Land. Just at that mo-
ment q light shot up from the German
| trench and he could see the crubicd
ruin of house in No Mans Land out
! lined jaggediy against the sky. In the
! same instant he saw the flash OF a
rifle leap out from somewhere in the
ruins and a bullet smacked viciously
| into the parapet beneath his chin.
| squirting mud into his face. Then ne
know how his brother had died.
| Even Davies unlocked his CLASH
| knife from the short chain to which
| 1t was suspended, opened the long
! curdved blade Of it and. clutching this