Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1918-05-30
CHAPTER XXI.
About Turn.


The next evening we we're relieved
by the -th brigade, and once agaIT
returned to rest billets. Upon arriving
mt these billets we were given twenty
-four hours in which to clean up. had
gust finished getting the mud from my
uniform when the orderly sergeant In
8ormed me that my name was in orders
20 leave, and that / was to report to
the orderly room In the morning for or
ders. transportation and ratIons.
1 nearly had a At, hustled about
packing up, filling my pack with SOU
Tenlrs such as shell heads, dud bombs,
nose caps, shrapnel balls, and q Prus-
sian guardsman's helmet In fact, be-
fore turned in that night had every
thing ready to report at the orderly
COON at nine the next morning. .,.s-.>-
was the envy of the whole section,
swanking around, telling of the good
time was going to have, the places
would visit, and the real, old English
beer ! intended to guzzle. Sort of
rubbed 1t into them, because they all
do 1t, and now that 1t was my turn, I
took pains to get my own back.
( AT nine reported to the captain, re-
ceiving my travel order and pass. He
asked me how much money wanted
TO draw. | glibly answered, "Three
hundred francs, sir" he just as gllbly
banded me one hundred.
Reporting at brigade headquarters,
with my pack weighing a ton, / waited,
with forty others, for the adjutant to
inspect us. After an hours wait, he
came out; must have been sore because
he wasn't going with us.
The quartermaster sergeant issued
us two days ratlons, In a little white
canvas ration bag which we tied to
our belts.
Then two motor lorries came along
and we piled in, laughing joking and
In the best of spirits. We even loved
the Germans, we were feeling SO happy
Our journey to seven days bliss in
Bllghty had commenced.
The ride in the lorry lasted about
two hours by this time we were Gov
cred with fine white dust from the
road, but didn't mind even If we were
nearly choking.
At the railroad station at F. we
reported to an officer, who had white
band around his arm, which read "R.
Il. o." (Royal Transportation Ofiicer).
To us this officer was Santa Claus.
The sergeant in charge showed him
our orders; he glanced through them
and said: Make yourselves comfort
able on the platform and don't leave
the train is liable to be along in five
minutes-or five hours"
1t came in five hours, string of
eleven match boxes on big, high
wheels, drawn by a dinky little engine
with the cop" These match boxes
were cattle cars, on the sides of which
was painted the old familiar sign,
"Hommes 40, Chevaux g."
The r. T. o. stuck us all into one
car, We didn't care; it was as good
as Pullman to us.
Two days we spent on that train,
humping, stopping, jerking ahead, and
sometimes sliding back. AT three sta
tions we stopped long enough to make
some tea, but were unable to wash. so
when we arrived at B., where we
were to embark for Blighty, we were
as black as Turcos and, with our I'M
shaver faces, we looked like a lot of
tramps. Though tired out we were
happy.
We had packed up, preparatory to
detraining, when a r. T. o. held up his
hand for us to stop where we were
and came over. This is what he said