Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-01-26

One sunny afternoon our guns crew
was sitting on the fire step of front line
trench, Just in front of Gommecourt
Wood
Happy Houghton was busily engaged In
rigging UP flash screen to hide the flare
OF our gun, which we were to mount on
the parapet that night.
Sailor Bill was sewing piece OF khaki
cloth over his tin hat, because the night
previous while on sentry go, standing IN
the moonlight, with his head over the
top the ravs from the moon had reflected
from his steel helmet, and a couple OF
German bullets had knocked up the dirt
within few feet of his head. As was
usual with him, Hungry Foxcroft was
wrestling with a tin of bully beef, while
Curly Wallace was hunting for cooties.
lkev Honncy, with our mascot, Jim,
was sitting on the fire step, his back
leaning against the traverse Of the fire
bav, picking mud out of his harmonica
with silver OF wood. Jim seemed happy
and Contentcd, not knowing the fate IN
store for him. Two davs later poor Jim
was killed by German bullet and we
buried him behind the lines. placing
little wooden cross at the head OF hIs
grave. After working a few minutes ut
Aflt HtfIiftilttd. ihtN nohd Jahf1ts Eb"
II To his lips. and blow into 1t; "a sQucaky,
rattly noisc resulting. Then, with a deep
sigh, nc would resume the picking process.
| had Just finished letter home, and
was signing for the time to come when
once again | would be able 10 say hello
10 the old girl with the lamp IN her right
hand. guarding New York harbor.
Although II WAS warm and sunny,
still the floor Ol the trench was about thrce
inches deep IN soft, sticky mud.
On nv rgat | heard a low muttering
and splashing IN the mud, and around
the traverse, into our firebav, CARRYING
box of ammunition on his shoulder, came
the most weird looking soldier ] had ever
seen As he passed in front OF me he
turned tis gaze IN my direction and cold
shivcr seemed to run UP and down my
snlne as looked into his eyes. They were
uncannv: n sort of vacant stare, as VI the
owner of them WAS looking into the great
beyond As this soldier staggered through
the fircbav, almost bending double under
the weight OF the ammunition, and passed
from view around the next traverse, It
seemed to me as If the Grim Reaper had
stalked through.
Shuddering little, instinctively
turned nv e,es in the direction of the
rSSi OF the crew. nfN were Also Surfing
at the traverse, around which the gloomy
looking soldier had disappeared.
NV heart sank TO zero and ! had a
sinking sensation IN the region of my
stomach. and on the parsdos in front Of
me, like a moving picture on a screen,
flashed cemetery. dotted all over with
little wooden crosses felt queer and
uneasy.
Curly Wallace, in 8 low, half frightened
voice. ex laimed:
"Blime me, that was 'Aunted Jerry's
brother, the ono who clicked it by the
old lone tree If YOU blokes want 10
get the crccps, you ought to ear i'm
talk Some o. the fellows claim that its
unlucky to get 'irh started. They sye that
ono o is carers Is sure TO click it within
a few daNs time. but IL YOU fellows want
to tvke the chance, III go over To- is
section. which is occupying the second
frebav on our left, and see if can get i'm
TO tell us about is brother But, now
mind, this fellow is little balrny in is
napper, so don't myke fun o i'm"
/ confess that | was glad 10 be rid of