Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-07-18

The Tommy wns right at my heel
by this time. and he let out string
Of language. was surprised. too, and
stIll scrambling around in the mud.
Then the Tommy LET a "Gawd 'eIp
usl" and looked up and saw that the
legs belonged 10 Limey ofiicer,
major. I think. And here we had been
cussing the eyes on Of hlml
But he sized II up rightly and gave
us hand. and only laughed when we
tried TO explain. l got rnttled and
told him that NIL saw was his legs
and that they did not look like an ON
GERS legs, which might have made II
worse. only he was good-natured about
II. Then he said that he had been
asleep In battalion headquarters dug
out. about hundred yards away, and
only walked up when part Of the roof
caved IN on him. Yet he did not know
he had been shelledi
I went on down the road a stretch.
hut soon found II was ensIer walking
beside II. because the Huns had shelIed
II neatly right up and down the middle.
Also. there were 10 many wrecked
horses and wagons TO climb over On
the road-besldes dead men.
After I had passed the area Of the
bombardment and got back on the
road sat down to rest and smoke. A
couple Of shells had burst 10 near the
crater that they had thrown the dirt
right into the dugout, and was little
dizzy from the shock. While ] was sit
ting there a squad Of Tommies came
up with about twice their number Of
German prisoners. The TommIes had
been making Fritz do the goose step
and they started them ut II again when
they snw me sitting there. II sure
Is good for n laugh amy time. this
goose step. I guess they call II that
after the fellow who invented II.
One thing had noticed about Fritz
was tho way his coat hared out ut the
bottom. no I took this. chance to ind
out about II. while they halted for q
rest Just little farther down the
road. found that they carried their
emergency kits In their coats. These
kits contained canned meat. tobacco.
needles. thread and plastcr.-all this
IN addition to their regular pack.
Then I drilled down the road some
more. but had to stop pretty soon 10
let column Of French infantry swing
IN to the road from q neld. They
were on their way TO the trenches a
re-enforcemeuts. After every two
companies there would be wagon.
Pretty soon / saw the uniform Of the
Legion. Then q company Of my regi-
ment came up and I wheeled In With
them. We were In the rear of the col.
umn that had passed. Our boys were
going up for their regular stunt In the
front lines, while the others had just
arrived at that part Of the front
Then for the first time my feet BE-
gan hurting me. Our boots were made
Of rough cowhide and fitted very well.
but II was a days labor 10 carry then
ON your feet. ! began tagging behind.
I would lag twenty or thirty yards
behind and then try TO catch up. But
the thousands Of men ahead Of me
kept up the steady pace and very few
limped. though they had been on the
march since q. m. It was then about
II z. m. Those who did limp were
carried in the wagons But I had seen
very few men besides the drivers rid
Ing In the wagons, and wanted to
be a. tough o. the next guy. 20 kept
ON. But, believe me. was sure glad
when we halted for rest along the
road.
That ia tho re-enforcements dbl
Our company Of the Legion had not
come from 90 far. and when the front
7! Of the column had drawn out Of the
way along the road we kept on fling,
a the saying Ia i did not care about
being tough then, and I was ready for
the wagon.
YAiy uVWf oAuAV WCAU Nv VS8osAo
They belonged With tho other troops
| 80 I had to ease along as best could
for what seemed like hours--to my
fset-until we turned on onto another
road and halted for 4 rest. ! found
out later that our ofncers had gone
astray and were lost at this time
| thourh. az cOurne. fhvv did not tell
us 20. t4af n
We arrived at uur section Of thu
trench about three o'clock that after
noon and ] rejoined my company.
was oil tired out after this trek ant
found myself longing for tile Cassart
and the rolling wave. where no Mara
thons and flve-miIe hikes were neces
sary. But this was not in store fol
me-yet.
fTo ba cautfuss&d