Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-05-08
CHAPTER XIV.
Picks and ShoveIs,

had not slept long before the sweet
voice of the sergeant informed that
mo. l section had clicked for another
blinking digging party" l smiled to
myself with deep satisfaction. / had
been promoted from a mere digger to
a member of the Suicide club, and was
exempt from all fatigues. Then came
an awful shock, The sergeant looked
over in my direction and said:
Don't you bomb throwers think you
are wearing top hats out here. Cord
in to orders you've been taken up on
the strength of this section. and will
have to do your bit with the pick ami
shovel, same as the rest of us
/ put up howl on my way to get
my shovel. but the only thing that re-
suited was loss of good humor on
my part.
We fell In at eight o'clock. outside
of our billets. sort of masquerade
party. l was disguised as common
laborer, had a pick and shovel, and
about one hundred empty sandbags.
The rest. about two hundred IL all.
were equipped likewise: picks, shovels,
sandbags, rifles and ammun ton.
The party moved out in column of
fours, taking the road leading to the
trenches. Several times we had to
string out in the ditch to let long col
umns of limbers, artillery and supplies
get past.
The marching, under these condi
tons, was necessarily slow. Upon ar
rival at the entrance to the communal
cation trench. looked at my illumi-
mated wrist watch-it was eleven
o'clock.
Before entering this trench, word
was passed down the line, ''no talking
or smoking, lead off in single file, COW
ering party first"
This covering party consisted of 80
men, armed with rifles, bayonets,
bombs, and two Lewis machine guns.
They were TO protect us and guard
against a surprise attack while dig
ging in No Mans Land.
The communication trench was
about half mile long, a zigzagging
ditch, eight feet deep and three feet
wide.
Now and again, German shrapnel
would whistle overhead and burst in
our vicinity. We would crouch against
the earthen walls while the shell frag-
ments slapped" the ground above us.
Once Fritz turned loose with a ma
chine gun, the bullets from which
cracked" through the air and kicked
up the dirt ON the top, scattering sand
and pebbles, which, hitting our steel
helmets, sounded like hailstones.
Upon arrival in the fire trench an
officer of the Royal Engineers gave US
our Instructions and acted as guide.
We We're to dig an advanced trench
two hundred yards from the Germans
(the trenches at this point were six
hundred yards apart.
Two winding lanes, five feet wide,
had been cut through our barbed wire,
for the passage of the diggers. From
these lines white tape had been laid
on the ground to the point where we
were to commence work. This in or
der that we would not get lost in the
darkness. The proposed trench was
also laid out with tape.
The covering party went out first.
After a short wait, two scouts came
back with information that the work
ing party was to follow and carry on"
with their work.
In extended order. two yards apart,
We noiselessly crept across No Mans
Land. 1t was nervous work; every
minute we expected q machine gun to
open fire on us. Stray bullets Cracked"
around US, or a ricoehet sang over
head
Arriving at the tapped diagram of
the trench. rifles slung around our
shoulders. we lost no time Ia getting
to work. We dug as quietly as pos
sible but every now and then the noise
Of q pick or shovel striking a stone
would send the cold shivers down our
backs. Under orr breaths we heartily
cursed the offending Tommy.